The Eye of God by James Rollins

By Stacy Mantle

A global comet approaching Earth. Apocalyptic visions. Ancient meetings between powerful men. A mysterious package arriving at the Vatican, sent by a man gone missing nearly two decades earlier.

In his newest thriller, THE EYE OF GOD (William Morrow, June 25, 2013), bestselling author James Rollins once again masterfully takes seemingly unrelated events and weaves a complex and thrilling tale filled with history, science, religion and archaeology.

Commander Gray Pierce returns with the elite Sigma force and together journey to Mongolia in search of a code-black physics project that holds dark energy – the matter tied to our earth’s beginnings.  The team is joined by a pair of Vatican historians as they launch an investigation to uncover a truth tied to the fall of the Roman Empire and bound to the roots of Christianity.

Our favorite characters reappear and new plots are uncovered as the team races against the Guild. Rollins approaches an apocalyptic vision of the future by explaining the mysteries of our past in what is sure to be another blockbuster hit as he does what he does so well: combine fact with fiction to create a wire-taut, fast-moving plot with complex, engaging characters who are each heroes in their own right.

We sat down to talk books, pets and biohacking, as well as Mongolian empires, near-earth objects, and how all of those things impact us in this day and age.

Having a conversation with James Rollins is like having a discussion with an archaeologist, scientist, author, motivator, priest, and historian all rolled into one person. Like his books, Rollins is fast-paced, intellectual, informative, and exciting.  He can take an obscure historical fact, add cryptic predictions from the future, toss in logical scientific evidence, and create a plot line that comes together seamlessly.

THE EYE OF GOD has it all and more. Rollins begins by taking you into the death chamber of Attila the Hun in 453 AD and a few chapters later, you are exploring the world of bio-hacking, a form of extreme body modification, in the here and now.

As a person who thrives on exploration and knowledge, Rollins pieces a historical puzzle together with a skill that keeps the reader in a permanent state of sustained disbelief.

“The genesis for THE EYE OF GOD came from a visit I took to Fermilab outside of Chicago,” said Rollins. “I was lucky enough to get a personal tour of the lab’s particle accelerator and a chance to sit down to lunch with a group of physicists, where I asked a question that I often pose to people:  ‘Tell me something that disturbs you deeply about your research.’ And they did.  Within these pages, you’ll discover a frightening look at reality and what it means for you today.”

When Rollins is not writing, he’s tending to three Golden Retrievers and, lately, keeping up with an intense promotion schedule on the road.

He’s been the co-president of the International Thriller Writers Association and will be in attendance at this year’s ThrillerFest, yet he still attends his twice weekly book club at Coco’s.

Rollins is not one who has forgotten where he came from and speaks fondly of his former life as a veterinarian and his transition to author. “Each day, I would write three double-spaced pages. In the mornings, we did surgery. In the afternoons, we would see clients. At lunch, I was a writer.”

When he attended a writer’s conference in Hawaii, all of that changed. Seeing one of his favorite fantasy authors, he approached Terry Brooks, tongue-tied and nervous, he summoned the courage to introduce himself. Rollins (then known as Jim Czajkowski) had entered his manuscript into the conference contest of which Brooks was a judge. After telling Brooks he was a fan of the authors 22 bestsellers, Brooks noticed Rollins name tag and said, “I’m a big fan of yours, too.” Within a few days, a phone call to Brooks’ agent introduced him to Del Ray Books.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Rollins sold his clinic in 1998 and over the next three years, slowly reduced his work as a veterinarian until he was a full-time novelist.

When advising young authors, Rollins reminds them that the only way to succeed is to write.  Every day…

“I know my characters,” he said. “I don’t keep character dossiers. When I write a character, I already know what their motivation is, I know how they think, I know their mannerisms…”

He also knows his fan base, and takes the time out of his day to handle his social networks on his own, which contributes to his rabid fan base and popularity.

Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore and pick up THE EYE OF GOD. It’s an adventure not to be missed…

*****

James Rollins is the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of international thrillers, translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (NEW YORK TIMES) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (PEOPLE MAGAZINE). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets–and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight.