Interesting Facts About Steve Berry

Although he may not be a household name like Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler, Steve Berry is nonetheless an accomplished fiction writer and has penned nearly 20 novels, many of which were received with critical acclaim. Here are two interesting facts about the thriller writer that you may not have known.

He was rejected 85 times before he sold his first manuscript. Although publishers now see publishing Berry’s works as a no-brainer, it wasn’t quite the case early on in his career. Berry first began writing fiction in 1990, but it wasn’t until 2003’s The Amber Room that one of his manuscripts would make it to print. Prior attempts at publication has resulted in 85 rejection before Ballantine Books finally took a chance on the then unknown Berry, a move that would prove to pay off.

He’s devoted to historical preservation. Berry and his wife, Elizabeth, founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of the fragile reminders of our past. Together they’ve spent many years fundraising for a wide variety of preservation projects, and in recognition for his work he was named spokesperson for National Preservation Week by American Library Association in 2012 and 2013. In a 2011 Wall Street Journal interview Berry said: “What are we losing when that [on being told of the rapid loss of our historical record] happens?  We’re losing windows to the past, thoughts to the past and ideas to the past, and that really affected me.”

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The True Crime Story of The Florida Lotto Murder

Winning the lottery can be a godsend to many. In a single instant it can wipe out financial worry, solve countless other problems, and lead to a worry-free life of possibility and adventure. For some, however, it can also be a burden. And for many, like Abraham Shakespeare of Florida, it can make them a target.

In 2006 Shakespeare purchased a single lotto ticket that would land him a jackpot of $30 million dollars. The winfall was certainly cause for celebration, and a generous man by nature, Shakespeare shared his newfound wealth liberally with friends and family. Shakespeare soon grew suspicious, however, and felt like he was being used, even taken advantage of for his money. It was then that a woman named Dee Dee Moore entered the picture.

Moore offered Shakespeare to help manage his assets, but she had sinister motives in mind. Before long, Moore managed to swindle Shakespeare into handing over control of all his assets. Some weeks passed, and Shakespeare’s family grew concerned. They hadn’t heard from Shakespeare for some time, and had attempted to reach him. In response, Moore forged a letter to Shakespeare’s family, assuring them that he was alright. What Moore didn’t know, however, is that Shakespeare was illiterate. The family contacted police, Shakespeare’s body was soon discovered buried on Moore’s property, and Moore was arrested and subsequently convicted of murder.

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The Surprising Origin of Mulholland Drive

It’s not often you’ll come across a list of the best movies of the 21st century that doesn’t have Mulholland Drive listed near the top. The 2001 David Lynch offering is neo-noir at its finest, and a psychological thriller than will burn itself into your memory immediately after viewing. It tells the story of an aspiring actress named Betty Elms, played by Naomi Watts, who befriends the victim of a car crash, played by Laura Harring, suffering from amnesia. Throughout the film we’re introduced to a few more characters, played by Justin Theroux, Mark Pellegrino, Robert Forster, and Ann Miller, in what would be her last role in a feature film.

Despite its critical acclaim, however, Mulholland Drive performed poorly at the US box office, grossing a mere $7 million against its $15 million budget. Worldwide revenue but the total up to $20 million, ensuring, at least, that Universal Pictures and BAC Films didn’t lose money on the project.

What may surprise fans about the feature, however, is that Lynch initially conceived Mulholland Drive as a television pilot, one that was intentionally left open ended for a potential series. Television executives rejected it, however, and so Lynch added an ending and turned the project into a feature film. We’re willing to bet some of those TV execs are still kicking themselves to this very day.

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Underrated Stephen King Stories

The master of the thriller has certainly written some heavyweight novels, but not all of them were met will critical acclaim or commercial success. Here are three underrated Stephen King stories that are certainly worth revisiting.

The Long Walk. Originally published under King’s pen name Richard Bachman, the novel initially received little attention. It was King’s first novel, and lacked some of the polish of his later efforts, but remains a disturbing tale of a dystopian future that’s worth dissecting. The Long Walk tells the story of a walking contest run by the totalitarian US government in which 100 teenage boys must continuously walk and maintain a steady pace, lest they meet their death, with the last boy standing being declared the winner.

The Man in the Black Suit. Originally published in an issue of The New Yorker, The Man in the Black Suit may be one of King’s best short stories. It tells the story of a young boy meeting the devil by a river and won many industry awards, but many readers may not even know of its existence as much of the focus tends to be on King’s novels. Available in a number of different collections, it’s a must-read for any true horror fan.

Doctor Sleep. Although there was no particular desire for a sequel to the Shining, King wrote one anyway, and though the novel paid little lip service to fans it was a very well written tale of PTSD and alcoholism in the wake of the events of The Shining. Doctor Sleep certainly stands out among King’s more modern works, and is certainly deserving of more attention.

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Top three horror moments from Rob Reiner’s Misery

Rob Reiner is not only an actor but a director that has brought many classic and feel good movies to the silver screen. From the Princess Bride to When Harry met Sally, it’s hard to imagine him directing a horror classic, but that is exactly what he did with Misery. In the Stephen King adaption, Reiner brings out a darker side that we didn’t know was possible. Here are the three most spine chilling moments from Rob Reiner’s Misery.

I’m Your No. 1 fan

With Paul, a world famous author, lying injured after his car crash and Annie, a former nurse, promising to nurse him back to health because she is his No. 1 fan, the movie starts out by making you shudder.

Hobbling

Reiner brings the moment of Annie breaking Paul’s ankles to life in the most horrifying way. The calm pacing of Kathy Bates’ Annie before she takes out the sledgehammer and breaks the ankles of her poor captive, it’s something that stays with you but it’s nothing compared to the words “it’s for the best” and “God, I love you,” before and after the bone crunching.

Two bullets will be so beautiful

With Paul lying on his back at the bottom of those stairs with Annie slowly walking towards him with a gun and syringe in hand is horrifying enough, but add into the mix the speech she gives about how they will be together forever and how it is time to die, you really have to give Paul his due for managing to stay calm and even more for talking her round.

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The Thrilling History of St. Patrick’s Day

Although it’s now become a happy and joyous celebration of all things Irish, with green as far as the eye can see and the copious consumption of alcohol, the history of St. Patrick’s Day is somewhat less joyous but certainly quite thrilling.

St. Patrick had it rough right from the beginning, originally from Great Britain we was brought into Ireland as a slave at the tender young age of sixteen during the Roman occupation of Britain. Defying all odds, the young St. Patrick managed to escape slavery in 432 and became a force for Christianity. In what was then a very pagan Ireland, Sat Patrick converted a considerable following to Christianity and established monasteries and places of worship. Legend has it he died on March 17th, 493, which would have made him over 100 years old, but historians tend to agree a more likely year of death was 461.

The action didn’t stop there, however, as rival factions in Ireland fought over his body, each believing they had the proper rights to the corpse. An account of the battle in Annals of the Four Masters describes the end of the battle which ended up on a river. Allegedly, the river rose high and flooded both factions, and the resulting confusion led both sides to believe the were walking away with the body of St. Patrick, sparing countless lives.

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