Bestselling author John Oehler chatted with Digital Journal’s Markos Papadatos about his novel “Ex Libris.”
Every book has a story about its creation. How did the idea for this book get started?
As with most of my novels, the idea for Ex Libris began with an incident. My wife and I were on a pre-Christmas vacation in Prague when we visited a monastery with two libraries — one for so-called Forbidden Books.
I began to wonder what could be more forbidden than a text that contradicted a fundamental aspect of the Bible. Prague also provided a lot of atmosphere and a great jumping-off point for a story that would range across western Europe to Paris.
The jumping-off point for the development of the hero was the realization that I had never seen a gypsy in the starring roll of a thriller. That led to a lot of research on gypsy/Roma culture, which in turn led to some colorful and action-filled scenes in a gypsy enclave, as well as to a brief treatment of racial prejudice.
What do you think your readers will find particularly interesting in your book?
I hope readers will be interested in learning why one of the stolen books is so important that people will kill to get it, and what ultimately happens with that book. Beyond that, I suspect they’ll be interested in the unusual settings and the atypical characters, as well as Dan’s struggles with difficult choices.
Can you tell me a little about the awards your book has won and their importance?
The awards have been very gratifying. They indicate that professional reviewers share the opinion of most of my readers. That said, I write for my readers. The awards are the sweet frosting on the cake.
If you could share one piece of advice with other authors, what would it be?
The most important advice I could give to other authors is to join a critique group. No matter how good you think your writing is, your critique partners can make it better. Plus, you get to see how other writers tackle their work, and you’ll be in the midst of talented and interested parties with whom you can share ideas and questions.
Who are your favorite authors (name two or three), and why do you like them?
My favorite writers? That’s tough. Let me name some favorite books. Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, for his recreation of Medieval life, especially as it relates to the building of a cathedral. Dune by Frank Herbert, for the whole new world he created. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, for its portrait of 14th-century monastic life and the fabulous library. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, for its endearing, bad-ass heroine.
His book “Ex Libris” is available on Amazon.
To learn more about John Oehler, check out his official website.
