1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
When several leaders in the field of artificial intelligence are assassinated around the globe, The Gray Man learns of a new super weapon that is soon to be deployed by an unknown power. He and former Russian intelligence officer Zoya Zakharova work with the CIA as they go from Central America, to Mexico, and finally to Cuba to uncover the origins of the weapon and stop its release into the world.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted a location where the hero could be hiding out at the beginning of the story, so I chose Guatemala, a country that’s off the beaten path, but a place I know well. And I also wanted to find a location the villain could use that would give him some freedom and autonomy to do what he wanted, so I picked the communist nation of Cuba.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
I would. He’d probably get bored of me pretty quickly, though.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Relentless, noble, sarcastic.
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned a lot about both the technology and the ethics of lethal autonomous weapons and the developments in AI.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I definitely edit along the way. It helps me remember what’s going on, especially when the plot gets complicated. Plus, when I finally have a draft finished I will have already gone over each part several times.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Oreo cookies.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
We bought a home with a pool house in back, and I converted that into my office. It has a kitchen and a fireplace and some leather couches and chairs, and I use the kitchen pantry for book storage and the laundry room as a mini shipping office for all the books I send out.
10–Who is an author you admire?
The late John le Carre’.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
Patriot Games, by Tom Clancy, because that was the first geopolitical thriller I ever bought, and as soon as I finished it I went out and bought Tom’s other books, then branched out into other authors in the same genre. That was in 1987 and I’ve been sucked in by thrillers ever since.
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
My agent sent the book to ten publishers, nine of whom said no. I didn’t have high hopes for the last one, so I was already thinking I was going to have to write another book to try again, but then my agent called me at my job and told me we’d received an offer from Tom Colgan at Berkley, the same person who edited Tom Clancy. I was utterly floored, and it still gives me goosebumps to think about that moment.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
Spy fiction
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Blade Runner
15–What is your favorite season?
Autumn
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Very low key. Just dinner with the family and maybe a couple of friends.
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Pidgeon Tunnel, about the life and career of author John le Carre’
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Italian or Japanese
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I like to watch soccer and Formula 1 racing, movies with my family, I like to work out and to shoot my pistols and rifles at the range. I also like to scuba dive but don’t get the opportunity as much as I’d like because I live in Tennessee!
20–What can readers expect from you next?
My next release is called SENTINEL, the second book in the Josh Duffy series, and it will be out in June of 2024.
THE CHAOS AGENT by Mark Greaney
Gray Man #13
Artificial intelligence leads to shockingly real danger for the Gray Man in this latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
A car accident in Japan.
A drowning in Seoul.
A home invasion in Boston.
Someone is killing the world’s leading experts on robotics and artificial intelligence. Is it a tech company trying to eliminate the competition or is it something even more sinister?
After all, artificial intelligence may be the deadliest battlefield gamechanger since the creation of gunpowder. The first nation to field weapons that can act at the speed of computer commands will rule the battlefield.
It’s an irresistible lure for most, but not for the Gray Man. His quest for a quiet life has led him to Central America where he and his lover, Zoya Zakharova, have assumed new identities. With a list of enemies that includes billionaires, terrorists, and governments, they need to keep a low profile, but the world’s deadliest assassin can’t expect to hide out forever.
Eventually, they’re tracked down and offered a job by an old acquaintance of Zoya’s. He needs their help extracting a Russian scientist who is on the kill list. They reject the offer, but just being seen with him is enough to put assassins on their trail.
Now, they’re back on the run, but no matter which way they turn, it’s clear that whoever’s tracking them is always going to be one step ahead. Since flight’s no longer possible, fight is the only option left, and no one fights dirtier than the Gray Man.
Thriller [Berkley, On Sale: February 20, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593548141 / ]
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About Mark Greaney
Mark Greaney’s debut international thriller, THE GRAY MAN, was released by Jove Books in 2009. It became a national bestseller, and was nominated for a Barry Award in the Best Thriller category. A feature film adaptation of THE GRAY MAN is in development by New Regency Pictures. His next thriller, ON TARGET, was released in September 2010. The third novel in the Gray Man series, Ballistic, will be released in 2011. Mark has a degree in International Relations and Political Science and is pursuing his Masters in Intelligence Studies with a concentration in Criminal Intelligence.
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