Join me in welcoming Eric Landfried to The Story behind the Story this week. Before we delve into what inspired him to write this book, let’s learn a little more about it.

Ten years after a brutal war, cannibals and humans fight over the pieces of a hardscrabble existence. Former Navy SEAL Doyle has been prowling the broken remnants of a devastated America for years. Alone in an armored bus loaded with weapons and supplies, he’s grateful for his solitude. Being alone makes it easier to survive, as others can become liabilities. But when a vicious cannibal attack leaves Doyle in need of fuel and repairs, he has no choice but to venture into the nearest settlement.

Jonathan has been pastoring a small church in that same settlement, and when he meets Doyle, he sees an opportunity to expand his ministry. Cannibals have kept everyone from traveling, but Doyle’s armored transport brings hope to Jonathan and his church. The two men strike a mutually beneficial bargain, but neither of them realizes this journey will change them both in ways they could never have imagined as Doyle’s unbelief collides with Jonathan’s faith.

As they look to establish churches in other settlements, they battle cannibals, militant atheists, and a mysterious super soldier with dark secrets. Solitary Man is a gritty, action-packed post-apocalyptic story with a solid, Biblical worldview.

Sounds fascinating. What a concept. What was the inspiration behind it?

In 2010, I was driving a delivery truck for a linen rental service. My route ran around the Springfield, Massachusetts, area, and one blistering summer afternoon, I finished my route and guided my truck up the ramp onto I-91 to head home. A few miles later, the local hard rock station played a fast driving song just as I was passing through Holyoke, Massachusetts, where the interstate widens into three lanes. As the cars buzzed around me, it reminded me of the climactic scene in The Road Warrior where Mad Max desperately attempts to escape in a tanker truck while being chased across the desert by a bunch of leather-clad yahoos. In my mind, I became a Mad Max-type character, fighting off villains who kept climbing aboard my truck with intent to kill me. And that’s when inspiration struck.

I started asking questions. Who is this man? What kind of man is he? Who are these people chasing him? Why are these people chasing him? My Christian worldview brought faith to the table of my imagination, and that’s when the big question hit me: what would it look like for a Christian to live in a post-apocalyptic world? As I developed the story, I figured the logical move for an orthodox Christian would be to become a missionary, traveling the wasteland, setting up churches. I also realized that my lead character might have to do some things that were antithetical to the Christian worldview, and that’s when I hit on the idea of a Christian and an unbeliever working together under a mutual arrangement. I knew I’d struck writer gold, as this would allow me to intimately explore the dichotomy between Christian and secular worldviews while also creating an exciting, action-packed universe.

And thus, Doyle and Jonathan came into existence. I finished the first draft of Solitary Man while laid up from knee surgery in 2015, and after a slew of rejections, got my “yes” from Ambassador International in late 2017. I’m thankful to all my readers for their support, and of course to God who has provided me with everything I have as a writer.  And now, on to the next idea!

Eric is a West Virginia native who currently lives in New Hampshire with his wife Kristen and son Nathan. After years of honing his writing skills and/or procrastinating, he is pleased to unveil his debut novel, Solitary Man.

Social Media

Facebook: facebook.com/ericlandfriedauthor

Twitter: @e_landfried

Instagram: @ericlandfried

Eric is giving away a signed copy of Solitary Man. To enter, follow the link below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for joining us, Eric!