An Interview with ‘Bloodline’ Author James Rollins

On June 26th, James Rollins’ newest book Bloodline will be released. James Rollins is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sigma Force series and stand alone novels including Amazonia, Subterranean and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. He is also one of my favorite authors in the world.

It gives me great pleasure to present my interview with James Rollins to Mad Mike’s readers.

1) You are most well-known for the Sigma Force series, featuring Painter Crowe. How was Painter Crowe “born?”

He first appeared in my novel Sandstorm.  Prior to that book, all my previous stories had been stand-along novels. I resisted writing series–until I discovered Painter on the page.  Here was a former military man recruited by Sigma, a secret organization tied to DARPA (the defense department’s R&D division). The goal of Sigma was to defend the nation against global threats, utilizing a crack team of former soldiers who have been retrained in various scientific fields. Basically scientists with guns.

 3) On your website, there is mention of you, telling stories as a child in order to play pranks on your siblings. Can you tell Mad Mike’s readers about a few of those stories?

First, you have to understand my family. My father was a foreman at a Libby’s canning plant.  My mother stayed home and had children…many, many children.  Being Polish and Roman Catholic, I believe there was some requirement on the number of kids:  less than five children, and the secret of Kielbasa would be taken from you.  So I was born the third of seven children, and of that litter, I was the only storyteller of the family (what my mother called “The Liar”).  My early work consisted of convincing my younger brothers that the new ventriloquist doll I got for Christmas would come alive at midnight and hunt for fresh blood…which led to many sleepless night and wet beds.  Or revealing to my baby sister that our family were really Martians—except for her, of course, as she was our adopted human pet.

 4) You’ve traveled the world, and use exotic locales in your novels. What city or natural wonder made the biggest impression on you, both personally and as an author?

 If I had to pick one, I’d say it was the Amazon rain forest.  That vast and trackless dark forest was featured in my early novel Amazonia.  As a writer, the mystery and history of the jungle was impossible to resist.  As a biologist, the sheer wonder of this massive ecosystem was an endless joy to explore. And as a veterinarian, the diversity of animal life was fascinating. In my book Amazonia, one of the main characters is an orphaned jaguar named Tor-tor, who of all my characters still gets the most fan mail.  Though I wager Kane (the war dog featured in Bloodline) will give that jungle cat a run for his money in regards to popularity.

 5) Jake Ransom is the hero of a series you write for children. When you were a child, did you want to be someone like Jake, or Painter Crowe-solving mysteries lost for ages, battling dark forces and visiting fabulous and historic places?

 I don’t think Jake and Painter are too far apart as characters. Jake–as the time-traveling son of a pair of archaeologists who disappeared at a Mayan dig site–finds himself solving mysteries, battling dark, forces, and visiting ancient lost civilizations. So the two are not too far apart in goals and aspirations.  As to your question about who I’d want to be, you might notice that Jake Ransom and James Rollins share the same initials.  He’s the kid I always wished I could be.

 6) You joined with other writers in 2005 to form International Thriller Writers, and served as co-president of the group in 2009. Can you tell us a little about ITW?

 It’s a fantastic organization and a great network for all things thriller related. We’ve built a huge website chocked full of information about books, authors, and tips on writing.  We also have a very successful mentoring program for debut authors in the field, where established authors take new writers under their respective wings and help guide them through the pitfalls and triumphs of book publishing.

 7) Finally, if you could take three books with you on a vacation, what would they be?

 What? Only three?  Typically when I travel, I always try to find fiction books that are related to my destination.  So the choice of those three titles would greatly depend on where I was going on vacation?  If I’m going to Paris, I might bring The Paris Vendetta by Steve Berry. If going to China, I might bring Amy Tan’s masterful The Joy Luck Club.  If I’m going to the moon, I would certainly pack The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.  But for general travel, it never hurts to be have a copy of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams in your pocket–mostly for the very good advice written atop that illustrious interstellar guide, words important to any world traveler:  Don’t Panic.

Thank you, James Rollins, for your time and generosity. This was truly an honor. Your readers are anxiously counting down until June 26th and Bloodline promises to be as much, if not more, of an adventure than previous Sigma Force books. It features favorite characters like Commander Pierce, Kat and Seichen, and introduces Sigma Force fans to Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane. And “Bloodline” asks the ultimate question: Would you want to live forever?

Please visit www.jamesrollins.com to preview and order Bloodline, peruse James Rollins’ other amazing novels and learn even more about an author whose books may keep you up so late, you have to call in sick to work. (He loves when that happens!)

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