I want to thank Layton Green, author of The Diabolist, for stopping by my notebook today and answering a few questions.
Could you please tell us a little about your book?
The Diabolist inspired even more reflection than usual along the way — which is why I wanted to write it. I’ve had readers describe the book in many different ways, from “fast-paced international thriller” to “a meditation on the nature of good and evil” to “a controversial look into the history of the devil.” I hope the novel not just entertains, but makes people think and feel, because in my view a good novel must do all three.
Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?
Ever since I started The Dominic Grey series, which I describe as “international religious thrillers,” I knew I would eventually feature a satanic cult or some derivation thereof. This is that novel. The explosion of social media and how it might fuel a global mega-preacher also inspired the plot.
Who or what is the inspiration behind this book?
First and foremost, the desire to write a cracking good suspense tale. I always try to have an underlying theme behind each of the Grey novels, and for this one, I wanted to explore the nature of good and evil, especially the question of theodicy, which philosophers have been debating for many centuries. In essence, theodicy is the problem of evil: either God is omnipotent and all evil must be attributed to God, or He is not omnipotent, and someone or something else is responsible for evil.
Who is your biggest supporter?
Oprah. Just kidding: my wife.
Your biggest critic?
Myself.
What cause are you most passionate about and why?
Street kids. There are so many worthy causes out there, but I feel that we should help our children before we do anything else, and the fact that there are homeless children in our cities is an abomination.
Who has influenced you throughout your career as a writer?
Tough question, and too many to name here. My first editor, Richard Marek, is a legend in the industry and taught me so, so much. And just a few of the writers who have influenced me: James Lee Burke, Dennis Lehane, Dan Simmons, Michael Gruber, Herman Hesse, Martin Cruz Smith. The list is long.
What are you currently working on?
The next Dominic Grey novel.
Do you have any advice for writers or readers?
Writers: read, write, rinse, repeat.
Is there an author that inspired you to write?
Well, there’s a book: The Magus by John Fowles.
What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?
I think The Diabolist hits a unique niche: it’s a crime novel, an “international religious thriller” ala Dan Brown or Steve Berry or James Rollins, but it also delves into philosophy, theology, the paranormal, and the occult. The Dominic Grey series has been described as “Jason Bourne meets the X-Files” and I think that’s a fairly apt description. I also love this blurb for The Diabolist by JT Ellison, which I think sums up the novel nicely:
“Part international thriller, part philosophic treatise on good and evil, part intricate, unforgettable nightmare-inducing fever dream, THE DIABOLIST has everything you want from a thriller. Layton Green is a master of intellectual suspense. This one’s a killer.”
— JT Ellison, bestselling author of EDGE OF BLACK
About the Author:
In addition to writing, Layton attended law school in New Orleans and was a practicing attorney for the better part of a decade (even though he still resents having cut his hair for that first interview). He has also been an intern for the United Nations, an ESL teacher in Central America, a bartender in London, a seller of cheap knives on the streets of Brixton, a door-to-door phone book deliverer, and the list goes downhill from there.
He has traveled to more than fifty countries, lived in a number of them, and has a burning desire to see every country, city, beach, moor, castle, cemetery, twisted street and far flung dot on the map. Religion and cults, as well as all things spiritual and supernatural, have also been a lifelong interest. Combine the travel and the religion with fifteen years of Japanese Jujitsu training, and the Dominic Grey series was born.
His latest book is The Diabolist.
Visit his website at www.laytongreen.com.
Connect & Socialize with Layton!
FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
About the Book:
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.
Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.
The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.
Purchase your copy at AMAZON.
Pump Up Your Book and Layton Green are teaming up to give
you a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card and signed copies of
The Diabolist, The Egyptian, and The Summoner!
Terms & Conditions:
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old. One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive one $100 Amazon Gift Certificate
This giveaway begins October 1 and ends October 31, 2013. Winners will be contacted via email on Friday, November 1, 2013. Winner has 48 hours to reply.
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Nice interview. I like his books.
Enjoy your week, and thanks for stopping by my Mailbox Monday earlier.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
I read and reviewed all the Dominic Grey novels so far. You did the interview with the author. I feel small and unloved :p
Don’t be sad. We love you.
Oh wow. This is new to me and sounds rather good. Thank you!
Great interview, I love the Grey series! I haven’t read this one yet but have heard great things so I guess I need to finish up what I am on now and get to it. Right now I have Don Grippo’s To Sleep…Perchance to die, dongrippo.com. It’s been a great thriller, intense and has kept me page turning. I recommend it. Once again I really enjoyed this interview, it’s always cool to hear what the authors think about their work.