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Since he was able to scrawl shaky words on a notepad, Joe Prentis has been a writer. The author of the newly released Abraham’s Bones, could not get enough of the craft. When he read stories that he didn’t like, he would find ways to improve them, sometimes even giving them endings that he found more enjoyable.

Prentis lived a rather nomadic lifestyle growing up. His family moved from big cities to small towns, and a few farms in between. His father was the superintendent of a large construction company in Nashville, Tenn. When his parents would invite friends over, he would hide in a place where he could eavesdrop on their conversations. This continued curiosity is a driving force in his life. It led him through a varied and fascinating career, starting at the FBI offices in the nation’s capital. He returned to his native Tennessee, went to seminary and served as a pastor and interim pastor before he moved into businesses and industry. In between, he published 50 articles in regional and national magazines, and a theatrical play. He has four novels under his belt, including Abraham’s Bones.

No matter where he worked, or what he was doing, though, Prentis always had a book – or ten – at his side, including encyclopedias, dictionaries and magazines like National Geographic Magazine and anything he can find on archeology. His love of archeology was the hook his creative juices needed to write Abraham’s Bones, the first in a series about politics, terrorism and religion in the Middle East. This week, we chat it up with Joe and give you a sneak peak into the novel.