Meet Steve Berry

A Fixture on the New York Times bestseller list

This guy is amazing. Steve Berry is a prolific writer and a constant fixture on the New York Times bestseller lists. Steve Berry has also been translated into 40 languages with more than 14 million printed books in 51 countries, worldwide.

Berry was raised in Georgia and graduated from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. His road to publication was a long one, a process that took him 12 years and 85 rejections over five different manuscripts before he was able to sell a story. He credits the nuns who taught him in Catholic school with instilling the discipline needed to both craft a novel and find a publisher.

A devoted student of history, Berry is dedicated to researching his novels and being philanthropic. In 2010 he and his wife, Elizabeth, founded History Matters — a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of the fragile reminders of our past. Since then, they have traveled the world raising much-needed funds for a wide range of historic preservation projects. To date, they have raised upwards of $175,000 for historic preservation, including Smithsonian Institution Libraries, the Mark Twain House & Museum, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Connecticut Historical Society and the Preservation League of New York State.

Berry and his wife, Elizabeth, will be doing a writers’ workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 15 at the Marston House and Gardens in Balboa Park, 3525 7^thAvenue for Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO).  Elizabeth, who is executive director of the International Thriller Writers, will instruct on marketing, promotions and PR.  Berry will provide the “nuts and bolts” of writing, based on 12 years of experience. He said the workshop, which costs $75 for 3-4 hours, is for everyone who wants to be a writer.

Berry will also introduce his latest book, “The Columbus Affair” (Ballantine, May 2012), during an evening reception with hor d’oeuvres and wine, which begins at 6 p.m., followed by a talk featuring Berry’s well-known wit and historical insight at 7 p.m. Books will be available for signing. A tour of the Marston House Museum is included before the reception. Cost is $50.

To learn more about these events, visit www.sohosandiego.org or call (619) 297-9327.

Category: Life Style