The name is Grace. Tom Grace. And he and his action hero creation, Nolan Kilkenny, are coming to Oxford Tuesday, Sept. 23.
On that day, Grace, the author of three science-thriller novels, will address the Rotary Club of Oxford at noon and speak at the Oxford Public Library at 7 p.m.
The architect-turned-author from Dexter, Michigan will talk about his novels Spyder Web, Quantum Web and his latest book, Twisted Web.
All three of Grace’s books are suspenseful thrillers that revolve around modern scientific discoveries heard about in the news and the greed that drives individuals to steal and murder in order to monopolize the wealth these discoveries create.
‘Every great scientific discovery that changes the way we think about something (E=mc2 or DNA) precedes an economic revolution, and it’s those transition points that are the modern equivalent of the California Gold Rush,? Grace said. ‘Change creates opportunities, both good and bad, and that’s where the human drama of greed and murder come into play.
Spyder Web is a tale of computer-age information pirates, while Quantum Web centers on thieves after a formula for a revolutionary new source of energy.
In describing his novels, Grace said, ‘I guess they are somewhere between the science and technology you’d find in a Crichton or Clancy novel and the espionage adventure of Cussler or Fleming,? Grace said.
Twisted Web deals with the cutting-edge field of biotechnology and the cut-throat quest for power and money.
It all begins when remote NASA research station on top of a two-mile thick glacier in Antarctica is attacked and the scientists murdered, all for the discovery of life that lurks below in an ancient lake.
In Michigan, DNA evidence ties a biotech entrepreneur to the grisly murders of his ex-wife and his business partner. The man’s arrest leaves a small but promising company vulnerable to a takeover by a rival hungry for its technology.
Although the two crimes are on opposite ends of the earth, they are linked and only one man is smart enough, brave enough and tough enough to figure out the whole twisted plot ? Nolan Kilkenny, the main character of all Grace’s novels.
Kilkenny is an ex-Navy SEAL who’s in his early 30s, tall, lean and fit with bright red hair.
‘Kilkenny doesn’t go looking for trouble ? he left the SEALs to have a quiet life and perhaps settle down ? but when trouble comes knocking, he’s up to the task of dealing with it,? Grace said.
Besides being the main character, Kilkenny also serves as Grace’s literary alter-ego.
‘He is very bright, athletic and enjoys a good challenge, both mental and physical,? Grace said of Kilkenny. ‘He and I share a lot of these characteristics, but he does everything better than I do. Nolan is in a sense me, or who I see myself as when I’m having those Walter Mitty daydreams. In creating him, I wanted someone I could relate to, so here we have a young man from Michigan who occasionally finds himself in interesting and dangerous situations.?
Kilkenny derives his name from Grace’s family ? Nolan is his nephew’s name and Kilkenny is the part of Ireland from which the Grace family originated.
The basis for Twisted Web is a combination of science ripped straight from the headlines and Grace’s own personal experiences.
The Lake Vostok he writes about in the book is real and was discovered in Antarctica in the mid-1990s, making it one of the major geographic finds of the 20th century. It’s a body of water equal in size to Lake Ontario and twice as deep that’s been ‘bottled up like a test tube for 20 million years.?
‘The biggest question scientists have about the lake is if there’s any life in it,? Grace said. ‘If life is discovered in the dark, oxygen poor, highly-pressurized waters of the lake, it will be very different than anything we’ve ever seen and will likely be more unusual than anything Darwin found on the Galapagos Islands.?
‘The DNA sequencers that power much of the biotech revolution today are based on the chemistry of a microbe found in the scalding waters that surround geysers and deep-ocean hydrothermal vents. Life found in exotic, and previously assumed lifeless, environments have taught scientists much about how life adapts to the environment. Any life found in Lake Vostok would be priceless to biotech firms looking for the next big thing.?
Grace’s interest in biotechnology stems from his work as an architect working on the University of Michigan Medical Center (UMMC) for six years, designing upgrades to surgical, medical and research facilities.
One of the projects which garnered national attention was the Human Applications Laboratory for Gene Therapy. It was the first of its kind in the world, built just as the science of gene therapy was making the transition from pure laboratory research to human trials.
In designing the lab, Grace joked that he learned more about genetic engineering than an architect should have to know.
The level of detail in Grace’s descriptions of Antarctica’s research stations and life at the South Pole were, again, largely based on his personal experience.
In 2001, the author journeyed to Greenland ? within 700 miles of the North Pole ? to assist a U-M research team headed by Dr. Vladimir Papitashvili, a U-M geophysicist who’s now the head of polar research for the National Science Foundation.
Before coming to the United States, Papitashvili was with the Russian Academy of Sciences and had spent seven Antarctic summers at the Vostok Research Station depicted in Grace’s novel.
‘His help in describing what life is like at the coldest place on Earth was invaluable,? Grace said.
Each spring the U-M team travels there to retrieve data about the Earth’s magnetic field from remote sensors placed atop a two-mile thick glacier that covers most of that frozen land.
‘It’s a very surreal environment and dangerous,? Grace said. ‘Visibility on the glacier can go from miles to nothing in seconds and without shelter, you would die very quickly. Fortunately, the worst thing that happened was one of our team members got a touch of frostbite on his ear.?
‘I would go again, and just the other day was discussing the possibility of going to the South Pole with the same scientist I worked with in 2001,? Grace added.
During his years working on UMMC as an architect, Grace began working on his first novel, Spyder Web, by spending 30 minutes each day.
‘When I started writing, I had no real thought of getting published,? Grace explained. ‘Writing Spyder Web was something I did for my own pleasure, as a lunch hour challenge, and for the first two years of that work I told no one but my wife.?
‘I enjoy writing for the same reason I enjoy the practice of architecture, both of my professions allow me to start with a blank sheet of paper (all right, an empty data file) and create something from my imagination,? he said. ‘There are a lot of parallels between my two professions, and the creative problem solving skills I learned as an architect have worked well for me as a writer of fiction.?
‘I’ve heard other writers talk about how hard writing is, but my experience is quite the opposite, and perhaps that is a consequence of the type of novels I write,? Grace said. ‘I love what I do, and as a benefit, my children have two at-home parents. The downside, if you can call it that, is that I work more now, and am often at work late into the night, but I it doesn’t really feel like work because I enjoy it.?
Grace self-published 2,500 copies of Spyder Web in spring 1997. Well-received locally, the novel climbed onto best-seller lists across the state and garnered critical acclaim.
A chance encounter at Book Expo America in June 1997 led Grace three months later to sign a three-book deal with Pocket Books worth nearly $1 million.
Grace is currently working with George Lucas on development of a nonfiction book project based on one of the legendary filmmaker’s ideas.
‘The chance to work with someone like Lucas is like a young artist being hired to work on a project with Leonardo Da Vinci,? he said.
Although he’s not at liberty to discuss the Lucas book, which is due out in fall 2004, Grace assured this reporter it has ‘nothing to do with Star Wars.?
Grace had the opportunity to travel to the famous Skywalker Ranch for a brainstorming session with Lucas.
‘Lucas is a very bright man, just by looking at him you can tell that all the lights are on and everybody is home,? Grace said. ‘He is a regular guy who loves what he does and is passionate about his work.?
Grace said he ‘wouldn’t mind? seeing one of his Kilkenny novels made into a movie.
To meet and learn more about Grace and Kilkenny, readers are encouraged to attend the 7 p.m. Sept. 23 speaking engagement at the Oxford Public Library.
‘My appearance at the library will also include a Q&A session where I will field questions about my books, writing in general and my humble literary start as a self-published author,? Grace said.
For more information call the library at 628-3034.
The next Nolan Kilkenny thriller, Bird of Prey, will hit the shelves in March 2004.