Interview: Andrew Klavan’s Latest Thriller Offers Teens a Genuine American Hero

Big Hollywood:  First off, thank you for doing this. When the opportunity to write “The Last Thing I Remember“ (available April 28th) came along, you told me about the motivation behind what the publisher and you wanted to do with what you’re calling “The Homelanders Series.” It’s a fascinating idea and about time.

Andrew Klavan: Well, to begin with, you know how much I love video games…  I wanted to write a story such that, if a kid had my book in one hand and a video game in the other, he’d choose the book-it’d be that exciting.  And Thomas Nelson publishers and I are offering a guarantee that if you start this story and aren’t completely swept away, John Nolte will personally come to your house and sing the entire screenplay of Hondo to the tune of “Fella with an Umbrella.”  So you can’t lose.  But of course, if you want to tell a story that cool, you can’t preach and you can’t hammer people with your point of view, so I decided, okay, I just want to change the rules of the game, that’s all.  Instead of the usual alienated teen, or the wimpy guy who finds a magical sword, I’m gonna make my hero the kind of hero I like to read about:  a manly guy who loves America, believes in God and is ready to fight for liberty if he has to.  I thought, in the current climate, that alone would be revolutionary. (more…)