A Literary Blend Trivia Quiz

Answer: David Hewson

"Epiphany" was first published in 1996 by HarperCollins publishers and the paperback edition followed a year later. The book moves in two timelines 20 years apart. The story begins on Christmas Eve, 1975 with the disappearance of a five-year old child. Twenty years later a young woman, the twin sister of the disappeared child, tries to find out what happened.

David Hewson was born in Yorkshire in 1953 and left school, when he was seventeen, to work for a n evening paper in Scarborough. He then worked for "The Times" of London and helped with the launch of "The Independent". He gave up journalism in 2005 to concentrate on book writing. His first published book was "Shanghai Thunder" in 1986, which was followed in 1995 by "Semana Santa".

Answer: David Baldacci

"The Whole Truth" was first published in 2008 by Hatchette Book Group, USA and in Great Britain by Macmillan. The paperback edition in Great Britain was published by Pan Books in the same year. The book is about an arms dealer who is hell-bent on making huge profits out of a new cold war.

David Baldacci was born in 1960 in Richmond Virginia. He started writing at a very young age and the spark was a notebook gifted to David by his mother in order to "keep him quiet". His first novel, "Absolute Power", was published in 1996 and was followed in quick succession by "Total Control", "The Winner" and "The Simple Truth".

Answer: David Gibbins

"The Last Gospel" was first published in 2008 by Headline Publishing Group and the paperback edition in the same year by the same publisher. The book is about archaeologist Jack Howard who learns of the existence of a Gospel written by Claudius, before he became Emperor, and the search that follows for the discovery of the book.

David Gibbins was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in 1962 and he was an underwater archaeologist. His first novel, "Atlantis", was published in 2005 and featured Jack Howard, as did the next book, "Crusader Gold", published in 2006.

Answer: David Eddings

"The Sapphire Rose" was first published in Great Britain in 1991 by Grafton and the following year by the same publisher in paperback form. The book is the third in "The Elenium" series and deals with Sparhawk's attempts to counter the evil god Azash and his followers.

David Eddings was born in Spokane, Washington in 1931 and died in 2009 in Carson City, Nevada. He penned the fantasy series "The Belgariad", "The Malloreon" and "The Tamuli". The book "Pawn of Prophecy", published in 1982, was the first in "The Belgariad" series, followed by "Queen of Sorcery" in 1982 and "Magician's Gambit" in 1983.

Answer: Frank Herbert

"Children of Dune", the third in the "Dune" series, was first published in Great Britain in 1976. The paperback edition was published by New English Library in 1978. The book follows the lives and adventures of Emperor Paul Muad'Dib's children Leto II and Ghanima.

Frank Herbert was born in Tacoma, Washington in 1920 and died in 1986 in Madison, Wisconsin. "Dune" was published in 1963 and became one of the best selling science fiction books. This was followed by "Dune Messiah" in 1969.

Answer: John Grisham

"Playing for Pizza" was first published in the United Kingdom in 2007 by Century and the following year the paperback edition was published by Arrow Books. The book is about an American football player who finds work in Italy where the league is very small and the players are paid in free meals.

John Grisham was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas in 1955. Some of his bestselling books include "A Time to Kill", "The Firm", "The Pelican Brief", "The Client" and "The Chamber". Some of his books have been turned into very successful films.

Answer: Alexander Solzhenitsyn

"One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" was first published in 1962 in the Soviet Union. The translated paperback English edition was published in 1963 by Penguin Books. The book describes one day in the life of a prisoner in a Soviet labour camp during the Stalin period.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was born in 1918 in Kislovodsk, Russia and died in 2008 in Moscow. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1970. Some of his books include "An Incident at Krechetovka Station", "August 1914" and "The Gulag Archipelago".

Answer: Stephen King

"Dreamcatcher" was first published in Great Britain in 2001 by Hodder and Soughton and the paperback edition by New English Library. The book is about four friends that come across a terrible creature from another world, and their struggle for survival.

Stephen King was born in 1947 in Portland, Maine. His first novel, "Carrie", was published in 1974 and was made into a feature film in 1976. Other books by King include "Salem's Lot", "The Shining", "Night Shift", "The Stand" and "Christine".

Answer: Michael Palin

"Hemingway's Chair" was first published in the United Kingdom in 1995 by Methuen London and the paperback edition by Mandarin Paperbacks in 1996. The book is about assistant postmaster Martin Sproale who has an obsession with Ernest Hemingway.

Michael Palin was born in Sheffield in 1943. He was a member of the highly successful Monty Python comedy act. He has published many books, including "Around the World in Eighty Days", "Pole to Pole" and "Full Circle".

Answer: James Herbert

"Portent" was first published in the United Kingdom in 1992 by Hodder and Stoughton and the USA paperback edition in 1996 by HarperPrism. The book is about climate change and destructive forces that threaten the very existence of the world.

James Herbert was born in London in 1943 and died in Woodmancote, Sussex in 2013. His published work includes "The Rats", "The Fog", "The Survivor" and "Fluke".