Gwinnett Daily Post

Photo Intern: Graham Robson Jongwon Lee gets his book signed by New York TImes bestselling author Jeffery Deaver at his book signing at Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center on Thursday.

NORCROSS -- For book writers, simply writing a book isn't enough to make a living.

For most, conducting a book tour to promote their book is part of the job, and one that brings them up close and personal to those they write for.

International best-selling author Jeffery Deaver made a visit to the Norcross Cultural Arts and Community Center on Thursday to talk with fans about his newly released book XO (which is his third novel featuring heroine Kathryn Dance), as well as giving them insight on how he goes about writing his books.

"Writing is not about what I want to get out of it," Deaver said. "It's all about what the readers want. As a writer, you want to keep your reader engaged and not wanting to put the book down."

Deaver told the crowd he writes to bring various issues to the forefront, but not because he has an ax to grind. More so to present new ideas to readers.

"It helps give depth to the characters," he said.

For those who want to be writers, Deaver suggested two things; read books that you get excited about and try writing.

"Try writing about subjects you're interested in," he said. "Don't feel like you have to try and write about wizards, soldiers or other character-types you're not really interested in. Make it fun."

After writing 27 novels, Deaver admits he's had some that were really good, while there were others that made him go back and say, "What was I thinking?"

"My first four or five were small murder mysteries that didn't sell well," Deaver said. "Later on, I went back and re-read the books and I saw that I gave away surprises too early. I didn't keep the readers going throughout the book.

"Now, I write a prospective outline that takes me about eight months to put together. I won't actually write unless I think it's viable and will keep the reader engaged."

As far as his favorite, it was "Garden of Beasts," which is a historical thriller set in 1936 Berlin about a man who was recruited to kill an aid to Hitler.

"It has some historical context as well, which is why it's one of my favorites," Deaver said.

Deaver, who wrote "The Bone Collector," a book that was turned into a movie that starred Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, said his goal is to write at least one book a year, although sometimes he gets adventurous and writes two.

"Next year is going to be a busy year for me," he said. "I'm publishing 'Kill Room,' which is the next book in the 'Bone Collector' series. I also have 'Troubled in Mind' coming out, which is a mini-book series. So, it's going to be busy."

As for what he does when he's not writing, Deaver said he spends about three months on the road promoting his newest book(s). When he's at home in North Carolina or Washington, D.C., he likes skiing, cooking and collecting wine.

"For some reason the wine seems to disappear," he said. "I don't know why."