Hi Reddit! I'm Howard Blum, a NY Times Bestselling author of the Last Goodnight/WW II Espionage AMA...

Do you think that the current atmosphere against encryption and privacy endangers investigative journalism? What are some difficulties in investigative journalism that most people wouldn't anticipate?

The Obama Administration has been very aggressive in prosecuting journalists and demanding then to disclose their sources. This is the Democrats. If there's a Trump Administration, then one can only imagine how the attacks against journalists will escalate. It is a scary time to be a reporter - and what makes it so scary is that in these uncertain times investigative reporting is more essential than ever.

What obstacles did you face when trying to first get published, and how did you overcome them?

The key is tenacity: don't give up. I first got published when I was at school in London and submitted an article to the Village Voice. They published it, and then I was on my way. Went to work for them after college, then the NY Times hired me, and soon started writing books.

What's different about the book publishing world vs when you started writing novels?

Well, just being able to be in touch with readers on sites like Reddit and FB is part of the new age of publishing. That's good. The bad part is that fewer books are being published. And the scary part is that now since all the stores are computerized, you can get sales reports every night. Which so far for THE LAST GOODNIGHT has been gratifying.

What's the process of getting a novel into a screenplay into a movie? How long does it take?

The key element is luck. I was able to sell THE LAST GOODNIGHT to Sony on the book proposal; i.e., before it was written. Then there was about a year's wait while I finished the book. As soon as the manuscript was completed, they began looking for a screenwriter. Finally, they hired the writer of the forthcoming "Miss Sloane," directed by John Madden. And now, as Good Morning America " reported, the studio is in talks with Jennifer Lawrence to play Betty Pack. With luck, shooting could begin in a year.

What did it take to be a female spy during World War II like Betty Pack?

I took, firstly, an immense amount of courage. Then, even beyond courage, it took a willingness to sacrifice ordinary life and morals to live perpetually on this covert plane. You needed to sublimated your own desires to that of the cause. You were fighting a war and you needed to do whatever was necessary to win. That's what Betty Pack did.

Has it been harder now since there are fewer book stores now than even 5 years ago to find place to meet your fans?

Yes ago (5 years ago) i remember authors telling me that publishers would often pay authors exspenses to go to signings/talks around the country. Now not so much....

You really (the author) now needs to do most of their own promotion ,etc...

Do you agree?

Well, HarperCollins, my publisher, has been quite supportive for The Last Goodnight. I've been touring to New Orleans, Washington, NYC, and soon am off to Boston. And they've been making the arrangements and paying the bills. Sure, an author can do a good deal on his/her own. But it sure helps when there is a partnership with the publisher. And HarperCollins has been great.

Is there any part/era of human history, which you haven't written about, that particularly interests you?

I'd like to write about Revolutionary America. I'd like to find a story that takes place at the creation of this nation centered around a person who played an important, but under reported, part in the birth of America.

Do you like pancakes?

yes, very much. There's a place in New Hampshire that serves the best lemon pancakes. Worth the drive from Ct.

too bad i live in sweden ;_;

Worth the trip.

What will your next book be about? Can you give us a hint?

The next book is a non-fiction Cold War thriller. It's called "WE WILL BURY YOU!" - after the famous warning to the US from Nikita Krushschev,

Is it practical to try to write historical novels as a living?

Well, first my books aren't novels. They're true stories. They are character-driven and suspenseful, but also true. But is this a practical way to make a living? Being a writer is not a practical way to live - it's too demanding. You only do it because you rather do it than anything else.

What was it like growing up with Marcy Blum and how did you two end up so different-- you cerebral & literary and her focused on the chicest eventiste concepts? Do you think your parents expected you both to be famous?

I was always in her shadow. I'd just be doing homework while she was off being social and creative and entrepreneurial.

What do you find most rewarding about what you do?

When the writing is going well, when thoughts are connecting in a way you'd never previously imagined - well, it doesn't get much better than that. You look up at the clock, and you suddenly realize the whole day has passed while you were wrapped up in your work.

Why did they call Betty Pack the "Blonde Bomb"?

When Betty died in 1963, Time Magazine called her "the blonde Bond who used the bedroom instead of a Beretta." What they meant that she was a secret agent who in mission after mission helped the Allies win the war by using the double bed as her operational battle field.

Was there any point in which Pack was almost caught?

When Betty broke into the cipher room of the Vichy Embassy in Washington to steal the military codes hidden in the safe, she heard the guards approaching footsteps. So what does Betty do? She starts to take off all her clothes, and she encourages her accomplice to do the same. So, when the guard bursts into the room, he discovers a naked Betty; he assumes she and her accomplice were up to something else rather than cracking the safe. And he excuses himself and leaves. And Betty gets the ciphers. And three months later those ciphers were instrumental in the success of the Allied invasion of North Africa.

That's awesome

Betty had lots of cool missions - and, more importantly, they were very consequential. She helped the Allies win the war.

If a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to hear it, does it still make a sound?

if you ask your question and no one answers, has a question been asked?

Wow - you answered. That's cool.

Mr. Blum, if I still have you attention: as someone on the inside perhaps you may share some insight.

In this media age, whereby everyone has a platform to express their (typically anecdotal) opinion, and no one has an editor to prevent it from being shared (if, in this context, it's a poor one) - how have you seen your industry been affected and is the vapid content blitz we're subjected to on the daily as bad as I feel it is or have we always had some kind of relationship comparative to the current media-machine?

Thanks,

I think that with the internet and places like Reddit there's so much more opportunity to get thoughts and opinions out there - and that's a good thing. I'm all for everyone to have, as you put it, " a platform to express their opinion." One just needs to use judgement in what one pays attention to.

How is writing a screenplay different from a book?

In a book you tell stories. In a screenplay you create pictures for the audience to look at. Also, in a book the narrative can unfold pretty much any way the author want. In a script, there's a three act structure that's pretty rigid, and there are beats in each act that must be hit. Screenplays are largely architectonic - that is, the structure has to be carefully worked out to support the story. In a book, the story comes first.