Suspense, Mystery, Horror and Thriller Fiction - Suspense Magazine

James Barney (JB): I’ve
always wanted to visit South America
but haven’t had an opportunity to do
so yet. Hopefully, in the next few years,
I will be able to take my family to
Argentina, Chile and Brazil. The place I
like returning to most is Portugal, where
I lived for a couple years and graduated
from high school. It’s a beautiful country
with a charming culture and great
beaches.
S. MAG.: What inspired you to try your
hand at writing?
JB: I’ve always enjoyed writing. My first
attempt at writing a novel was back in
law school. I got about a third of the
way through it and put it on a shelf.
Eight years later, it was still on the shelf,
gathering dust. One day, I mentioned
this to a friend of mine who is an avid
reader and he asked if he could read the
partial manuscript. I gave it to him and
he came back the next day raving about
the story and encouraging me to finish it.
At that moment, something in my mind
clicked. Within weeks, I was hard at
work on a new novel with a different plot
and new characters. Three years later, I
had a completed manuscript, a terrific
agent and a publishing deal with Harper.
Needless to say, I am very grateful for
that friend’s encouragement.
S. MAG.: Yale Law School…impressive
and congratulations! Patent law was
your choice, what drew you to that
SuspenseMagazine.com
particular brand of law?
JB: I have a degree in chemistry and I
spent six years on nuclear submarines in
the Navy. When I decided to get out of
the Navy and go to law school, patent law
seemed like an obvious choice because
it combines both law and technology. I
really enjoy my practice, so I guess I made
the right choice. As a patent litigator,
one of my main jobs is to find ways to
explain very complex scientific concepts
to judges and juries in a way that is
interesting and easy to understand. In
writing “The Genesis Key”—which is a
science-based thriller—I found this skill
came in handy.
S. MAG.: How many different languages
can you speak?
JB: I speak a bit of Portuguese and
Spanish, but no one would ever accuse
me of being “fluent” in either.
S. MAG.: Do you have any plans to
bring Dr. Kathleen Sainsbury into other
novels?
JB: Not currently. My next novel will be
a stand-alone thriller that also involves
science and religion, but it is not a sequel
to “The Genesis Key” nor does it have any
(major) recurring characters. Perhaps
Dr. Sainsbury will come back in a later
book, though.
S. MAG.: In your book, Kathleen was
driven to find a way to extend human
life because of her parents’ murder. How
did you come up with that premise for
“The Genesis Key”?
JB: Actually, I was sitting in church
one Sunday, thumbing through the
Bible as the sermon dragged on, and
I came across a passage that piqued
my interest. In Genesis 6:1-4, God says
that man’s days ‘shall be a hundred and
twenty years.’ That passage then goes on
to explain that there were “Nephilim”
(or “giants”) in the earth in those days.
Given that the longest human life spans
are just now pushing one hundred
twenty years, I thought this would make
a fascinating plot. To make it work,
I needed a biologist, an archeologist,
an assyriologist/biblical scholar and
some bad guys. Linking the biologist
(Kathleen) to the archeologists (her
murdered parents) through a mysterious
intervener (Dr. Sargon) helped me build
mystery and intrigue into the story and
get the plot moving in the right direction.
S. MAG.: Is there any mystery you’d
like to solve or any particular “thing”
in humanity you’d like to change or
make better, such as the gene Kathleen
discovered?
JB: Actually, the idea of drastically
extending human life span is fascinating
to me. I think in the next few decades,
we will see major breakthroughs in this
area, as scientists continue to unravel the
mysteries of the human genome. When
this happens, there will be many ethical
and practical implications to consider,
some of which are explored in “The
Genesis Key.”
S. MAG.: As a new author, how do you
feel about books going digital?
JB: I know it sounds trite, but I do still
like the “feel” of having a real book in my
hands. I think e-books are wonderful,
and I’m delighted to see that sales of
my book are strong in that format. But
I hope we never completely lose bound
books because I think they are special in
a way that goes beyond just the words
they contain.
S. MAG.: What kind of dog is Max?
JB: An irredeemable mutt. But we love
him.
S. MAG.: What’s coming up for you
in the writing world? Ever consider
writing in another genre or have you
found your niche?
JB: My next book will definitely be in
the same genre—a science-based thriller
with a religious twist. Many people have
asked whether I will ever write about
submarines, and I have given some
thought to a submarine-based thriller, or
maybe even a legal thriller. First things
first. I’ve got to finish my next one.
Suspense Magazine was thrilled to
be able to catch up with James to speak
with him. We were honored to have had
this opportunity. If you’d like to learn
more about James and his work, check
out his website at www.jamesbarney.
com. �
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