Brad Meltzer knows the location of the tunnels beneath the White House. He's been in the tunnels that run under Disney World.
The thriller writer and host of the History Channel's "Brad Meltzer's Decoded" goes deep - literally and figuratively - when researching. He loves to unravel a mystery or solve a puzzle, but one core principle is utmost in Meltzer's work:
"Every book I've written, every thriller is all based on the same idea: Ordinary people change the world," Meltzer said in a recent telephone interview.
The plot for his newest thriller, "The Inner Circle," was inspired by a story President George H.W. Bush told Meltzer: Modern presidents leave letters for their successors. "The Inner Circle" is the first book in a series with National Archives archivist Beecher White as the protagonist - an ordinary person who does extraordinary things.
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Meltzer's thrillers keep readers nibbling their nails and frequent the best-sellers lists: "The Tenth Justice," "Dead Even," "The First Counsel," "The Millionaires," "The Zero Game" and "The Book of Lies." His jam-packed résumé includes being the co-creator of the TV show "Jack & Bobby," which ran a full season. Meltzer received the Eisner Award for a comic book, "Justice League of America," and his latest comic book endeavor is writing "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Even though his books are fictional, research, research and more research is the foundation of his thrillers. Meltzer insists every detail be accurate and that readers know the story is grounded in reality.
"I could write a book every year, but it would be garbage," Meltzer said.
The Florida resident spent about eight years gathering information and writing "Heroes for My Son," the stories of 52 amazing - Meltzer's word - people.
"No one is in the book for why they are famous," Meltzer. He wants readers to understand what can be done with your life and recognize what people are capable of.
Because his daughter asked, "Where's my book?" Meltzer's "Heroes for My Daughter" is due to be released in May 2012.
Writing nonfiction rather than a thriller is like taking a vacation, Meltzer said. Writing nonfiction gives him a fresh perspective on his true love of writing novels.
On "Decoded" the self-described history buff has investigated whether skyjacker D.B. Cooper acted alone, whether a secret code is embedded in the Statue of Liberty and whether Thomas Jefferson had secret codes and how they may be partially responsible for the death of explorer Meriwether Lewis.
"History is not facts that you memorize," Meltzer said. "People always amaze me … there's a "reason we are at our best when we're at our worst."
Best kept secret of the U.S. presidency
Brad Meltzer selected the the first chapter of "The Inner Circle" to share with Star readers:
"In 1989, during his final minutes in the White House, outgoing President Ronald Reagan scribbled a secret note … and, it was reported, a picture of a turkey. The note said, "Don't let the turkeys get you down." He then slipped the note into the Oval Office desk and left it for his successor, President George H.W. Bush.
"In 1993, President Bush left a private note in the desk for Bill Clinton, who left a note for George W. Bush, who left one for Barack Obama. But there were two things no one knew.
"The tradition didn't start with Ronald Reagan. It started with George Washington.
"And the picture Reagan drew? It most definitely was not a turkey."
