The 731 Legacy, a Cotton Stone mystery, is the fourth in the exciting series of books written by Lynn Sholes & Joe Moore. Published by Midnight Ink, the paperback goes on sale Oct. 1.While the story is fiction, it's based on facts that make it plausible-and terrifying. At the heart of The 731 Legacy is on-going scientific research into retroviruses, the remnants of which are carried in the human genome. Scientists have been able to revive some of these viruses to no ill effect. But the premise of The 731 Legacy is that such a virus-one that devastated the earth thousands of years ago-is "reactivated".
Sholes, a native Floridian, has done extensive research into the sciences and archeology. It was an article in Discover magazine that led to the idea for the first Cotton Stone mystery, The Grail Conspiracy, which involves the fictional, but plausible-premise that the traces of human blood found preserved inside an ancient cup at an archeological dig site in the Middle East are those of Jesus Christ. The story asks what if someone used the DNA to clone Christ--someone evil.
Moore is a former marketing executive and two-time Emmy winner with twenty-five years in the television industry. The two writers have created a series which has been translated into 23 languages.
Carolyn Haines: Because of the "team" aspect of these books, I'm sure a lot of people will wonder about the process. How do you go about writing something as long and complex as a novel with a co-writer? What is the division of labor?
Joe Moore: The division of duties is fairly equal. After writing four novels together, we've developed a comfortable routine. We might try new approaches or tools, but the routine is solid. Basically, once we come up with the general concept of the book, we construct a detailed synopsis that gives us a general overview and roadmap from which to work. We continuously retell the story to each other, either on a global level or a chapter or scene level so that our "vision" gets as close as possible. At some point, one of us will feel that we have a "handle" on the chapter or scene and will tackle the first draft. It's then emailed to the other for review and revision, and back again. This goes on until we're both happy for the time being. Then we move on to the next chapter using the same procedure. We both do equal amounts of research to add meat to the skeleton of the plot. Because there's so much back and forth needed with each chapter or section, we tend to write slowly.
Also, we know the ending up front and we don't necessarily write in a linear fashion. Instead, we sometimes jump around in the story creating a "snapshot" of a scene that we can work towards.
Collaboration on fiction is not for the faint of heart and I would not recommend it.
CH: I understand that often the hook for you is a scientific nugget, some discovery or detail or research that opens the door to a "what if" scenario. What got you excited in the idea for The 731 Legacy?
Lynn Sholes: I read an article in a science magazine about how some scientists had found the remnants of an ancient retrovirus spread across the human genome and had recently discovered a way to reassemble it. That virus wasn't life-threatening. But we thought, wow, what if there were remnants of a deadly virus still lingering in our genes. We would be sitting ducks for anyone who could find a trigger to reassemble it and then target specific individuals or groups. So we solicited medical and scientific experts to help us create a believable scenario.
We are always amazed at how our research works. We find that while researching one thing, we come across something we weren't expecting, and it turns out to be equally spine tingling. That's what happened with the discovery of Unit 731, a secret Japanese germ- and chemical-warfare unit that performed horrific experiments during WWII. When we put the virus and Unit 731 together, we had an incredible story of a new generation of suicide bombers who could kill with something as simple as a cough or sneeze. To tell you the truth, the possibility that this could be done scares the hell out of us. There is probably a terrorist group out there right now working on it.
CH: Tell me about Cotton Stone? How did the idea for her come about? Thrillers are often dominated by male protagonists, yet Cotton is female-what reasoning went into that decision?
LS: Again, the original book in the series came from a science magazine article and the inevitable question of What if. We spent a lot of time developing Cotten so she would arrive on the scene as a full-blown character with backstory. And boy, does she ever have some baggage! She is a unique protagonist with a unique heritage.
As far as why we chose the protagonist to be female, there were several reasons. We thought that being a woman gave her a vulnerability that could add to the tension in a thriller. It's never the bang-bang, shot 'em up that creates suspense in any book. It's the anticipation, and if the reader feels fear for the protagonist, it just ratchets the tension up a notch. That doesn't mean the reader can't be afraid for a male protagonist but the market is chock full of tough guys in danger. We just wanted our hero to be different.
CH: How has Cotton grown or changed over the series?
JM: Our books are high concept apocalyptic thrillers with a big dose of the supernatural thrown in. Cotten Stone is the daughter of a Fallen Angel. But as her journey begins in The Grail Conspiracy, she doesn't know her legacy or destiny. She is a rookie network correspondent who finds herself in Iraq right at the beginning of the current war. Once she uncovers a shadowy conspiracy to create a clone of Christ from DNA found in the Holy Grail, she is caught up in an effort to find and stop it from happening, all the time not knowing why she has been chosen to do so. It makes no sense to her and she rejects the spiritual implications of her task and heritage. By the time the story ends, she accepts that she was the only one who could have put an end to the threat but resists and resents being chosen.
Throughout the series, Cotten continues to battle the Forces of Evil, and with each book it becomes clearer to her that she must embrace her destiny. By the time book four--The 731 Legacy--ends, she has discovered a deep, revealing secret to her heritage that gives her confidence in her life path. No more doubt or confusion. She has grown into a confident heroine ready to face the next challenge.
CH: Do both, or either, of you have scientific backgrounds? How do you go about keeping a story based in science plausible-and I think that's a key word when discussing the Cotton Stone books. This could happen. It follows very closely the science of today, yet you turn it down a fictional avenue. How hard is this to achieve?
JM: Each Cotten Stone novel combines cutting edge science with an ancient artifact, both of which are needed to complete the story. In developing each plot, we first come up with an outrageous premise. Then we recruit scientists that can help us build plausible sounding solutions. In The Grail Conspiracy, the science was human cloning and the artifact was the mythical Cup from the Last Supper-the Holy Grail. We worked with a professor of molecular biology at Chicago State University to develop a method of cloning a human from 2000-year-old DNA. The Last Secret and The Hades Project dealt with quantum mechanics and quantum computers. We were assisted by a professor from the department of mechanical engineering at MIT. And with The 731 Legacy, which deals with a million-year-old retrovirus, we worked with a senior science advisor for the CDC. In our new book, The Phoenix Apostles, we deal with human regeneration and are being advised by a professor of cell and molecular biology at Tulane University.
CH: The books are called mysteries, yet the premise belongs to the thriller genre. Do you make a distinction between the two, and if so, what?
LS: We agree that our books are really thrillers. Thrillers are kind of a sub-genre of mysteries but seem to be coming into their own as evidenced by the amazing success of ITW. The major difference between thrillers and mysteries is that in a mystery the whole story is built on finding out "who done it." In a thriller, most of the time you already know who's gonna do it.
A traditional mystery usually begins with a dead body and then the sleuth follows clues to find out who killed the victim and why, and then have the guilty pay the consequence. In a thriller, it's a race to stop a bad thing from happening. There is always a ticking clock. In a sense, comparing a mystery to thriller is like comparing a puzzle to a nightmare.
The adult fiction imprint of the publisher who bought our books is mystery, so we end up in the mystery section of the store.
CH: Lynn, you've written 6 novels solo as Lynn Armistead McKee. How is it different working with a partner? Do you continue to write alone?
LS: It's very different writing with a partner. It took us 3 years to get it right. Our voices were dramatically different and, at the start, they collided on the page. Now we write rather seamlessly. It was a dedicated and determined effort until we hit our stride. That's why it took so long to write the first one. The best thing about collaboration is we never have writer's block! Of course we have our differences now and again, but we always manage to resolve them. Ultimately we have one goal: to write the best book possible.
When you collaborate, you might as well toss your ego in the toilet and flush it away if you are to survive. Joe and I have settled into a process that works for us, in large part based upon our mutual respect for each other's writing skills. We know what it takes to tell a story and we understand what our M.O. is. Another plus for us is that we are great at brainstorming together. We are lucky we make such a good team. And no, I don't write alone anymore. There is no time.
CH: Joe, after working for years in the television industry, was it hard to transition to the novel form?
JM: It was fairly easy to make the transition because both occupations are based on creativity. I've always been involved in some form of creativity all my life. So whether it was mixing the soundtrack for an hour-long television special or writing a 100k-word novel, I was involved in creating something from nothing. Same side of the brain, different day.
CH: What's on the horizon for Cotton Stone? Any other collaboration in the works?
JM: The Cotten Stone series ends with The 731 Legacy. Lynn and I have started a new standalone called The Phoenix Apostles that could turn into a series. It's based on a female freelance journalist who stumbles across a plot to commit mass murder on a global scale in the name of an ancient Aztec religion. We've added an extra level of uniqueness to The Phoenix Apostles by creating what we call a book in a book. Our heroine's love interest is a bestselling thriller author. We plan to write our new standalone under our names, the author character's book under his name, and have both published simultaneously.
Contributing editor Carolyn Haines's
last novel is WISHBONES, the 8th of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mississippi
Delta mysteries. She was recently named a 2009 recipient of the Richard
Wright Award for Literary Excellence.
Lynn Sholes: I read an article in a science magazine about how some scientists had found the remnants of an ancient retrovirus spread across the human genome and had recently discovered a way to reassemble it. That virus wasn't life-threatening. But we thought, wow, what if there were remnants of a deadly virus still lingering in our genes. We would be sitting ducks for anyone who could find a trigger to reassemble it and then target specific individuals or groups. So we solicited medical and scientific experts to help us create a believable scenario. We are always amazed at how our research works. We find that while researching one thing, we come across something we weren't expecting, and it turns out to be equally spine tingling. That's what happened with the discovery of Unit 731, a secret Japanese germ- and chemical-warfare unit that performed horrific experiments during WWII. When we put the virus and Unit 731 together, we had an incredible story of a new generation of suicide bombers who could kill with something as simple as a cough or sneeze. To tell you the truth, the possibility that this could be done scares the hell out of us. There is probably a terrorist group out there right now working on it.
CH: Tell me about Cotton Stone? How did the idea for her come about? Thrillers are often dominated by male protagonists, yet Cotton is female-what reasoning went into that decision?
LS: Again, the original book in the series came from a science magazine article and the inevitable question of What if. We spent a lot of time developing Cotten so she would arrive on the scene as a full-blown character with backstory. And boy, does she ever have some baggage! She is a unique protagonist with a unique heritage.
As far as why we chose the protagonist to be female, there were several reasons. We thought that being a woman gave her a vulnerability that could add to the tension in a thriller. It's never the bang-bang, shot 'em up that creates suspense in any book. It's the anticipation, and if the reader feels fear for the protagonist, it just ratchets the tension up a notch. That doesn't mean the reader can't be afraid for a male protagonist but the market is chock full of tough guys in danger. We just wanted our hero to be different.
CH: How has Cotton grown or changed over the series?
JM: Our books are high concept apocalyptic thrillers with a big dose of the supernatural thrown in. Cotten Stone is the daughter of a Fallen Angel. But as her journey begins in The Grail Conspiracy, she doesn't know her legacy or destiny. She is a rookie network correspondent who finds herself in Iraq right at the beginning of the current war. Once she uncovers a shadowy conspiracy to create a clone of Christ from DNA found in the Holy Grail, she is caught up in an effort to find and stop it from happening, all the time not knowing why she has been chosen to do so. It makes no sense to her and she rejects the spiritual implications of her task and heritage. By the time the story ends, she accepts that she was the only one who could have put an end to the threat but resists and resents being chosen.Throughout the series, Cotten continues to battle the Forces of Evil, and with each book it becomes clearer to her that she must embrace her destiny. By the time book four--The 731 Legacy--ends, she has discovered a deep, revealing secret to her heritage that gives her confidence in her life path. No more doubt or confusion. She has grown into a confident heroine ready to face the next challenge.
CH: Do both, or either, of you have scientific backgrounds? How do you go about keeping a story based in science plausible-and I think that's a key word when discussing the Cotton Stone books. This could happen. It follows very closely the science of today, yet you turn it down a fictional avenue. How hard is this to achieve?
JM: Each Cotten Stone novel combines cutting edge science with an ancient artifact, both of which are needed to complete the story. In developing each plot, we first come up with an outrageous premise. Then we recruit scientists that can help us build plausible sounding solutions. In The Grail Conspiracy, the science was human cloning and the artifact was the mythical Cup from the Last Supper-the Holy Grail. We worked with a professor of molecular biology at Chicago State University to develop a method of cloning a human from 2000-year-old DNA. The Last Secret and The Hades Project dealt with quantum mechanics and quantum computers. We were assisted by a professor from the department of mechanical engineering at MIT. And with The 731 Legacy, which deals with a million-year-old retrovirus, we worked with a senior science advisor for the CDC. In our new book, The Phoenix Apostles, we deal with human regeneration and are being advised by a professor of cell and molecular biology at Tulane University.CH: The books are called mysteries, yet the premise belongs to the thriller genre. Do you make a distinction between the two, and if so, what?
LS: We agree that our books are really thrillers. Thrillers are kind of a sub-genre of mysteries but seem to be coming into their own as evidenced by the amazing success of ITW. The major difference between thrillers and mysteries is that in a mystery the whole story is built on finding out "who done it." In a thriller, most of the time you already know who's gonna do it.A traditional mystery usually begins with a dead body and then the sleuth follows clues to find out who killed the victim and why, and then have the guilty pay the consequence. In a thriller, it's a race to stop a bad thing from happening. There is always a ticking clock. In a sense, comparing a mystery to thriller is like comparing a puzzle to a nightmare.
The adult fiction imprint of the publisher who bought our books is mystery, so we end up in the mystery section of the store.
CH: Lynn, you've written 6 novels solo as Lynn Armistead McKee. How is it different working with a partner? Do you continue to write alone?
LS: It's very different writing with a partner. It took us 3 years to get it right. Our voices were dramatically different and, at the start, they collided on the page. Now we write rather seamlessly. It was a dedicated and determined effort until we hit our stride. That's why it took so long to write the first one. The best thing about collaboration is we never have writer's block! Of course we have our differences now and again, but we always manage to resolve them. Ultimately we have one goal: to write the best book possible.When you collaborate, you might as well toss your ego in the toilet and flush it away if you are to survive. Joe and I have settled into a process that works for us, in large part based upon our mutual respect for each other's writing skills. We know what it takes to tell a story and we understand what our M.O. is. Another plus for us is that we are great at brainstorming together. We are lucky we make such a good team. And no, I don't write alone anymore. There is no time.
CH: Joe, after working for years in the television industry, was it hard to transition to the novel form?
JM: It was fairly easy to make the transition because both occupations are based on creativity. I've always been involved in some form of creativity all my life. So whether it was mixing the soundtrack for an hour-long television special or writing a 100k-word novel, I was involved in creating something from nothing. Same side of the brain, different day.
CH: What's on the horizon for Cotton Stone? Any other collaboration in the works?
JM: The Cotten Stone series ends with The 731 Legacy. Lynn and I have started a new standalone called The Phoenix Apostles that could turn into a series. It's based on a female freelance journalist who stumbles across a plot to commit mass murder on a global scale in the name of an ancient Aztec religion. We've added an extra level of uniqueness to The Phoenix Apostles by creating what we call a book in a book. Our heroine's love interest is a bestselling thriller author. We plan to write our new standalone under our names, the author character's book under his name, and have both published simultaneously.
Contributing editor Carolyn Haines's
last novel is WISHBONES, the 8th of the Sarah Booth Delaney Mississippi
Delta mysteries. She was recently named a 2009 recipient of the Richard
Wright Award for Literary Excellence.
