Jonathan Maas asked Andrew Kaplan:

Hello! Just letting you know that both Homelands were beyond great. I haven’t yet seen the TV show, but was able to fall in love with the characters within a few pages. My question: You seem to have a thorough understanding of the history and current intricacies of the region. Can you talk about how you immersed yourself in the histories and cultures to write with such an authoritative yet nuanced tone?

Andrew Kaplan Hi Jonathan, So glad you enjoyed my HOMELAND novels. I spent four and a half years in the MIddle East and speak both Arabic and Hebrew, so I got to learn a lot about the area. Even more, when I wrote "SCORPION," the first book in my Scorpion series, I immersed myself in studying Arab culture, history and Islam, discovering that it was much richer and more complex than I knew. In addition, I do extensive research on each book I write - and always discover new things that can help make it more real, nuanced and compelling for the reader. For HOMELAND, I also worked closely with the show, including helping to create portions of the Bible for the show and educating them on certain aspects of the CIA and the Middle East. Fun fact: I gave the lead character, Carrie Mathison, my wife's name, Anne, for her middle name.

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