#1 The New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer returns with novel “The Lightning Rod” marking the 25th anniversary of his publishing debut. In this sequel to Meltzer's “The Escape Artist,” Zig and Nola must track down the killers of a military officer with hidden ties to an ultra-secret unit.
Meltzer is known for his thorough research on a wide array of topics from the secret tunnels under the White House to the underground city below Disney World. For “The Lightning Rod,” Meltzer spent a year researching, “ways you can hide your emails, how to hide from the government, how the government really sends secret emails... every detail I could find.”
“My inspiration [for writing ‘The Lightning Rod’] was one of the best secrets I’ve ever had access to. The U.S. government has a dozen top-secret warehouses across the country to prepare for chemical and biological attacks. It’s called the Strategic National Stockpile — the government's plan for how to deal with the worst large-scale attacks and biological threats.”
Meltzer looked to himself when developing the main characters Zig and Nola, basing Zig on the side of Meltzer that believes people are good.
“It's a hard side to maintain these days. But it’s a side worth fighting for.”
As for Nola, she is the side of Meltzer that will not give up. “She won't stop. She’ll never stop. She believes she can fix the world through force and sheer will,” he says.
Meltzer will be going on tour to promote “The Lightning Rod” and will be in the Barns & Noble located on Glades Road Mar. 13, where he will be discussing and signing copies of the book.
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