Tim Green Q & A

Get to know Tim Green: former pro-football player, best-selling author and CPL's Author of the Month for April. Green shares why he thinks reading is so important, reads from his latest novel and talks about what inspires his writing.

Where did you get your idea for this book?

I wanted to combine two elements in this story. I was thinking about how important it is as an athlete to have a great coach or an adult mentor who really believes in you and enables you to be the best you can be. The second thing I wanted to accomplish was to write a suspense novel with lots of action that would keep people turning the pages, so I started out with a boy who had great baseball talent whose talent had never been discovered or developed because he kept moving from place to place. I combined that with a father who was a shady and dangerous character to create New Kid.

What was your favorite book when you were growing up?

My favorite book was The Count of Monte Cristo. I know it’s a dark book about revenge and I think that’s the side of me that made me a really good football player.

How old were you when you started writing?

I was 18 years old and an English literature major in college when I started writing short stories. I began my first novel at the age of 23.

What is your favorite word?

Maniacal! Because that’s how hard you have to work to be an NFL player and a bestselling author.

What is your favorite book about Chicago?

My favorite book about Chicago is The Devil in the White City. I had no idea how the Chicago World’s Fair changed the history of the United States and it was a great suspense novel.

Find out even more about Tim Green and New Kid.