Speed, John 1952(?)-

PERSONAL: Born c. 1952, in NC.

ADDRESSES: Home— Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA.

CAREER: Freelance political consultant and journalist; owner of a software company.

WRITINGS

The Temple Dancer: A Novel of India, St. Martin’s Press (New York, NY), 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: John Speed first became interested in Indian culture when he was in high school, and began to study the art, history, and religion of the region, growing particularly interested in tales of the fall of the Mogul Empire and of the rise of the rebel prince Shivaji. He visited the country on many occasions, traveling through cities and remote areas as well. His book, The Temple Dancer: A Novel of India, is the result of more than thirty years of interest and study. Set in seventeenth-century India, the novel is intended to be the first in a series, and Speed thinks of them as an introduction to India in the way that James Clavell’s Shogun opened up Japan to so many readers. In an interview with the North County Times, Speed described the book as “like a road trip... a highly romantic Hope and Crosby road movie. It is a sweeping adventure with a huge amount of characters, and it’s a travel story where everybody’s changed by the journey.” A contributor for Kirkus Reviews called the book “a richly atmospheric debut,” adding: “The author’s fondness for his material keeps this convoluted romantic epic afloat.” A reviewer for Publishers Weekly dubbed Speed’s effort “an enjoyable adventure that still has respect for its characters.” Margaret Flanagan, writing for Booklist, called the book “lavish and lush,” as well as a “high-voltage adventure yarn.”

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 1, 2006, Margaret Flanagan, review of The Temple Dancer: A Novel of India, p. 74.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2006, review of The Temple Dancer, p. 543.

Publishers Weekly, July 23, 2006, review of The Temple Dancer, p. 38.

ONLINE

North County Times Online, http://www.nctimes.com/ (October 1, 2006), Gary Warth, review of The Temple Dancer.

The Temple Dancer Web site, http://www.templedancer.com (December 31, 2006).*