Bill Clinton and James Patterson tell a new political thriller book
Bill Clinton and James Patterson are releasing “The First Gentleman,” which uses Clinton’s White House experience to shape a third political thriller.
White Plains, NY – Most former presidents write memoirs after leaving the White House. Former President Bill Clinton was there. First on his literary agenda? Write a political thriller.
Clinton is a thriller reader, but more than that he really wanted an opportunity to work with bestselling author James Patterson. Their third novel, “The First Gentleman,” is now out of Brown, Company.
Sitting for an interview with USA Today, the prolific pair catches up like a few old friends. Clinton shares the story of a tourist reading his wife’s book while in Korea, and gives Patterson the name of a new author to check out.
“He reads everything,” Patterson tells me. I love both Suscosby, Michael Connery and Lee Child.
In their latest novel, the fictional Madame Wright husband is on trial for murder. This is a potential crime revealed by journalist couple Blair and Garrett. The first gentleman and former patriot player being accused of murder is not only harmful to the image of the White House, but also threatens to overturn a carefully crafted economic “grand bargain.” The president is almost ready to announce. It’s a perverse thriller with lots of internal work, political obstruction and many more deaths.
Clinton and Patterson take us into the writing process and reveal how we can weave in detail drawn from real life with fictional characters to create the next big nail bitter.
This interview was compiled and condensed for clarity.
question: How did the collaboration change with the three books?
Patterson: I don’t think that has changed. Other than that, I think this really worked, really well. If someone wants to read a book with really good characters and great stories, or if they want to know how Washington really works, I think this is really cool for any of those people. However, at first there was a bit of a problem in terms of making the characters authentic. They weren’t working, so we just kept going for it.
Clinton: I was excited at first, so this was just a brave conversation. How about writing a book from the perspective of the first female president’s husband, the first gentleman? There were all kinds of fascinating influences. But then something happened while we were doing it and we realized that we weren’t creating the person you like.
Patterson: We had these two (reporters) and they weren’t working at first either. When people think about my writing, they go to “short chapters,” but the whole thing is character. In my opinion, Alex Cross is a great character. Lindsay Boxer is a really good character. Four of the characters in “First Gentleman” are really good characters, and that’s what matters. Clearly (Clinton) was important, especially in making these characters work in the White House.
Clinton: People (in the White House) have a hard time maintaining a certain degree of normalcy, and they define it. You are still a person, even though you have to be elected president and be disciplined to perform your work. We all respond differently to the various things that happen. So we try to capture it.
Patterson: Humanity. We wish we could return to the understanding that no matter what party you are (we) are human. Give me a simple example. Last year the president called the house and my wife and said he said he put it on (FaceTime). And he was with his grandson, and he was wearing a tiger suit, showing only his face. human!
Right, and in this book, everything The first gentleman What I want to do is go run so that no one bothers him.
Patterson: President Clinton used to run.
Clinton: I went running every morning for years. I still have the M&M box given out of the head of security details in my 100th run when I was still president. I loved it.
Patterson: When M&M turns 20, he won’t eat anymore.
Do you have any details about the Clinton White House signings in the book?
Patterson: You have a relationship with men and women, and obviously, it would have been possible at some point that President Clinton would become the first gentleman.
Clinton: What I didn’t get is the only job I’d ever wanted.
Is that why you chose to make a female president with this book?
Clinton: I was thinking a lot long after I left the White House and Hillary was running, and I thought about it. This character, he and his president’s wife, they were approaching Hillary’s age and I was when I actually served. So I was really proud of my wife, even if he was a professional football player and a macho guy. He wanted her to succeed. He was not threatened with her being president, but he could be threatened by making certain assumptions about him, as he is a stupid jock.
Patterson: But is he a murderer?
Clinton: We’ve been hanging it for a long time.
In the book, President Wright is about to pass laws to address Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare. How did you come up with the idea of a “Grand Bargain”?
Clinton: I knew what the debt driver was and what politics was driving real change, so I tried to think about what I could do under control that would be the most endurable politically with people.
Patterson: That’s fascinating. How do you solve social security and Medicaid issues? And you know, the books have a solution. It’s complicated and it’s kind of cool. You hear nothing (today), well, how do you solve these problems? I want to hear it right now. Yes, there’s a problem.
Clinton: Medicaid pays about 40% of all births, and a huge percentage of senior healthcare and many others. That’s really important. Therefore, the bill cut Medicaid to help billionaires and billionaires pay tax cuts. Either way (Patterson) and I don’t need tax cuts. We are, rather, some people are in health care. Therefore, these are choices and unless people understand that these choices are being made, they cannot clearly know whether they are opposed or because of what is being proposed.
Patterson: This shows that there is an alternative to what makes sense and there is no need to cut things off for people who really need help.
How was it like writing a fictional presidential speech?
Clinton: I imagined what I would say if I was faced with the challenges she faced. If you really want to change something, people want to hear about it in their speech and imagine it, but it almost always requires a paralyzed, detailed written part of the law – but not always. So I tried to find a way to sell it in my speech and explain how complicated the law is without putting people to sleep. I found it difficult, but I think it’s important. Because one thing I learned the hard way is because if you can’t explain, you can’t sell, and if you can’t sell it and it’s difficult, you’ll be cream.
The problems we explain are like those that really exist today. Except today, it is more serious in many ways. That means our economy has been stronger than any other economy in the world for the last 20 years, or now 30 years.
Patterson, did you have any details about the presidency and the White House that Clinton surprised you?
Patterson: A lot of little things. I might set the scene, and he goes: “It can’t happen in that room. That room is so small, there’s no room for three people in that room.” And whenever it pops up: “The Secret Service doesn’t act that way. They’ll behave like this.” Many of the thriller writers we all like, just make up things. When you’re working with the president, you can’t make up for it. He goes, “No, it doesn’t work that way. There’s how this works.” One of the beauty of this book, and the three we did, is that it’s a really good story with really good characters, but it’s also real.
Did you have a favorite character?
Patterson: My favorite character is Blair. She just developed, gets stronger, stronger for many reasons, there’s one big twist there, and that really propells her as a character.
Clinton: I agree with that, and one of the reasons I liked her is that she is smart, brave, brave and honest, but at the beginning of the book she thinks that she is very wrong about a big issue. There’s not much to see in Washington.
Patterson: Or in general.
Clinton: Some people don’t think they’ll admit errors. You accuse others of doing what you are doing and you are rolling together. The worst thing you can do is admit that she made a mistake. I like her because she plays in the big leagues – her life is on the line and she is still doing the right thing.
Patterson: We sold this in Hollywood… The production company says, “Well, maybe we should cast (the first gentleman) Cole.” Cole, he’s a good character, Blair, Blair, she’s real and her partner Garrett, because they’re really important characters. And the President himself, Cole, yeah, I don’t know. It’s not a very big character.
Who is your dream actor playing her? (The main character, Blair, is black.)
Patterson: There are a lot. So, that’s the beauty now – one of the great things that happened in Hollywood, especially for black actors, is that many people have discovered. There are many options.
Are you excited to see this story, especially the fans of the last two thrillers, and readers?
Clinton: First of all, I look forward to seeing them see that there is still room for civic activities that can make all the difference in the world from people like Blair and Garrett who just want to do the right thing. Secondly, I want them to see that the President and her husband are people. No matter what’s going on, she still has to go to work every day. If you think she burned half a dozen people with (Cole) machine guns, she still has to go to work. No one else can make these decisions. I want them to see how staff behave, senior staff and what difference it can make when they are honored and when they are not and because you can’t be president unless you trust them. You need to have someone you can trust.
Clare Mulroy is USA Today’s Books Reporter, covering Buzzy releases, chatting with authors and diving into the culture of reading. Find her On Instagramsubscribe every week Book Newsletter Or tell her what you’re reading cmulroy@usatoday.com.
