The path suddenly laid out before him, Brown knew, would change his life forever.
No matter what happens, I’ll always have a number one bestseller to my name. He lunged for the nearest exit and staggered out into the street.Ī realization washed over him. His mind reeling, Brown pulled himself to his unsteady feet. He had always fantasized about writing a blockbuster novel-indeed, he regularly consulted a how-to book called Writing the Blockbuster Novel-and now his dream had come true. He tumbled from his chair, spilling his coffee, and collapsed on the tile floor. Your book is going to debut at number one on the New York Times bestseller list!Ī shock jolted Brown’s body. But there was more incredible news, said Kaufman. After just two days in stores, The Da Vinci Code had already sold more hardcover copies than Brown’s earlier novels combined. It was Jason Kaufman, his editor, on the line from Manhattan. A struggling writer, Brown had penned three previous novels that all flopped, and the lack of recognition had him thinking about going back to his job as a high school teacher.īrown took the call.
He was soon due at a bookstore, where he would read from his new novel, a 454-page volume he called The Da Vinci Code. He was at a Starbucks in Seattle, alone and sipping a cup of dark coffee. Dan Brown was startled by the ring of his cell phone.
