The author and CNN host speaks to EW exclusively about his new book deal.
News cycle aside,Jake Tapperhas his next two years planned out.
The still-untitled sequel will hit shelves in February 2024.
Jake Tapper.CNN
Ahead of the big announcement, Tapper spoke to EW exclusively to tease what’s to come.
JAKE TAPPER:I feel good about the book, that it received support from people.
I feel pretty good about the reception too it was on the best-seller list for a few weeks.
How did the idea for the next book come to you?
So that seemed kind of fun.
Did you know right away you wanted Ike and Lucy to take center stage?
Who did you channel as inspiration for these characters are they based off your younger self?
What was it about the ’70s as a setting that intrigued you most?
There was a new Democratic president, and people were raiding questions about his competence.
It just seemed ripe for fiction to me.
Remember, Charlie Marder is a Republican.
So that political element is a really enjoyable element for me.
And how did the Evel Knievel element come in?
He’s a P.T.
Barnum-like showman, and he found a way to tap into the celebrity nature of our culture.
It’s a line fromThe Tempest.
That’s what it alludes to.
The last time we spokeyou said you make yourself a rule that you have to write every single day.
Are you still adhering to that?
Well, I always work on the outline first and then get some feedback.
And once I do that and the publisher signs off, that’s when the at-least-15-minutes-a-day thing starts.
So yes, I’ve been doing it every day.
Some days I have an hour or two free, sometimes it really is just 15 minutes.
My son turned 12 over the weekend, so that was barely 15 minutes.
But I think I’m going to get there in the end.
