ellen - You are the author of a cult classic, a marvelous book, The Eight. As you know, it STILL has quite a following. Can you tell us about the plot of The Eight?

Katherine - Yes. The Eight is still a bestseller in more than 30 languages, and has gone through continual reprints here in America. The Eight is the story of a fabulous gold and silver bejeweled chess set that once belonged to Charlemagne. It's been buried for 1,000 years and at the beginning of the book during the French Revolution, it's dug up and scattered because it contains a mysterious power that everyone interested in obtaining power wants to lay hands on. The story then goes back and forth between the 1790's in the French Revolution and the 1970's during the OPEC embargo, with all the characters as pieces in a 200 year old chess game that takes place all over the world.

ellen - What was the inspiration for this story?

Katherine - In the 1970's I was living and working in North Africa when one of my clients, OPEC, declared an embargo on oil. I saw this as a major shift in the east-west balance of powers that had existed all of my lifetime. And because I was living in Algeria during the 10th anniversary of the Algerian revolution against France, it reminded me of the French Revolution. The scenario seemed like a giant chess game in which a surprise move had just taken place that no one was expecting.

ellen - What other projects have you been doing?

Katherine - I've published two books in between The Eight and its sequel, The Fire - a financial caper novel, A Calculated Risk, and a millennial thriller, The Magic Circle. And I've also written a short story called The Tuesday Club that was included in the bestselling anthology, Thriller, sponsored by the International Thriller Writers.

ellen - Tell us about the sequel to The Eight, titled The Fire, and will any of the original characters from The Eight also be in its sequel?

Katherine - The story picks up exactly thirty years after the events in The Eight took place - both in the modern and the historical chapters. The modern protagonist is Alexandra 'Xie' Solarin, the daughter of The Eight's computer expert Cat Velis and Chess Grandmaster Alexander Solarin. The historic characters are also the children of the previous characters, including Charlot, the son of Mireille and Talleyrand.

In The Fire, we see many of the same events that took place in The Eight - but now, we see them through new eyes. For instance, Xie has a very different relationship with her aunt - the flamboyant Chess Grandmaster, Lily Rad, and also with her uncle, Ladislaus Nim.

ellen - When can we expect The Fire?

Katherine - The Fire will be published on October 14, 2008.

ellen - Do you have movie plans for these books?

Katherine - Yes, we are planning to do a film project for both The Eight and The Fire. (As soon as I get a moment to work on it!)

ellen - What other projects are down the road for you?

Katherine - I am starting a book I have been talking about doing for more than twenty years - one about painters, which is a subject - as a former painter myself - that's very close to my heart.

ellen - What advice do you have to potential authors? Is it hard to get published?

Katherine - Believe it or not, it's actually easier to get published today than it ever was. There are more than twice as many new titles published per year than 20 years ago when The Eight was first published. But because of the large number of books on the market, and new authors in the field, it is sometimes much more difficult to get your work noticed. The advice I always give is to write books that you yourself want to read, and don't worry about what friends or teachers or others will tell you. If you can pick up one of your own books ten or twenty years later - and if you still enjoy reading it over again - then you've written a successful novel.

ellen - What is the author's responsibility to the reader?

Katherine - The main responsibility I have always felt is to my books - to write the books I feel I am supposed to be writing, as well as I can, and not to let anyone alter them according to the latest fashion or fad. I think, from their letters, my readers really appreciate that extra effort.

ellen - What books do you like to read?

Katherine - Quest novels and swashbuckling adventure tales. When I was in school, these weren't in vogue, they weren't even considered good literature, and most of the quest-adventure tales you could find were written by people long dead. That's why I'm writing them now.

ellen - How can people contact you?

Katherine - At my website, www.KatherineNeville.com, where soon (just before The Fire comes out) you will also be able to sign on for newsletters, quizzes, and other fun things we are cooking up.

ellen - Before we end, is there anything you'd like to say to the readers?

Katherine - I'm really grateful that all these years I've been permitted to write the kind of books I love to read. The only reason this is true is because readers themselves, along with booksellers, have continued reading my books and recommending them to others.

ellen - Katherine, many thanks and every success with the new book, The Fire. This sequel to The Eight is something your fans (including me) have been waiting for -

ellen george

Interview with bestselling author Katherine Neville