A Conversation with Barry Eisler

When I told an industry colleague that Barry Eisler and I had talked a lot about sex, her response was: "But did you have sex with Barry Eisler? THAT is what women across the country want to know!" Eisler is probably one of the hippest, handsomest bestselling novelists out there, and evidently fans at thriller conventions and other book events practically throw their panties at the poor man (he's married and a father!) along with copies of his books to sign. 

No, ladies, we talked a lot about sex because it's always a part of a Barry Eisler novel, and it's usually pretty well done. In this interview, Eisler talks about why writing a sex scene is tougher than a chase scene -- yet why the two are also quite similar. However, he remains a family man: "It's always tough, because you know your grandmother might read it!"

In Eisler's latest book, Fault Line, family is important, too. His protagonists, the brothers Treven, are as caught up in their family-of-origin drama as they are in a mysterious terrorist scheme to shut down our nation's entire power and information grid. The terrain is well-trodden: Black sheep black ops elder brother, straight arrow moneyed younger brother, and a beautiful, exotic woman who is thrown together with both of them -- wait for it -- against her will. 

It's a credit to Eisler that all of this feels fresh, and that is due in no small part to his attention to character. He talks about that in our conversation, too, along with many other things that have nothing whatsoever to do with sex. So, despite my colleague's teasing, there's no need to read between the lines: Just read Fault Line. And watch the video -- Eisler's cute, but he's also well spoken. Thanks, as always, for stopping by!