James Siegel Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

James Siegel
Photo: Joel Markmam

James Siegel

James Siegel Biography

James Siegel is the Emmy-nominated vice chairman, senior executive creative director and member of the Board of Directors of BBDO New York and is one of the advertising agency's top creative talents. He is also the author of Storyteller (2011), Deceit (2006), Detour (2005), Derailed (2003), and Epitaph (2001).

Derailed, was adapted to film starring Clive Owen and Jennifer Aniston.

Siegel holds a B.A. from the City University of New York. In September 2013, Siegel married Laura Miller and currently lives with his two sons, Sander and Zachary.



This bio was last updated on 10/17/2015. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Interview

Amongst other things, Siegal talks about when he started writing and how he manages to find the time to write from his full time advertising career, whether Derailed accurately represents the world of advertising, and his plans for future books.

As the vice chairman and senior executive creative director of BBDO, one of this country's leading advertising agencies, your accounts range from Visa to Frito-Lay (Tostitos) and you had two commercials that aired during this year's Super Bowl broadcast. How did you get your start in advertising?
Purely by accident. I was out of my house and in my own apartment by age 17. I drove a cab all through college (beautiful York College, under the old El tracks in Jamaica, Queens) to pay the rent. After college, I continued driving for a year. One day I was boasting about my writing skills to a passenger who just happened to be an ad exec. He happened to give me a chance, mostly because someone happened to give him a chance when he'd been my age. I didn't know the first thing about advertising and I proved it in my formal interview. I was told to bring my 'book' (translation: portfolio, something, of course, I didn't have) and I brought my book, my unfinished "great American novel," which I promptly plopped down on the interviewer's desk. The interviewer happened to own the agency, which only occurred to me later when I realized ...

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Books by this Author

Books by James Siegel at BookBrowse
Derailed jacket
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for James Siegel but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Jack Allen

    Jack Allen

    Jack Allen is a resident of Detroit, having been born and raised in Michigan. He publishes under the title Burping Frog Publications. (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Derailed

    Try:
    Change of Heart
    by Jack Allen

  • David Baldacci

    David Baldacci

    David published his first novel, Absolute Power, in 1996. A major motion picture adaptation followed, with Clint Eastwood as its director and star. In total, David has published 32 novels for adults; all have been national ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Derailed

    Try:
    The Simple Truth
    by David Baldacci

We recommend 5 similar authors

View all 5 Read-Alikes

Non-members can see 2 results. Become a member
Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!
Book Club Giveaway!
Win L.A. Women

L.A. Women by Ella Berman

Two ambitious writers in 1960s LA face betrayal when one writes a novel based on the other's life.

Enter

BookBrowse Book Club

  • Book Jacket
    Merry-Go-Round Broke Down
    by David Woo, Margalit Shinar
    Nine linked stories reveal how globalization sparks life-changing consequences across continents.
  • Book Jacket
    Days of Sun and Shadow
    by India Hayford
    A young woman’s coming-of-age story set in the early American frontier, shaped by tragedy, nature, and resilience.
  • Book Jacket
    Chelsea Girls
    by Catherine Lloyd
    A glamorous biographical novel on Mary Quant, whose daring design of the miniskirt revolutionized fashion.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket
    An Infinite Love Story
    by Chanel Cleeton
    “A tender, romantic drama that soars as high as it’s astronauts.” —Kate Quinn
  • Book Jacket
    Summer of Love
    by Kerri Maher
    Three women reshape their family's Napa Valley winery after the 1967 Summer of Love.
Book
Trivia
  • Book Trivia

    Can you name the title?

    Test your book knowledge with our daily trivia challenge!

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

The C is A R

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.