THE LONG WAY HOME (The Homelanders)
by Andrew Klavan
Thomas Nelson Books
www.AndrewKlavan.com
www.TheHomelanders.com
5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, February 5, 2010!
About the Book:
Sometimes you have to go home to find out who you really are
Charlie West went to bed one night an ordinary high school student. He woke up a hunted man. Terrorists are trying to kill him. The police want to arrest him for the stabbing death of his best friend. He doesn't know whose side he's one or who he can trust. With his pursuers closing in on every side, Charlie makes his way back to his hometown to find some answers. There, holed up in an abandoned mansion, he's joined by his friends in a desperate attempt to discover the truth about a murder he can't remember-and the love he can never forget.
Read our Exclusive Interview with Andrew Klavan!
1) How did you get the idea for the novel?
Well, in some sense, the whole Homelanders series is about a guy trying to get home, trying to get back to the life and people he loved. I mean, Charlie is someone who was very secure in what he believed. He had his family, his friends, his faith, his patriotism. Then one day he goes to bed in his own bed and wakes up in the clutches of Islamo-Fascist terrorists. And not only that, the cops are after him for murder! So suddenly, his whole life has been stripped away and he has to try to rebuild it from the ground up, try to reinvent himself before he’s caught or killed. So in The Long Way Home, he actually goes back to his hometown to try to clear his name and, to me, it’s very touching, because there he is, right near all the people he loves, but he can’t approach them or he’ll put them in danger. It’s a story that grew naturally out of the themes of the series.
2) This would make a great film. Any talks of turning your book into a movie?
As a matter of fact, there is talk of turning it into a movie. I’m not allowed to be very specific because the deal’s not official yet, but the people involved are top-notch and seem to have a real understanding of the story. So I’m very excited about it. I’ve had a couple of novels of mine filmed, True Crime and Don’t Say A Word, and both were good experiences. It’d be very cool to see Charlie brought to life on screen.
3) Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?
I love my job. I really do. I’m happy to go to work every morning. My favorite part is the actual writing, the actual creating. Bringing characters to life, getting their dialogue right, making sentences that have a sort of silent music to them: that is, you don’t notice the sentence but it brings the scene vividly into your mind. It’s very hard, exacting, close work, but I enjoy it like crazy. Worst part? Outlines. I do very careful outlines so I can concentrate on the writing without worrying that some little detail will ruin the whole thing. It’s important to the process, but it’s dull. And I have exactly zero patience with being bored. Less than zero.
4) Desert Island Time. You can bring one person and one thing. What would you bring?
A row boat and a guy with really strong arms. Okay, I’m kidding. Well, the person’s easy: I’d take my wife. Being on a desert island with my wife wouldn’t even be a problem. It’d be a vacation. For me, anyway. I’m not sure how good it would be for her. And a trunkload of books. Gotta have my books.
5) If Charlie West could give one piece of advice to teenage boys, what would it be?
Charlie carries an index card in his pocket that he calls the Churchill card. His karate teacher gave it to him. Written on it are the words of the great British Prime Minister Winston Churchill – advice he gave in a speech to young boys at a school called Harrow: “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” That is great advice, including the exceptions: you should remain open to changing your mind because of honor or good sense, but never because of fear, never because of low motives or intimidation. Charlie tries his best to live out that creed. So do I. And I recommend it.
About the Author:
Andrew Klavan was hailed by Stephen King as "the most original novelist of crime and suspense since Cornell Woolrich." He is the recipient of two Edgar Awards and the author of such bestsellers as True Crime and Don't Say a Word. Hometown: Santa Barbara, California. Books Sold to Date: over 1.5 million. Visit the author online at: www.AndrewKlavan.com. Or visit the exciting series site at: www.TheHomelanders.com
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