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Where did you get the idea to do a story about agroterrorism?

In my research for my different Bug Man novels I've done a lot of reading about different kinds of terrorist threats: nuclear, chemical, biological, etc. I noticed one area of concern for terrorism experts that I'd never seen anything written about: agroterrorism--a coordinated attack against our food supply. I discovered that anti-crop and anti-livestock weapons really exist, and some terrorism experts are concerned about our vulnerability to this kind of attack. It's easy to see why. Is it even possible to secure a thousand-acre farm against attack from all sides?

Why did you set Ends of the Earth in North Carolina?

Nick's been doing a lot of traveling lately--first Pittsburgh, then New York, then New Orleans, then northern Virginia. It seemed like time to bring him home for a spell. Besides, I thought it would be fun to let readers watch Nick in his natural habitat--the university. This story seemed like a good fit for Nick, since departments of Entomology and Agriculture are commonly associated at major universities. It was especially fun for me to write this story since my youngest daughter is currently a student at Nick's university--NC State. Go Wolfpack!

Why did you decide to bring back Alena Savard?

Alena is just too much fun to leave at home! She's a very strong character--interesting enough to star in her own novel, I think--and she's such a perfect foil for Nick. I had a great time writing her character in my previous book, Less than Dead, and at the end of the story I suggested the possibility of a romantic relationship between Alena and Nick. I couldn't just leave them hanging--I had to bring her back!

You brought back another female character from your very first Bug Man novel--Kathryn Guilford from Shoofly Pie. Why?

Each of my stories has a strong romantic element to it. Nick's central challenge as a character is to decide whether he wants to be an insect or a human being--and there's nothing like a woman to make a man decide it's time to grow up. But my job as a writer is to make sure nothing comes too easy for Nick. What fun would that be? So I gave him two remarkable women to choose between--or not to choose at all. That romantic triangle is the real fun of this story.

Why did you choose to make the bad guy a Russian?

The Cold War was such a great time for writers. There was an Evil Empire and bad guys were everywhere. It hasn't been as easy in recent years; we had the Axis of Evil for a while, but stories featuring Middle Eastern fanatics have worn kind of thin. Fortunately for us writers the Russians have been up to their old tricks in Georgia lately and that makes them fair game once again. Sometimes they're good guys, sometimes they're bad guys. It's what I like to call the "Hot and Cold War."

There's a lot of humor in this story. Why?

There's just no getting around it: Nick is a wiseguy. It's an essential part of his character and his basic way of relating to other human beings. Nick just doesn't fit in, and his weirdness could either come off pathetic or funny. I prefer funny!

Are you planning another Bug Man story after Ends of the Earth?

My next novel is something very different--something that will surprise everyone. After that, who knows? Maybe yes, maybe no. It's really up to my readers to decide.

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