from West Hempstead, NY: What influenced you to focus on stories that have deep historical background rather than contemporary-based thrillers?
Steve Berry: My thrillers are contemporary. They are not historical fiction, which does take place in the past. There is an historical context to my stories and lots of things from the past are involved, but the story is very much in the present. The formula is simple: a little bit of history, conspiracy, secrets, action, adventure and international settings. That, to me, makes for a great tale.
