Gabriel Allon?

I've had many people ask me if David Slaton, the protagonist in The Perfect Assassin, is modeled after Daniel Silva's Gabriel Allon character. There are numerous similarities: both are Israeli assassins who work for a surly spymaster. The truth, however, is that we developed the character at essentially the same time. I began writing The Perfect Assassin in 1998, but it was not first published until 2005. The first Gabriel Allon book was, I believe, released in 2001, and I didn't actually read it until roughly two years later, at which point I was trying to sell the completed manuscript.
I have great respect for Silva's writing, and I think he is a class act. All the same, there are substantial differences between the characters and writing styles, and with the greater message behind the stories. Bottom line? With a hundred literary heroes out there who are former U.S. Special Forces, I think there must be room for two from Israel.

Florida Heritage Book Festival

I will be participating in the Florida Heritage Book Festival this next weekend, September 14-15. For anyone who lives in the St. Augustine area, I hope you can take part. Dozens of writers will attend, giving talks and answering questions, not to mention signing books.
Learn more at www.fhbookfest.com/

Fly By Night

For those who have not yet read it, Fly By Night is currently reduced to $1.99 on Amazon's Kindle. This is the first time my latest book has been reduced in price, and I'm not sure how long it will last.
School is back in session in Florida which means I can finally get back to writing!

Thanks to those serving

I flew a military charter the other day and hauled a group of 80 U.S. Army Reserve Combat Engineers on their last leg home from a ten and a half month tour in Afghanistan. These guys have spent nearly a year in primitive conditions, and removed from their families. "Thanks" does not cut it.
If anyone has a friend or relative serving overseas who enjoys thrillers, send their name, rank, and military address by way of my website, Wardlarsen.com, and I will forward a book while supplies last.

I'm Writing As Fast As I Can!

I've had a few inquiries lately about when my next book is coming out. The follow-on to The Perfect Assassin is complete but not scheduled to be released until late 2013. I know this is a big lag (I find it frustrating as well) but after that I expect to have at least on title a year hitting the shelves.
The gap between completion and publication is a particular problem for those of us who write contemporary spy thrillers because in that interim world events can change. Think Arab Spring and the issue of Iran's nuclear program.
Best to all for a cool summer!

Thanks to all

I'd like to thank everyone for their support last weekend. On Saturday, May 5th, The Perfect Assassin became a hit, rising to #4 on the Kindle Bestseller list. For a short time it outsold the entire Hunger Games trilogy! For those who want to see more of this series, good news--the second installment will arrive next year. Stay tuned for details. And feel free to contact me at my website, wardlarsen.com with any questions or comments on my books.

Florida Book Award

Went to Tallahassee a few weeks ago to receive the Florida Book Award. Got to meet a lot of interesting people, including Senator Bob Graham, pictured here, who was the Bronze Medal Winner. I also got a picture of me with Bobby Bowden (great guy) but can't post it as my son is a Gator!