Alan Jacobson

1 - What's your latest?

Alan Jacobson: VELOCITY, the next thriller in the FBI Profiler Karen Vail series, debuts Oct 5, 2010.

2 - Assuming I haven't read it, why should I?

Alan Jacobson: Karen Vail is a funny, smart, realistic character who has resonated with readers of all types, as well as both genders. The stories are written to engage you emotionally, with twists and turns along the way to keep you turning the pages until you reach the ending—which will not disappoint. In addition, the exhaustive research I’ve done ensures that I’ve done my homework and respect the subject matter. I won’t insult my readers’ intelligence by taking the lazy way out and “making stuff up.” As the reader, you’ll learn a lot about different industries, law enforcement agencies, locations, and behind-the-scenes regional politics.

3 - What can you tell us about your main character that you hadn't realized until you answered the question?

Alan Jacobson: I know my character extremely well, having lived with her for 13 years (even though she’s only appeared in three published novels), so nothing in the above question revealed anything to me. That said, two years ago during a TV interview with one of the FBI profilers I’ve worked with for 18 years, I realized that Karen Vail’s sarcastic dry wit came largely from my childhood growing up in New York. When I moved to California 28 years ago, I found that I had to lose the sarcasm because westerners took sarcasm as arrogance. When I started writing Vail, the long-buried sarcasm and dry wit emerged and formed the basis for an entertaining character. Nelson DeMille said that “Karen Vail is hell of a lady: tough, smart, funny, and very believable.”

4 - What's your favorite scene and why?

Alan Jacobson: Wow—the way I look at it, I’d better love ALL my scenes or they shouldn’t be in the novel. That said ... it’s impossible to answer the question because I love so many of them. Some bring out the essence of the main characters in a way filled with energy and emotion. Others are absolutely thrilling because of the setup of circumstances, the conflict, and the dangers my characters find themselves in.

5 - What's next?

Alan Jacobson: I’m just starting to write the next Karen Vail novel, and have just submitted another novel to my agent based on a new character that I’m very excited about (although Vail does appear in the novel).