When Tim Green first proposed the idea for his newest suspense novel to his publisher, he wasn't met with the reception for which he had hoped.
Instead, the publisher was, as Green describes it, lukewarm about the idea, and she asked that he write a few chapters so that she could see what he was thinking.
That was all it took to get the publisher on board.
“She called me the next day and said ‘you've got to write this,'” recalled Green, a New York Times best-selling author and Skaneateles resident.
“American Outrage,” Green's 12th suspense thriller, was released April 25.
To create the story of “American Outrage,” Green pulled pieces from his own life, including his personal experiences working on “A Current Affair,” his law background and biographical information as it relates to his life as an adopted child.
In 1997, Green published “A Man and His Mother,” a memoir about the search for his biological mother, and found it to be a powerful, emotional experience.
“I kind of wanted to revisit that book, that theme, but I wanted to put it into the context of a suspense novel,” Green said, noting that “American Outrage” is likely the most personal novel that he's authored.
“American Outrage” is the story of Jake Carlson, a TV correspondent who uses the tactics that he has learned from his tabloid trade to search for the birth mother of his adopted son Sam.
But the tables are turned when the Carlsons become the story after Jake uncovers the secrets of a corrupt politician, the Albanian Mafia and a child-trafficking ring.
In order to portray the latter two, Green immersed himself in research about adoption laws and the Albania Mafia, which he said has supplanted Italian Mafia in a lot of major cities on the East Coast.
A father of five children himself, Green expressed his enjoyment of the relationship between father and son that his newest work explores.
Thus far, he said, the critics have been positive about “American Outrage,” which Green said has a more sympathetic main character and conventional hero than his last novel, “Kingdom Come.”
But the fact that he is a New York Times best-selling author (thanks to his nonfiction work “The Dark Side of the Game”) doesn't make him any less nervous about the release.
“You just hope that people are going to like it,” Green said, noting that there is a certain level of anxiety that he experiences every time a book is released to the public.
Such a feeling is better than his early encounters in the world of creative writing, however. His first novel was rejected, as he tells it, “with great disdain” by dozens of publishing houses.
But when “Ruffians” was finally picked up, “That was a great moment; that was incredible,” Green recalled. “Outside getting married and the birth of my kids and maybe being drafted by the (Atlanta) Falcons, that was probably the No. 1 or No. 2 thing.”
He's been going strong ever since, churning out suspense thrillers, as well as his memoir and the nonfiction “The Dark Side of the Game,” the eight-year veteran's look at the not-so-glamourous side of the NFL.
Recently, he signed a contract with HarperCollins to write a series of novels for children. He's already finished the first one, “Football Genius,” thanks in large part to help from his 13-year-old son Troy.
“I really rely on him. He's very involved in the story and in all parts of it,” Green said, pointing out that the main character is named Troy. “That's been a lot of fun.”
With all of these different projects - not to mention the numerous TV and radio interviews he'll be involved in on his satellite tour - Green still has to find time to squeeze in his day job as an attorney with the Hiscock & Barclay law firm in Syracuse.
He initially got into that line of work after his first year in the NFL, when Green realized that he wanted to have something that would make him marketable after his professional athletics career ended. Given his great love of reading and writing, he enrolled in law school at Syracuse University - and very much enjoyed it.
“You have all this time in the off-season. You can either sit around figuring out different ways to spend your signing bonus, or you can buckle down and go to law school,” Green explained.
A family man, attorney, author and football and wrestling coach, Green has learned well how to compartmentalize his life. He's already halfway through his next adult novel and looks forward to its completion.
“I think that writing the last 50 to 100 pages is always the most fun,” Green said. “For me, the process is a hill. The first half of writing a book is more strenuous; it feels a little bit more like work.”
But toward the end, Green continued, “your path is determined for you and the characters are alive. They just race to the conclusion.”
On politics
Tim Green has been in the news recently following discussions with Gov. Eliot Spitzer's aides about switching from the Republican to Democratic party and running against state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, in 2008.
“I'm thinking about it, I really am,” Green said. “The idea is very intriguing. The proposal is enticing and flattering because the governor is saying that he'd like to stake me in a race for the Senate.”
Green, who met with Spitzer's aides in February at their request, said that he is a big advocate for government reform. A run for the Senate could be a great opportunity to help the area and help the state, Green said.
As of now, Green is in a pondering phase, listening and talking with both Democrats and Republicans. Spitzer's office told Green to take his time and that there was no set date that he had to give his answer by, Green said.
“It would be a big step; it would be a big commitment,” Green said. “I want to make sure as far as I can... that my goals are attainable.”
That was all it took to get the publisher on board.
“She called me the next day and said ‘you've got to write this,'” recalled Green, a New York Times best-selling author and Skaneateles resident.
“American Outrage,” Green's 12th suspense thriller, was released April 25.
To create the story of “American Outrage,” Green pulled pieces from his own life, including his personal experiences working on “A Current Affair,” his law background and biographical information as it relates to his life as an adopted child.
In 1997, Green published “A Man and His Mother,” a memoir about the search for his biological mother, and found it to be a powerful, emotional experience.
“I kind of wanted to revisit that book, that theme, but I wanted to put it into the context of a suspense novel,” Green said, noting that “American Outrage” is likely the most personal novel that he's authored.
“American Outrage” is the story of Jake Carlson, a TV correspondent who uses the tactics that he has learned from his tabloid trade to search for the birth mother of his adopted son Sam.
But the tables are turned when the Carlsons become the story after Jake uncovers the secrets of a corrupt politician, the Albanian Mafia and a child-trafficking ring.
In order to portray the latter two, Green immersed himself in research about adoption laws and the Albania Mafia, which he said has supplanted Italian Mafia in a lot of major cities on the East Coast.
A father of five children himself, Green expressed his enjoyment of the relationship between father and son that his newest work explores.
Thus far, he said, the critics have been positive about “American Outrage,” which Green said has a more sympathetic main character and conventional hero than his last novel, “Kingdom Come.”
But the fact that he is a New York Times best-selling author (thanks to his nonfiction work “The Dark Side of the Game”) doesn't make him any less nervous about the release.
“You just hope that people are going to like it,” Green said, noting that there is a certain level of anxiety that he experiences every time a book is released to the public.
Such a feeling is better than his early encounters in the world of creative writing, however. His first novel was rejected, as he tells it, “with great disdain” by dozens of publishing houses.
But when “Ruffians” was finally picked up, “That was a great moment; that was incredible,” Green recalled. “Outside getting married and the birth of my kids and maybe being drafted by the (Atlanta) Falcons, that was probably the No. 1 or No. 2 thing.”
He's been going strong ever since, churning out suspense thrillers, as well as his memoir and the nonfiction “The Dark Side of the Game,” the eight-year veteran's look at the not-so-glamourous side of the NFL.
Recently, he signed a contract with HarperCollins to write a series of novels for children. He's already finished the first one, “Football Genius,” thanks in large part to help from his 13-year-old son Troy.
“I really rely on him. He's very involved in the story and in all parts of it,” Green said, pointing out that the main character is named Troy. “That's been a lot of fun.”
With all of these different projects - not to mention the numerous TV and radio interviews he'll be involved in on his satellite tour - Green still has to find time to squeeze in his day job as an attorney with the Hiscock & Barclay law firm in Syracuse.
He initially got into that line of work after his first year in the NFL, when Green realized that he wanted to have something that would make him marketable after his professional athletics career ended. Given his great love of reading and writing, he enrolled in law school at Syracuse University - and very much enjoyed it.
“You have all this time in the off-season. You can either sit around figuring out different ways to spend your signing bonus, or you can buckle down and go to law school,” Green explained.
A family man, attorney, author and football and wrestling coach, Green has learned well how to compartmentalize his life. He's already halfway through his next adult novel and looks forward to its completion.
“I think that writing the last 50 to 100 pages is always the most fun,” Green said. “For me, the process is a hill. The first half of writing a book is more strenuous; it feels a little bit more like work.”
But toward the end, Green continued, “your path is determined for you and the characters are alive. They just race to the conclusion.”
On politics
Tim Green has been in the news recently following discussions with Gov. Eliot Spitzer's aides about switching from the Republican to Democratic party and running against state Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, in 2008.
“I'm thinking about it, I really am,” Green said. “The idea is very intriguing. The proposal is enticing and flattering because the governor is saying that he'd like to stake me in a race for the Senate.”
Green, who met with Spitzer's aides in February at their request, said that he is a big advocate for government reform. A run for the Senate could be a great opportunity to help the area and help the state, Green said.
As of now, Green is in a pondering phase, listening and talking with both Democrats and Republicans. Spitzer's office told Green to take his time and that there was no set date that he had to give his answer by, Green said.
“It would be a big step; it would be a big commitment,” Green said. “I want to make sure as far as I can... that my goals are attainable.”