- James Rollins

ONE DAY LAYDOWN
Fe b ru a ry 1 0 , 2 0 1 5
Me d ia Co n t a c t :
Danie lle Bart le t t , 2 1 2 .2 0 7 .7 0 1 1
da nie lle .bart le t t @ha rp e rco llins .c o m
William Morrow
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
_______________________________________________________________________________
195 Broadway, New York, New York 10007
AUTHORS JAMES ROLLINS AND REBECCA CANTRELL
CONCLUDE THE SAGA OF THE ORDER OF THE
SANGUINES IN
BLOOD INFERNAL
PRAISE FOR THE TRILOGY:
“All thriller fans would expect from a combination of Rollins
(Bloodline) and the Macavity Award-winning Cantrell (A Trace
of Smoke): cutting-edge science, ancient history, and a
solid gothic m ystery plot… Fans of the authors will not be
disappointed, and those who lapped up The Da Vinci Code will
be clamoring for more in this series.” — Library Journal
(starred review) on THE BLOOD GOSPEL
“A combination of religious conspiracy and another
popular genre, and to reveal more about the concept behind
this engaging novel would be a crime.” — Washington
Post on THE BLOOD GOSPEL
“There’s a touch of genius... in pairing a Dan Brow n–ian
hidden-codex m ystery with a vam pire tale. Let that
suffice lest spoilers ruin the fun, except to say that the
blood of the title is no accident.” — Kirkus on INNOCENT
BLOOD
“[A]nother darkly hypnotic hybrid, and supremely effective,
horror-thriller… A harrowing tale that’s truly epic in scope.
Not to be missed.” — Providence Journal on INNOCENT
BLOOD
Last year James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell left readers on the edge of their seats at the
end of Innocent Blood , the second novel in “The Order of the Sanguines Series” about an
ancient Vatican order who seek the answers to a mystery found within the pages of a gospel
written in Christ’s own blood. Now the pair concludes their epic trilogy with BLOOD
INFERNAL (Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, on sale 2/10/2015, ISBN:
9780062343260, $27.99).
As an escalating scourge of grisly murders sweeps the globe, archaeologist Erin Granger
must decipher the meaning behind an immortal prophecy, one found in the Blood Gospel, a
tome written by Christ and lost for centuries: The shackles of Lucifer have been loosened,
and his Chalice remains lost. With the Apocalypse looming and the very barriers of our world
crumbling, Erin must again join forces with Army Sergeant Jordan Stone and Father Rhun
Korza to search for a treasure lost for millennia, a prize that already has fallen into the
hands of their enemy. It will take the light of all three to forge the Chalice anew and banish
Lucifer again to his eternal depths.
But the forces of darkness have crowned a new king, a demon named Legion, who walks this
Earth wearing many faces, whose reach is beyond measure, where even the walls of the
Vatican fall before him. For any hope of saving the world, Erin must discover the truth
behind man’s first steps out of the Garden of Eden, an event wrapped in sin and destruction,
an act that damned humankind for eternity.
The search for the key to salvation will take Erin and the others across centuries and around
the world, from the dusty shelves of the Vatican’s secret archives to lost medieval
laboratories, where ancient alchemies were employed to horrific ends. All the while, they will
be hunted across the breadth of the globe, besieged by creatures of uncanny skill and
talent. As clues are slowly dug free from ancient underground chapels or found frozen in icy
caverns high in the mountaintops, Erin will discover that the only hope for victory lies in an
impossible act, one that will not only destroy her, but all she loves. To protect the world,
Erin must walk through the very gates of Hell and face the darkest of enemies, the
adversary of humankind, the very serpent in the garden. She must confront Lucifer himself.
With The Blood Gospel , the first novel in the Order of the Sanguines series, James Rollins
and Rebecca Cantrell breathtakingly combined science, myth, and religion and introduced a
world where miracles hold new meaning and the fight for good over evil is far more
complicated than we ever dreamed. And now in this epic conclusion to the Sanguines trilogy,
BLOOD INFERNAL, they take us to the very pit of Hell itself, making us peer into the abyss
and face our greatest fears, answering the ultimate question: What price will we pay for true
salvation?
###
About the Authors:
JAMES ROLLINS is the New York Times bestseller of thrillers translated into forty
languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York
Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). Acclaimed for his
originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets--and
he does it all at breakneck speed.
REBECCA CANTRELL’s Hannah Vogel mystery novels have won the Bruce Alexander and
Macavity awards and been nominated for the Barry and RT Reviewers Choice awards; her
critically-acclaimed novel, iDrakula, was nominated for the APPY award and listed on
Booklist’s Top 10 Horror Fiction for Youth. She and her husband and son just left Hawaii’s
sunny shores for adventures in Berlin.
James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell discuss
collaborating for the epic conclusion of their trilogy
A Suspense Magazine Interview
1. "Blood Infernal" is the final book in your trilogy. Can you give us a little sneak into what
might happen?
James: Each of the first two books ended with some fairly dramatic climatic battle scenes, where the tides of
the story and characters’ lives were changed, so knowing this was the conclusion of the trilogy, Rebecca and I
plotted a grand design where all stakes were on the table, allowing us to take our characters where few writers
are willing to go: straight to the very gates of Hell for a direct confrontation with Lucifer. And along the way,
we learn more about the Sanguines, more about the secret history behind these books, and more about the
truest hearts of our characters.
Rebecca: We both wanted to make sure that the characters, those who live through the book anyway, faced
their greatest fears and came out the other side, ready to go on with their lives. We wanted them to finish out
this adventure together, but also to suggest where their lives might go from here—give them some closure.
2. Looking over the series, what challenges did you face that you were able to overcome?
Rebecca: Working on an epic scale was new for me—so setting up the character arcs across multiple long
books, setting up timelines that go from the time of Christ to the present day, and juggling the ensemble cast
across time and space. Plus doing all that while figuring out how to collaborate with someone else.
James: I think the hardest was simply figuring out how to collaborate. This was a first such project for both of
us. Initially, there was the awkwardness of how to critique or edit another writer’s pages. It was a bit of a
dance at first (“Rebecca, I see where you’re going with this scene but maybe if we carefully tweak it here or
there it could be made even stronger”), but eventually as we got to know each other even better, we learned
to shorthand it (“Jim, this scene sucks…rewrite it!”…and she was usually right). One question we get asked a
lot is: how much did you two argue about the plot or characters? And actually the answer is: very
little. Once we nailed down those characters’ voices—learned who they were and how they ticked—and laid
down the big plot points, any time we came to a loggerhead we let the characters tell us where to go.
3. How difficult was it when you first started out trying to make sure both of your "voices"
came through in the books?
James: To be honest, it took a while. There were several early drafts of the opening chapters—which we
handed back and forth between us—until we could land our character’s voices where we wanted them to
be. From there, it was a matter of deciding which writer should take a crack at which scenes first (i.e., who
had the better skill set for that scene), then allowing the other writer to sculpt their own voice atop it to
ensure an even tone to the entire book.
Rebecca: I think those early drafts were key to establishing a consistent “voice” for the books. Spending time
early on trying to decide the style that we would use and then both writing and editing to that style made
things a lot easier.
4. Since this is a trilogy, would you suggest that readers start with "The Blood Gospel" and
work up to "Blood Infernal"?
Rebecca: The books can be read in any order, but I think you get the most complete experience if you read
them in order: The Blood Gospel, Innocent Blood, and Blood Infernal. The short stories can be read in any order
though—before the books, in between, or after.
James: I think the series is best read in order, but knowing some readers might join the series midway along or
with this final book, we tried our best to seed all the back story necessary for a new reader to enjoy each of
the books on its own…even the final volume.
5. When trying to create a world that lies 'between the shadow and the light', what was
something that you wanted to make sure the reader could relate to?
James: The main characters of Erin and Jordan come from an entirely approachable place. While they’re
especially skilled at their various professions, they’re also human, which is something Rebecca and I strived to
focus on, allowing this pair to be the readers’ guide into this secret world of the Sanguines. The pair also
served as perfect foils to draw out the humanity in monsters and the beauty in the darkest of places.
Rebecca: I agree that Erin and Jordan are the bridge into the story, because they are mostly ordinary humans
who fall into the world of the Sanguinists just like the readers do. I think we also wanted to play with the idea
of shadow and light in the individual characters, human and otherwise so that the reader could relate to
everyone, at least a bit. Erin and Jordan have some shadows in them. Rhun, the other Sanguinists, and even
Elizabeth have some light parts that we see as they try to find their way along the dark path that was forced
upon them.
6. Character vs. Plot is highly debated in books right now, which side of the fence do you sit
on?
Rebecca: When I read, I always look for interesting and engaging characters who I want to spend time with. If
there is no one I care about in a book, I just check out. As a writer, I try to always keep that reader sensibility
and make sure that I’m creating someone readers will want to follow (down to the Gates of Hell, if necessary).
That said, characters need to do more than be; they need to do and act and that’s plot. They need to go
somewhere that you want to follow, do something that you want to see. It’s not either or.
James: Agreed. It’s got to be both. A well-crafted plot with two-dimensional characters is simply not all that
engaging. And great characters put through the paces of a tepid plot can drag a story into the ground. Which
do you start with first? I’ve done it both ways. Some books have started with a character in mind. Like Dr.
Lorna Polk, a New Orleans veterinarian, in my novel Altar of Eden. I wanted to write a “veterinary thriller,” so
the character came first. Other times I start with the plot, then I fold in the characters: both those that make
sense for that particular plot and, as an extra challenge, sometimes those that don’t. And in the case of my
book, Amazonia, it was the setting that started that journey. I simply wanted to set a thriller in the Amazon
rainforest and built the story around that desire.
7. Which character surprised both of you in having a larger voice throughout the series than
you originally thought they would?
James: That’s an easy one (and I know Rebecca would agree): Elizabeth Bathory. She was so deliciously
amoral how could Rebecca and I not grow to love her and give her a larger place in the story. I think Elizabeth
kept us both on our toes, while challenging our characters just as much.
Rebecca: Exactly. Elizabeth Bathory was fascinating. She was largely amoral and served no one but herself, but
she also had a protective side for both Tommy and Rhun. It was interesting watching her balance those two
aspects of her personality, and it was great fun to write someone who just did whatever she wanted regardless
of the consequences. Her role grew from book to book, probably because that’s what she wanted.
8. Did you start off thinking this would be a trilogy or did the story become larger when you
wrote "The Blood Gospel"?
Rebecca: It was set up as a trilogy, and I think we fulfilled all the promises we made to the readers in the
books. The characters have been on a wild journey, but it is complete. That said, there are still some stories to
be told in the world of the Sanguines, and we might pick those up again someday.
James: The series was always envisioned as a trilogy, with the potential for future stories set in this universe
beyond that. So while the third book does bring the major arc of our characters’ lives and the plot to
resounding conclusion, we’ve left a few breadcrumbs that could be picked up down the line for another goaround in this world.
9. Can you explain to readers how the short story "Blood Brothers" fits into the entire
trilogy?
James: Rebecca and I actually wrote two short stories connected to this series. “City of Screams” is a prelude
into the series, introducing Sergeant Jordan Stone in Afghanistan, serving as a forensic investigator who
discovers mythology and science sometimes collide in horrifying ways. “Blood Brothers” was published
between the first and second novel, but the bulk of the story takes place during the Sixties, with repercussions
in the present, so the book could easily be read as another prelude to the series, while at the same time
introducing a major character who first appears in Book Two (Innocent Blood)
Rebecca: I mentioned this earlier (always jumping ahead, I guess). The short stories are set in the same world,
but they are not directly related to the events in the trilogy, so you can read them whenever you want during
the trilogy, or even as standalone stories.
10. What's next for both of you?
James: I’m currently finishing up my next Sigma Force novel (The Bone Labyrinth), which explores the origin of
the human species, looking at both where we came from and where we’re headed next. Also, at the end of the
year, the second novel featuring the adventures of Tucker and his war dog Kane will debut, titled War
Hawk. And there’s another project in the pipeline that I’m not at liberty to talk about yet…unless you ply me
with an abundant amount of single-malt scotch.
Rebecca: I have the second book in the Joe Tesla series coming out in February. In The Tesla Legacy Joe Tesla,
an agoraphobic multi-millionaire is still trapped in the tunnels under New York City with his service dog, Edison.
He inherits a box containing Nikola Tesla’s mysterious papers and things start to fall apart from there. I’m also
working on a cheeky detective series with a Scottish thriller writer named Sean Black. The series is about a
former child star turned private detective in Malibu. The first one is currently called A is for A$$hat.
SINK YOUR TEETH INTO
THE ORDER OF THE SANGUINE SERIES
ALS O AVAILABLE: CITY OF S CREAMS
( Morro w Im puls e e -original, on s a le 1 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 1 2 , ISBN 1 3 :
9 7 8 0 0 6 2 2 6 2 5 6 1 , $ .9 9 )
Ro llins a nd Ca nt re ll d e live r a d is t urb ing s h o rt s t o ry o f ve ng e a nc e , b lo o d s he d , a nd
c re a t u re s t ha t h un t t h e n ig ht while in t ro d u cin g re a d e rs t o Se rg e a nt J o rd an St o ne , who is
fe a t u re d in T HE BLOOD GOS PEL, t he s t a rt o f t he Ord e r o f t he S ang uine s e rie s . In t he
ha u nt e d war-t o rn h ig hla nd s o f Afg ha nis t a n , a m id t h e ruins o f Sha hr-e -Gho lg ho l, an
a rc ha e o lo g y t e a m is m a s s a c re d in t he n ig ht . Se rg e an t J o rd a n St o n e a nd h is c ra c k fo re n s ic
t e a m a re c alle d in t o e xa m ine t h e s it e , t o h un t fo r t h e p e rp e t ra t o rs o f t his ho rrific a ct .
Bu t t he d is c o ve ry o f a s urvivo r—a c hild o f t e n —will s ha t t e r all t he t e a m kno ws ab o ut life
a nd d e a t h.
ALS O AVAILABLE: BLOOD GOS PEL
( Harp e r m as s m arke t , o n s ale 8 / 2 7 / 1 3 , ISBN: 9 7 8 0 0 6 1 9 9 1 0 5 9 , $ 9 .9 9 )
In h is firs t -e ve r c o lla b o rat io n, Ne w Yo rk Tim e s b e s t s e lling au t h o r J am e s Ro llins
c o m b in e s his s kill fo r c u t t in g -e d g e s c ie n c e a nd h is t o rica l m ys t e ry wit h a ward -win ning
no ve lis t Re b e c c a Can t re ll' s t ale nt fo r h au nt ing s u s p e ns e a nd s e ns u a l a t m o s p h e re in a
g o t hic t ale ab o ut an an c ie nt o rd e r an d t h e hu nt fo r a m ira c u lo us b o o k kno wn o n ly as
THE BLOOD GOSPEL. A b o ld g o t hic s t o ry a b o u t a n a nc ie n t c ryp t ic o rd e r a nd t he hu nt
fo r a m ira cu lo us an d fo rb id d e n b o o k— a b o o k ru m o re d t o ha ve b e e n writ t e n b y
Chris t ’s o wn ha nd , in His o wn b lo o d , a t o m e t ha t is s a id t o h o ld t h e s e c re t s t o Chris t ’s
d ivinit y a nd m irac le s .
ALS O AVAILABLE: BLOOD BROTHERS
( Morro w Im pu ls e e -original, on s a le 1 0 / 2 2 / 1 3 , ISBN: 9 7 8 0 0 6 2 3 2 6 6 2 1 ,
$ .9 9 )
Fro m b e s t s e lle rs Ro llins a nd Ca n t re ll c o m e s a d a rk s t o ry o f m u rd e r, m ys t e ry, a nd a
b ro t h e rho o d s t e e p e d in a b lo o d y p a s t . As a yo u ng re p o rt e r, Art hu r Cran e e xp o s e d t he
s e cre t s b e h ind t h e Orc h id Kille r, a c ult m urd e re r fro m t he la t e ‘6 0 s wh o s e c rim e s
b la c ke ne d t h e e nd o f t h e Sum m e r o f Lo ve . Ha lf a c e n t u ry lat e r, Art h ur wa ke s t o fin d a n
o rch id re s t ing o n h is p illo w, a s ym b o l o f d e a t h fro m a kille r c o nn e c t e d t o his e s t ran g e d
yo u ng e r b ro t he r, Chris t ian . To d is c o ve r t he h o rrifyin g t rut h, Art hu r will ris k a ll-e ve n h is
ve ry s o u l-fo r Chris t ian m a y n o t b e t he b ro t he r t ha t Art hu r re m e m b e rs …
ALS O AVAILABLE: INNOCENT BLOOD
( Harpe r m as s m arke t , on s a le 0 5 / 2 7 / 2 0 1 4 , ISBN: 9 7 8 0 0 6 1 9 9 1 0 7 3 ,
$ 9 .9 9 )
The s e c o nd ins t allm e nt in t h e b e s t s e lling g o t hic s e rie s , ab o ut a n a nc ie n t o rd e r who s p e ak
t h e t ru t h b e h in d Chris t ’s m ira c le s a nd s t rive t o p ro t e c t t he wo rld fro m e vil. An a t t ac k
o u t s id e St an fo rd Unive rs it y t hrus t s a rc ha e o lo g is t Erin Gra ng e r b a c k int o t h e fo ld o f t he
Sa ng uine s , an an c ie nt Va t ic a n o rd e r who s e e k t he an s we rs t o a m ys t e ry fo un d wit hin t h e
p a g e s o f a g o s p e l writ t e n in Ch ris t ’s o wn b lo o d . As t he t h re at o f Arm a g e d d o n lo o m s , s h e
m u s t jo in fo rc e s wit h an an cie nt e vil t o h alt t he p la ns o f a m a n d e t e rm ine d t o s e e t h e
wo rld e nd , a m an kno wn s im p ly a s Is c a rio t .