'The Encryption Game' is Released

LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ A veteran thriller writer has found unexpected success recently by wreaking havoc on his own backyard. Glenn Shepard, author of The Encryption Game (Mystery House), has taken the idea of being a regional author to an extreme by having his hero fight terrorists in Virginia, North Carolina, and West Virginia. It is an approach that seems to be at odds with the traditional conventions of the genre, where the action takes place in more international settings.

Some in the literary world aren't so surprised. Book analysts Jodie Archer and Mathew Jockers, authors of The Bestseller Code, point out that "the geopolitical setting of a book is not all that important in determining whether or not a book will sell." According to their analysis, author Shepard is a clear example of a little-known wrinkle in the art of thriller writing.

Shepard's first novel, The Missile Game (Mystery House), depicted a terrorist missile strike on a hospital in rural North Carolina. For a genre that specializes in global intrigue, The Missile Game had a noticeably backyard feel. The book went on to be a bestseller on Amazon's Kindle charts.

Speaking recently from his office in Newport News, Shepard, in commenting on the success of his regional approach, said, "I grew up in these areas and I know the people. I also love the terrain."

Readers have found Shepard's love of the terrain a little unnerving at times. It's not unusual for a thriller writer to play war games inside the covers of a book, but the plots and storylines of Shepard's Dr. Scott James Thriller Series reveal scenarios that hit very close to home. Terrorists infiltrate America by coming through the Oregon Inlet near Cape Hatteras, stage an assassination attempt on the President in Williamsburg, and plot a nuclear bomb-drop from a high-altitude balloon over the skies of West Virginia. There is even a cameo appearance by a campaigning Donald Trump on the steps of the Newport News Courthouse.

When asked about his quirky approach to thriller writing, Shepard, who is the author of numerous works, reveals a little of the mindset of a fiction writer, "I just always have a story working in my headalways."

The recent success of the series has also elicited a lot of comparisons to The Fugitive television series and movie. Unquestionably, Shepard's tormented action hero, Dr. Scott James, bears a close resemblance to the famous fictional character. "I loved the character of Richard Kimbell," Shepard says. "A doctor accused of murder, framed, on the run. I loved that. I wasn't exactly thinking of The Fugitive when I created Scott James, but I've definitely drifted that way over the course of four books, no doubt. The similarities are there."

For more information, visit www.glennshepardauthor.com.

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