BERMUDA resident Rod Farrington is writing a new chapter to his ongoing literary success story. That's because the Louisiana-born novelist is getting a major boost in exposure by having his recent book The Isle of Devils: Holy War, a terrorist thriller set in Bermuda, available for purchase at retail mega-bookstore chain Barnes & Noble.

He will also be getting worldwide exposure as his book will be for sale at the official Barnes & Noble website www.barnesandnoble.com

Mr. Farrington, who is known for his popular teen adventure book series Spinners, spoke with Mid-Ocean News about the upcoming sales opportunity with Barnes & Noble, the genesis of the pocket Bermuda-based universe in which his Spinners and Holy War book series co-exist and his future plans for both series.

"I pitched the The Isle of Devils: Holy War book to Barnes & Noble," said Mr. Farrington. "It was clear from speaking with people at book signings and other places that there was a lot of United States interest, especially now with the war against terror.

"I went into a local Barnes & Noble store in Louisiana and spoke with the manager and he put me in touch with their public relations person. They were both very excited about the novel.

"They gave me encouragement and told me who to send everything to."

Mr. Farrington said it was chance and an eye catching book cover, designed by his son Jason of Gorilla Design Studios in Louisiana, that led to his acceptance into the Barnes & Noble family and added: "It's probably luck of the draw. I put together a package like they told me to and sent it off to their office in New York.

"At that point in time the cover was very important. When those people at Barnes & Noble, who probably look at hundreds of packages a week, open the package you need something that is going to set you apart from the rest. Especially if you are not coming from a distributor and you are coming independently as an individual your chances are probably even slimmer.

"I'm sure the cover caught their eye and helped usher me in."

Mr. Farrington said he was elated to hear the news that The Isle of Devils: Holy War would be for sale at the international book chain and noted: "Two months after I had sent my package in I received a letter from Barnes & Noble saying they had accepted my book. They then gave me a mammoth amount of paperwork to fill out and send in.

"Right now it's in the final stages of being set up and it's about three weeks away from being online and in stores. It should be ready by February."

Keeping up with technology is vital for sales in today's world economy and Mr. Farrington said all of his books are alsofor sale on Amazon.com and Target.com and are available as digital downloads for the popular new digital reading hardware Kindle.

Mr. Farrington said the books sell very well through Amazon and Target and he is pleased to have them extended to the Barnes & Noble website and stores.

Mr. Farrington, who is 56, said he never thought he would become a novelist and talked about the inspiration behind creating the adventure world that is home to Spinners and The Isle of Devils: Holy War.

"I've never been a writer but I've always had a great imagination," said Mr. Farrington. "As a kid I built lots of forts and pirate ships in my backyard and as I grew up I got into writing computer programs. That was great because it allowed me to use my imagination. I soon learned that when writing computer programs you are only limited by your imagination. For over 20 years I've been writing computer programs."

Mr. Farrington said the watershed event which led to him to becoming a novelist occurred when he watched the 2004 Oscar-winning film Finding Neverland. Starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, the film is about author James Matthew Barrie's friendship with the family who inspired him to create Peter Pan.

"This is the trigger that got me wanting to write," recalled Mr. Farrington. "I was dragged to go see the movie Finding Neverland. I had no desire to see the movie but I went. The more I watched the movie the more I found it pretty incredible how James Barrie used his imagination to write Peter Pan. By the time that movie was over I was excited and it really struck me that I've got a real strong imagination and writing is the perfect medium for me.

"I'd been involved with Bermuda for over 18 years and I love Bermuda. I love the history here and I love the forts so I instantly had a focus of what I wanted to write about. I decided my imagination would hopefully carry me and if I had some good editors to back me up that would be great too.

"One of the editors, Rod Ferguson, who is Bermudian has been with me through all four books."

Mr. Farrington said each book takes about a year to write and said there is a lot of research that goes into his books and added he tries to keep them as historically accurate as possible.

"I spend the spring and summer researching each novel," said Mr. Farrington. "By then I have a general outline what the novel is going to be. I go to the library and do research and I do a lot of field research. For instance on the novel I'm working on right now part of it takes place on Long Island. I went out there and spent four or five hours exploring and taking lots of photos. I literally take hundreds and hundreds of photographs. I find the picture is better than taking lots of notes."

Mr. Farrington said he makes use of the historians and people who have historical knowledge here in Bermuda when it comes to writing his books. Mid-Ocean News columnist and Maritime Museum director Dr. Ed Harris is one of the specialists who have helped Mr. Farrington shape his adventure series. Mr. Farrington noted: "Dr. Harris helped me with one of my novels that has scenes that take place at Casemates Barracks.

"He gave me a tour of the facility which helped me immensely because I had several chapters that take place at Casemates Barracks."

Mr. Farrington talked about the major features and recurring motifs that run through the Spinners trilogy

"All of the books have some basic things in common," he said. "They are based around five teenagers in Bermuda. Each novel takes place 50 percent in present day Bermuda and 50 percent in a parallel world of the Bermuda Triangle. The parallel world of the Bermuda Triangle is what Bermuda looked like 500 years ago. A very pristine beautiful island with lots of wildlife.

"My point of reference is Tom Moore's Nature Reserve. That is perfect and how I view how Bermuda was 500 years ago. If I want to get inspired I go out there.

"Because it is the Bermuda Triangle you have ghost ships and pirates and people that have been lost to the Triangle over the years. The stories have pirates and some Nazis that were lost in a submarine in the triangle, there other pilots lost to the Triangle and lots of other characters in the form of people who have gone missing in the Bermuda Triangle over the centuries.

"Each novel also has two groups of villains. There is a villain in present day Bermuda that the kids have to face and a villain that they will face in the Triangle."

Mr. Farrington said the key to gaining access to the Bermuda Triangle is the famed historical Tucker Cross, the priceless emerald-encrusted treasure stolen from its display case at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo in 1975 and never recovered.

"In the first novel I explain how it was stolen and how it's been found to be one key that allows people to gain entrance to the Bermuda Triangle," he said. "All three books use the Cross and one of the books gives a history of the Cross and how Bermudian explorer Teddy Tucker found it. In all these novels I use Bermuda history. There is so much history and so much to do here."

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r. Farrington said he initially wanted to write The Isle of devils: Holy War first but opted to go with the Spinners trilogy. Aimed at adult readers, Isle of Devils: Holy War, the most recent addition to the growing list of novels he has written, Mr. Farrington said: "In The isle of devils Holy War the father of one of the Spinners who was a minor character in Spinners is the lead character in this book.

"Ian Savage is a Bermuda Police Inspector who works alongside FBI Agent Derrick Storm. The two are like salt and pepper. Each has different investigating skill sets.

"One is not used to using a weapon while one is used to using weapons. The story is about a Middle Eastern terror cell in Bermuda plotting an attack against the United States. The underlying story is how do these two guys who have very dominant personalities get along well enough to track down a terror cell that is in Bermuda."

Mr. Farrington said there is historical accuracy with regards to an attack against the United States from

Bermuda and explained: "The threat goes back to the American Revolution. Because Bermuda is a British Colony the US was always worried about an attack from Bermuda throughout history.

"From the revolutionary war through the American Civil War that's when almost every major fort in the US was built and it's for that reason. And it's the same with Bermuda. Bermuda feared an invasion from the US. So although The isle of devils Holy War is fiction, it's not farfetched because the threat and fear was there for over a hundred years."

Mr. Farrington said the response to all his books has been fantastic and that people sometimes base family trips of exploring Bermuda around his novels which have maps on the back showing the locations described in the book.

Mr. Farrington noted he is working on a new book right now. "I'm a third into the next novel which is the fourth Spinners book and also a sequel to The isle of devils Holy War," said Mr. Farrington. "In the new novel Storm and Savage are the lead characters and the Spinners are actively involved. The name of the new book is Death Diamonds of Bermuda."

Mr. Farrington said he is lucky with regards to getting

his book printed and published and added: "I was blessed to find a company in Bermuda called Print Link. They are a printer and not a publisher but they also do distribution here. They will distribute to the bookstores and the tourist outlets.

"When I was writing the first book they took me around and we met with The Bermuda Bookstore and Bookmart and explained the novel. His decision to print the book was based on their reaction to the novel. Both bookstores were excited about the novel so he gave me the green light to go ahead and print X amount of copies. The first one did so well that there was no question on any of the other. I felt it was easier getting started in Bermuda and having a connection like Print Link."

Mr. Farrington has some words of advice for aspiring Bermuda writers and noted: "Some people have written things and didn't know where to go with it so I have told them where they can go here. With people that are wanting to write I would say it is a commitment to the time it takes to write. It takes a lot of research and has to be something you really want to do. The best advice is just get started and talk with some people while you're writing it and bounce some ideas off of them and get some input back."

People wishing to purchase any of Mr. Farrington's books may go to any bookstore across the Bermuda. They are also sold at Gorham's and other select retail store. To buy online visit www.amazon.com or www.target.com or www.barnesandnobel.com