Critically acclaimed nonfiction author Larry Loftis has signed a new book deal with Gallery Books, an imprint at Simon & Schuster, to publish his next book titled, Into the Light.
With Into The Lions Mouth (2016), an electrifying account of double-agent Dusko Popov, the real-life inspiration for James Bond, Loftis broke the mold by structuring and writing his nonfiction book like a thriller. It was a bold and daring move that paid off in a big way. Readers loved Loftis’ style and Popov’s story, and critics (including this one) raved about the author’s writing and storytelling ability.
His next book is also being billed as a nonfiction thriller mixed with a love story. Written in the vein of Unbroken, Loftis’ Into the Light is about WWII spy and heroine Odette Sansom and Captain Peter Churchill, and is scheduled to hit bookstores on January 15, 2019 — making it the first must-read book we’re tracking into next year.
“My passion is writing nonfiction thrillers,” said Loftis exclusively to The Real Book Spy, “but that sounds like an oxymoron, right?”
“If it’s all true, you ask—including every word of dialogue—how can you possibly carry the pace, plot, and cliffhangers of a thriller? My answer is that you have to look a long time to find an historical character who: A.) was involved in real drama and danger again and again; B.) has enough archive material to support a book; and C.) has not already been written about (or very little, or a long time ago).
“It took me a year to find Odette Sansom and she turned out to be a gold mine. In the best thrillers, 50-60 percent of chapters end with cliffhangers or serious intrigue; with INTO THE LIGHT, every chapter ends on a cliffhanger. And it’s all true.”
We’ll have tons of coverage for this one leading up to its publication, so check back for updates. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, order your copy Into The Lions Mouth — a really fantastic story that reads like fiction but, incredibly, is all true. It’s a must-read for spy fans. . . especially those who favor 007.
Praised as “one of today’s finest book reviewers” by New York Times bestselling author Gayle Lynds, Ryan Steck has “quickly established himself as the authority on mysteries and thrillers” (Author A.J. Tata). He currently lives in Southwest Michigan with his wife and their six children.