History, Science - a 'thrilling' combination

“Whenever I start a novel, I'm always looking for two things: a bit of science that makes me go 'what if?' and a piece of history that ends in a question mark.”— James Rollins

James Rollins is a pen name of James Paul Czajkowski, born on this day in 1961 in Chicago.  He began his career as a veterinarian, something he said he still enjoys doing when the need arises.  After starting his writing in short stories, he moved to action-adventure/thriller mystery novels in the late 1990s and became a full-time writer following the success of his first novel, Subterranean.

Rollins' experiences and expertise as an amateur spelunker and a certified scuba diver have provided content for many of his novels.  Now translated into more than 40 languages, his Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd pleasers" (New York Times) and one of the "hottest summer reads" (People Magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets.  The 7^th in the series – The 7^th Labyrinth – is set for a December release.                       

“I don't actually have a one wellspring of inspiration. Though I'm most often inspired while reading - both fiction and nonfiction,” Rollins said.   “I subscribe to National Geographic, Scientific American, Discover, and a slew of other magazines. And it is while reading articles for pleasure and interest that an interesting 'What if?' will pop into my head.”

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