Alan Jacobson (The 7th Victim) suggests how to choose a discussible book and more ... In this month's 1-On-One!

Is it possible to be a good writer without being a good reader?

Yes—you can be a good writer. But to be a great writer, you need to read great writing. Writing essentially comes from within you, and your talents and creativity can't be taught. However, they can be refined and your horizons expanded by reading and studying how other talented authors construct a scene, write dialogue, describe a setting, handle pacing, etc. No one knows everything, and I'm constantly learning and experimenting and observing. If another writer knows how to do something better, I learn from that and it challenges me to take chances and look at things in a different manner. The difference between good writing and great writing is like the difference between good wine and great wine: you know it when you taste (and smell) it, but it's hard to effectively describe using words because it's a multidimensional experience.

According to a report of the Independent Book Publishing Association, over five million American adults belong to reading groups. What, do you believe, is the basis for this country's love for literature and books?

There's a sense of adventure, stimulation, escapism, and relaxation associated with reading. It's time for us to be quiet with our thoughts; it's a different way of using our brains. When you read, you're able to wrap yourself in the lives and adventures, and emotions (both good and bad), of the characters. It's a way of experiencing things we may not have a chance to otherwise experience. That's why I enjoy writing about things and places people don't always have an opportunity to visit: the FBI Academy, the profiling unit, a restricted marine base (coming in one of my future novels), the US Marshals service (also coming), genetics laboratories, FBI headquarters, a militia compound, a maximum security prison, etc.

Have you ever belonged to a reading group?

I've belonged to two reading groups. I actually started both, a few years apart, associated with local bookstores.

What advice do you have for reading group members when it comes to selecting books for discussion?

Choose novels that are well-written, not necessarily by writers who are "known" or bestsellers. If you know someone (a bookseller or another reader) who knows quality writing, ask her/him for referrals. It's fun to select books that allow room for discussion, with complex characters and interesting, layered plots. We've read some duds where you're done discussing the novel in 15 minutes, and we've read books where the discussion goes for an hour or longer.

What books are you reading now or do you plan to read?

I'm currently reading Lee Child's Bad Luck and Trouble, which I've had on my bookshelf for about a year. I have many more books on my shelves than time to read. I read a lot while I'm working out on the elliptical, and before I go to sleep. Off the top of my head, I've got novels in queue from Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben, Brian McGrory, John Lescroart, Andy McNab, Allan Folsom, and Nelson DeMille's forthcoming novel, which I'm anxious to buy/read. I've probably got 75 novels waiting, staring at me with longing spines, asking to be cracked open!

If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring one book with you to read, what would it be and why?

I'd bring an Amazon Kindle and load it up with 80 novels. How's that for skirting the question?

If you could have dinner with three writers (dead or alive) who would they be and why?

I'll pick a couple who I haven't already had the chance to meet or talk with: one of my favorite authors, Nelson DeMille. I'd love to pick his brain about writing and his experiences. I'd also like to dine with Andy McNab; the experiences he's had in his life as a covert British agent are beyond belief.

Have you ever read anything you're too embarrassed to admit (except in this interview)?

Nothing comes to mind, other than perhaps a serial killer novel set in New Orleans that wasn't what I was expecting. It dealt with several subcultures and characters that were so bizarre that I was unable to relate to them. It was disjointed and seemingly pointless. I couldn't make a connection with anything in the novel and ultimately stopped reading it halfway through.

Favorite book when you were a child?

For some reason, I have intense memories of reading Johnny Appleseed. I don't know if it'd call it my favorite book, but it's remained burned in my flash memory.

If you have children, is this the same book you read to them? If not, what is your favorite book for your children?

If I had to pick one it'd be The Giving Tree; but some other favorites were Good Night Moon; Good Families Don't; The Kissing Hand; Guess How Much I Love You; Accidents Can Happen.

Favorite heroine in literature and why?

Karen Vail—my own character in The 7th Victim! Seriously, Vail came to me one day out of nowhere, and I couldn't write her fast enough. That'd never happened to me before, and I still can't explain it. I just love her character. She's very deep, complex, and tough, with a sarcastic sense of humor.

Favorite hero in literature and why?

Probably Nelson DeMille's Detective John Corey—in some ways, he's similar to Karen Vail. He's real; sarcastic. He reminds me of people I knew growing up in New York, with a sense of humor I can relate to. And although he knows better, he just can't stop himself from getting into trouble.

Favorite first line from a book?

Too many to choose from! I like a first line that grabs you—it's like being a hooked fish. You can't help but be reeled in. A good first line can do that.

Favorite last line from a book?

Do next to last lines count? At the risk of being self-centric, I'd have to go with my own first novel, False Accusations. I can't tell you why, because…well, if you read the book, you'd know!

Book that changed your life?

Hmmm…Tuesdays with Morrie. There's a long story associated with this. But I'll be brief. (Brevity from a novelist? Yeah, right.) I'd just returned from a grueling book tour and was feeling very fatigued. I had to nap during the day, which I NEVER do. Days later I started coughing. My wife forced me to see my doctor, and as a precaution he sent me for a chest x-ray. The diagnosis: lung cancer. Well, I'd never smoked a day in my life. I got a CT scan. Diagnosis: lung cancer. Contrast-dye MRI. Diagnosis: lung cancer. A few days later, on my birthday, while awaiting a lung biopsy, I awoke at 2AM coughing up blood. Apparently, there's a particular type of lung cancer that hits non-smoking males of my age group. Things were not looking up.

So here I am, thinking I'm dying, waiting for needles to be stuck in my lung, and…reading Tuesdays with Morrie. It really made me think about the pace of life, of enjoying life, etc. Unfortunately, to really make it a life-changing experience, it's a book that needs to be read a couple times a year—for me, at least. Oh—the correct diagnosis was a lung abscess from anaerobic bacteria that came from a root canal re-treatment I'd had performed right before leaving on my book tour. I apparently sucked the bacteria into my lungs while they were working on the tooth. Bizarre, but it does happen.

Words to live by?

Work hard, be persistent, and do your best can no matter what you're doing. If you feel you have talent, don't let anyone discourage you from reaching your dreams. Oh—and take time to enjoy life.