Celebrating Texas Writers Month with us today is Edgar winner David Liss (San Antonio).
Subscribe to this blog and comment to this post by May 27 to win a signed copy of David’s historical suspense novel, The Devil’s Company. Giveaway for U.S. residents only.
Born in New Jersey and raised in Florida, David Liss is a transplanted Texan. He received his B.A. from Syracuse University, an M.A. from Georgia State Universty and his M.Phil from Columbia University, where he left his dissertation unfinished to pursue his writing career.
Liss is the author of six novels. His debut novel, A Conspiracy of Paper (2000) with its hero, the pugilist turned private investigator Benjamin Weaver, was named a New York Times Notable Book and won him the 2001 Barry, MacAvity and Edgar awards for Best First Novel. David’s second novel, The Coffee Trader (2003) was also named a New York Times Notable Book and was selected by the New York Public Library as one of the year’s 25 Books to Remember.
His third novel A Spectacle of Corruption (2004) became a national bestseller. David’s fourth novel, The Ethical Assassin (2006) is his first full-length work that is not historical fiction.
The Whiskey Rebels (2008) is set in 1790′s Philadelphia and New York, and the third Benjamin Weaver novel is The Devil’s Company (2009).
Q. Are you a native Texan or did you get here as soon as you could?
A. We moved here because of my wife’s job. She’s a literature professor, and took a position at Trinity University in 2001.
Q. How did you end up writing historical fiction?
A. I was in graduate school when I decided to write my first novel. They say write what you know, and I knew eighteenth century Britain.
Q. What book marketing activities made you a bestselling author?
A. I was lucky enough to get the first author treatment my first time out, and I’ve been lucky enough to have readers stick with me. I have a web page, and I make myself accessible to readers through Facebook and Twitter.
Q. Tell us about your upcoming release. Is it set in Texas?
A. My next novel is called The Twelfth Enchantment, and it will be out in August. It is set in England in 1812, and I like to think of it as historical urban fantasy. Like many of my previous novels, there is an economic component (in this case, the Luddite rebellion, the first organized resistance to the Industrial Revolution), but it is mainly a Jane Austen-esque story about a young woman who discovers a complicated and supernatural family inheritance. Also, Lord Byron has the hots for her.
Additionally, I write the monthly series Black Panther: The Man Without Fear for Marvel comics, and come June 1st begin a 5-part mini-series for Marvel called Mystery Men. Later this year, Radical Comics will publish an illustrated novel called Assassins: Sword of the Apocalypse, a work of historical fantasy set during the Third Crusade.
Q. Where can we pay you a virtual visit?
A. www.davidliss.com
The 1800’s are my absolute favorite time period. I want to read this book! This is a wonderful interview, thank you so much!
I love historical fiction. I subscribe via feedburner.
I also enjoy historical fiction. This sounds like a fascinating book. Thanks for the giveaway.
Mr. Liss, I’m fascinated to learn of your moonlighting as a comic book writer, a field that wouldn’t seem open to many historical novelists. How did you start working on comics? Was there an idea you pitched for one or did someone come to you with an idea?
Great interview. I would love a chance to win The Devil’s Company. Thank you!
I’ve loved everything I’ve read of David’s. He visited my book group to discuss The Coffee Trader – they were all so impressed with his book AND his personality. I’ll definitely get this book.
I’m very interested in The Comic Book Connection because I grew up buying and trading them. I would get so engrossed in a comic book that I used to wonder if I could stop reading if my mother had yelled “Our house is on fire!” I had a feeling I would’ve finished the page before running outside. In any event, I’m interested in this book.
thanks for the chance to read this fabulous novel…i’m a follower, too!
David Liss mentions that there is an economic component to his novels, which is intriguing. I would think that this would make them even more enticing to the public. I find the Luddites fascinating, so this is a novel that I would be interested in. Thanks again, Stephanie, for introducing those of us who weren’t previously familiar, to this author.
Thanks everyone for your comments. Louis, to answer your question, an editor at Marvel read one of my novels and contacted me to ask if I was interested in comics. I’ve always been a fan, so it was a great oportunity to get involved in a medium I enjoyed and discover new ways of telling stories.
Ooh, historical urban fantasy, sounds great!
Historical Fiction, my favorite genre! This book sounds wonderful and the cover is to die for!
I’m a feedburner subscriber. Thanks for the giveaway!