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QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Kyle Mills answers readers' questions about the inspiration behind his latest book, DARKNESS FALLS, the amount of research performed on its timely subject matter and the expected release date for his next book.

Ronna from Potomac, MD: How much research do you do for your books? What helps you decide what to write about?

Kyle Mills: I do a huge amount of research. I've always liked thrillers that seem very real, so I try to make up as little as possible.
 
I tend to start with a subject that I'm interested in --- in this case, oil dependence and environmentalism --- and then build a story around it. 

Cathy from Aldan, PA: Did you do a lot of research for DARKNESS FALLS, or was the basic plot taken from today's headlines?

Kyle Mills: Tons. I read six or seven books and I can't imagine how many articles to try to get everything right. I also had a guy who used to work in the Wyoming oil fields help me with the mechanics of infecting oil reserves.

Ann from Redondo Beach, CA: Do you feel that there are rabid eco-terrorists out there in seclusion in self-contained compounds who have the knowledge and the wherewithal to accomplish the type of acts that your characters managed?

Kyle Mills: I certainly hope not! 
 
To date, this kind of terrorism hasn't attracted any (for want of a better phrase) high-class talent. Eco-terrorist groups tend to be poorly organized, poorly staffed and devoid of any clear goal. Hopefully, it will stay that way.

Becky from Valley Grande, AL: Is Erin Neal a recurring character?

Kyle Mills: No, this is his first, and probably his last, appearance. I have written a number of books involving the FBI character, Mark Beamon, though.

Helen from Buffalo, NY: How did you come up with the idea of the "oil-eating bacteria?" Is there any scientific truth to this concept?

Kyle Mills: It was the only credible way I could wreak that kind of havoc on the oil supply.
 
The idea is actually frighteningly workable. 
 
The bacteria is based on a real creature found in a Chinese oil well called geobacillus thermodenerificans. It lives entirely on oil, is destructive to drilling operations, and its genetic code has been sequenced by Chinese scientists so that it can be altered to make it more effective in cleaning up oil spills. It wasn't much of a stretch to think that some evildoer could alter it for more nefarious purposes. 

Jackie from Omaha, NE: If something like this ever did happen, how do you feel you would be able to handle the loss of your luxuries such as you car, air conditioning, air travel, etc.?

Kyle Mills: Me personally? I wouldn't suffer as much as most. I put thousands of miles on my bike every year and don't have an air conditioner. On the other hand, I am partial to planes.
 
Much more worrying would be if the trucks that bring food to my grocery store stopped coming. Or electric heat was no longer available. I'd have to chop down a lot of trees and shoot a lot of elk to survive.

Andee from Clearfield, UT: When is the next book coming out?

Kyle Mills: In about a year. I'm halfway through the first draft right now, but I find I'm not as fast as I used to be.

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