A Preview of 'World of Hurt'

     The sequel to Einstein's Trunk is complete - or, let's just say, the tinkering and re-writing has slowed to a minimum.
     Maybe it's a common tendency of authors to always think their latest book is their best - but the truth is, I'm very pleased with how World of Hurt has turned out. The humor is still there, the beginning is snappier, and Rulon is still Rulon. The one big difference is that Yohaba comes more into her own. In fact, for about 60% of the book, she is the driving character.
     I can't say much without giving away the plot, but I will say that there is still some suspence around Elsa colliding with the earth, and the Russians haven't given up on dealing with Rulon after he took out their Spetsnaz team in CERN. But there is also an ensemble of new villians that, as happens in so many thrillers, just happen to gravitate towards the hero like yellow jackets at a picnic. The story begins in Idaho, but then the action moves to Zurich where some old scores get settled.
     I like to include in my thrillers a little intellectual/educational meat. In ET it was the information around asteroids, CERN, and nuclear weapons. In WOH the educational side comes out as Rulon deals with some local neo-Nazis and has a chance to observe first hand the rhetorical tactics first developed by their discredited Fuhrer as he spread the Nazi message in the beer halls of Munich in the '20s and '30s.
     Embedded in WOH is also my pride in the state of Idaho. As a native New Yorker, it was never clear when I moved to Idaho in the late '80s that I would be able to adjust. Let's face it - NY and Idaho are practically polar opposites in many ways. And initially it was an adjustment. But eventually I came to love Idaho and that hard as woodpecker lips toughness you see in many of the long time ranchers - just the sort of people that Rulon grew up with. I hope my love of Idaho is evident in WOH, just as my appreciation of Zurich and Switzerland may have come out in ET.

All the best,

Jim

Zurich