True Believer
Description
Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in "Scientific American," he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.
Did You Know
True Believer is not inspired by any of Nicholas's family members, but the protagonist, Lexie Darnell, is named after one of Nicholas's twin daughters?
Boone Creek -- the setting for the novel -- is a fictitious town in North Carolina, modeled after Pamlico County?
True Believer was one of two books that Nicholas wrote in a year? (The second is At First Sight, the sequel to True Believer.)
Description
Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in "Scientific American," he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.
Film/TV Sales
Film rights sold to Stone Village Pictures.
Background Info
As the number of novels I’ve written increases, it’s become increasingly difficult to conceive of original stories. After all, love stories are among the oldest of all genres and have their roots in the Greek tragedies. Still, originality is one of the most important considerations of the genre, and for this story I chose to use the theme of ghosts. Ghosts, however, have been used in dramatic stories for centuries. One need only to remember Hamlet by Shakespeare or A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to realize that, and film has only added to the genre: Think Ghost, starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, or The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, one of the all-time classics. How then, could I include a ghost story, without being accused of cliche? The answer to me seemed obvious: to make it an anti-ghost story, in which neither character believes in ghosts, but decide to investigate what is probably an explainable situation. This then, is what I decided to do. I knew I’d be blamed for "lessening the mystery" (by making it explainable), but it was either that or being blamed for being cliched. Sometimes, it seems, an author can never win.
Once I’d made the decision, however, the next difficulty was in making the next aspect of the story somewhat original as well. In most of my previous novels, either one or both characters was looking to fall in love. In this story, again for originality, I wanted neither character to be lonely or upset that they hadn’t found someone yet.
My next step was research. Though I’ll be perfectly honest when I say that research generally comprises a small part of my work, I did find myself doing quite a bit of research into two different areas. The first was what might be causing the mysterious lights, particularly in eastern North Carolina. The second regarded Jeremy Marsh and exactly what it was that he generally wrote about as a debunker. To accomplish this, I read or skimmed approximately thirty books, looking for legends and ghosts in North Carolina. While I did find some interesting stories and legends, most were simply that: stories that seemed to have faded away over the years. After some time, however, I discovered the legend of the Brown Mountain lights, a mysterious phenomena of lights that occurred regularly in western North Carolina. Not only did I read about the legend in detail, but I was also able to find a scientific explanation by someone who’d spent a great deal of time investigating them. It seemed to be the perfect scenario that I needed -- with one exception. Note the name of the legendary lights -- Brown Mountain lights. This was a problem; in eastern North Carolina, there are no mountains. In fact, there’s barely even a hill anywhere within a hundred miles of the coast; the biggest inclines around tend to be freeway overpasses. Yet, the Brown Mountain lights were perfect, and as a novelist (not a non-fiction writer), I’m allowed certain privileges, one of which is the ability to "lie" for the sake of the story. Thus, I created a fictitious town with a fictitious mountain (Riker’s Hill).
(Note: For all those who want to come to Eastern North Carolina to visit Boone Creek and Riker’s Hill, please don’t bother. Really and truly, it’s all made up.)
The second step was Jeremy Marsh and his career as a scientific debunker. Fortunately, I’ve seen every episode of the X-files, I was raised by a father who loved horror stories, I’ve read everything by Stephen King, and I've long had a love for legends and superstitions. Jeremy’s thoughts, in most ways, resemble my own regarding supernatural phenomena. He doesn’t believe in UFOs, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, ghosts, teleportation, psychic abilities, tarot reading, fortune telling, faith healing, vampires, werewolves, goblins, demons. . . in his view, unless it can be proved (and with the exception of God, whom he believes in for scientific reasons), he doubts its existence. For those who are curious, I’m exactly the same way.
As for Lexie (named after my daughter, by the way), I decided to model her character after her my wife. For those who want to know what Cat is like. . . well, here she is.
Boone Creek, despite being a fictitious place, also played a prominent role. It was the first time I’d attempted to make the "setting" a "character" (something commonly done in much ‘Southern Literature’) and I hope you think I succeeded. As crazy as it seems, Boone Creek is the kind of place where I’d feel right at home.
Notes on Writing the Book
Some novels are hard to write, others are easy. Which was which, you might ask? A Walk to Remember and Nights in Rodanthe were easy; The Guardian, The Rescue, and The Wedding were difficult. Message in a Bottle and The Notebook were somewhere in between. But True Believer . . . my oh my, that was the toughest yet. But there have been plenty of challenging ones. While writing The Rescue, for instance, there was a six week period where I could write nothing at all, for the simple reason that I didn't know how to wind up the last third of the novel. Still, before the block and after the block, the writing progressed relatively smoothly. With True Believer, every chapter and page was difficult, the whole way through.
The obvious question is why? Why was this particular novel so difficult?
I suppose it came down to the fact that I write love stories. ("Duh!" as Lexie might say.) But in this instance, neither Jeremy nor Lexie wanted to fall in love, let alone fall in love with each other. In every other novel, one -- or both -- characters felt as if they were missing something in their lives. The characters were wounded in some way and saw the relationship as a way to fill that void. In True Believer, that simply wasn't the case, so the question became: how do you get two people to fall in love when (1) one isn't particularly attracted to the other in the first place, (2) they're "realists" and both understand that whatever happens will be temporary (since they live in different states), something neither person wants (3) they're both very happy with the lives they currently lead, and (4) neither has any intention of falling in love? Not only that, but I had to make the story interesting and original and universal, not to mention believable....
Ugh ... it's still painful to think about. It was incredibly difficult to have two people fall in love when they didn't want to. Typing sentences was like walking through quicksand. I'd write something, decide it was wrong and end up deleting it. In the past, my work usually took the following form: I'd write 2000 words, then begin the next day by editing them before writing another 2000 words. Usually, I'd end up editing out 200-300 words; in True Believer, on the other hand, I'd end up cutting 1,200 out of the 2000 words I'd written the day before. This made for far longer days (9-10 hours, as opposed to 5-6), much slower progress, and each day seemed no less challenging than the last. To be honest, I dreaded the process from beginning to end. Dread or challenge, by the way, has nothing whatsoever to do with my perception of the quality of the work; I think True Believer has the most realistic characters I've created to date, the setting is the most vivid, the secondary characters are the most developed, and the back story is second to none. (For your own proof, by the way, quick close your eyes and think of your three favorite novels of mine, then go up to the first paragraph again. Odds are, you like an easy one, a medium one and a hard one. Am I right?)
But the ending. . . okay, I'll go right upfront and tell you something few people know. The ending of the novel is not what originally I conceived it to be. When I first submitted the novel to my editor, I thought I had a great ending, a fabulous ending, an ending that would knock your socks off, so to speak. My editor had the opposite opinion. I learned that the ending would have to be largely rewritten from scratch, and I've learned to trust my editor. (Just so you know: If you like any of my previous novels, you'd trust her too -- she's had a hand in all of them.) By then, it was January -- the novel was coming out in April -- and not only that, I had another novel coming out in October, one I hadn't even begun to think about. Needless to say, the pressure was on, and -- in what I still consider to be one of my finest creative moments -- I had the sudden inspiration to change the ending to True Believer, then take the original ending and expand into the kind of story it deserved by making it a sequel, tentatively titled, At First Sight.
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. When I look back on that first draft, the ending now seems almost tacked on. More than that, I wanted an original ending to both stories, and those who've read True Believer would be hard-pressed to say that it wasn't different than my previous novels. Thus, the decision to alter the end -- and create a sequel from its aftermath served to make this work, when coupled with its sequel, among my most original and complex to date.
Standing alone, I think True Believer is a very good story, and certainly better than any modern love story I've read in recent years. (In my opinion, most modern love stories by other authors tend to either glorify adultery or specialize in melodrama, cliches, and lack of believability, or worse, all of the above.) But when coupled with the sequel, At First Sight, True Believer becomes a saga, and in time, I think these two works -- when combined -- will be regarded as among my best work to date.
Reviews
The intricacies of True Believer are worth applauding. Important details in the main characters' lives are unique and are explored with the same vigor that's applied to solving the spooky lights mystery.
-- Associated Press
Smooth as silk and gloriously sweet.
-- Publishers Weekly
Nice plot twists. . . will satisfy Sparks’s many fans.
-- Library Journal
FAQ
Have you sold the film rights?
Yes. Rights have been sold for both True Believer and At First Sight.
Is Boone Creek a real place?
No, Boone Creek is entirely fictitious. In my imagination, I placed it somewhere in Pamlico County, but that's as far as it went.
Was this novel inspired by any family members?
No. Like The Guardian, True Believer was fictitious. Lexie Darnell, however, was modeled after my wife.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
I think so. I'm sort of like Jeremy in that I'm a skeptic, but I once visited a house of a friend that may -- or may not -- have been haunted. All I know is that I regularly saw movement from the corner of my eye, but when I glanced that way, I would see nothing at all. My wife, too, had so ...
Why did you decide to write a sequel to True Believer?
Three reasons: first, I wanted to give the story -- in its entirety -- the number of pages it deserved. Second, I've always wanted to write a story about 'what happens next?' In my previous novels, my characters fell in love, but I've never had the opportunity to explore what happens after ...
Where did you get the idea for the mysterious lights in the cemetery? How about the legend that Doris tells Jeremy?
The lights in the cemetery were modeled after the Brown Mountain Lights, mysterious lights that have appeared for decades in western North Carolina. The legend was a figment of my imagination.
Book Club/Discussion Questions
1. In the opening chapter of True Believer, science reporter Jeremy Marsh exposes the tricks of a famous psychic who claims to talk to the dead. Do you think it is possible to communicate with the dead? Why do so many people want to believe we can?
2. Also in the opening chapter, Jeremy, a New Yorker, says that Boone Creek, North Carolina is “right between the middle of nowhere and ‘where are we exactly?’” It is the first of many “put-downs” of the small town. Is it common in America for urbanites to feel superior to those who live in small towns?
3. Like Boone Creek, many American towns and cities such as Gettysburg, Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans, and Boston have “ghost tours.” Have you ever taken one? Have you or someone you know ever seen a ghost? Do you believe in them?
4. Lexie Darnell has been hurt in relationships and she admits she isn’t a good judge of men. Why do you think she is attracted to men who are ultimately wrong for her?
5. Lexie is in a one-sided relationship with police officer Rodney Hopper, one-sided because he loves her and she doesn’t feel the same. Do you think she is stringing him along? Why does Rodney keep pursuing Lexie when he knows his feelings aren’t reciprocated? Have you ever been involved in a one-sided relationship and, if so, what role did you assume?
6. The reader finally learns that Jeremy’s marriage failed not only because he traveled for his job, but because he was sterile. Do you think this would be a “deal-breaker” in most marriages?
7. Lexie and Jeremy’s relationship has several obstacles to overcome. One of them is Lexie’s determination that she isn’t going to let “anyone or anything upset the balance” of her life. Do you think this is a positive or negative attitude? Can upsetting the balance ever be a good thing?
8. Jeremy pursues Lexie to the Outer Banks because he felt like he “didn’t have a choice.” [p. 217] Do you think that this kind of compelling desire is a component of “true love”? How does “true love” differ from a crush, a fling, or just sexual attraction?
9. Lexie’s grandmother Doris says she has premonitions and presents some proof for this, but Jeremy remains a skeptic. Is Jeremy closed-minded? Do you think women are more likely than men to believe in the supernatural? Why or why not?
10. During one conversation, Jeremy talks about unfulfilled dreams. Lexie responds that “everyone has dreams that don’t come true.” Do you think it’s important to have a dream, even if it isn’t realized? Or does dreaming keep a person from facing life’s realities?
11. Doris interferes, with good intentions, in Lexie’s life. How much , or when, do you think a mother or grandmother should interfere in a daughter’s life?
12. Doris says that Lexie “was a survivor” and would get over Jeremy faster than Jeremy would get over Lexie. Do you agree?
13. Lexie doesn’t feel a long-distance relationship with Jeremy can work. Do you think they could have worked out a compromise? Why does Jeremy make the sacrifice and not Lexie?
14. The book ends with a miracle. Or is it something other than a miracle? What impact do you think this will have on Jeremy’s skepticism? Is this miracle different from the paranormal events he rejects?
15. True Believer has a sequel entitled At First Sight. What do you think will happen in this story? What do you believe should happen?
Foreign Sales
- Albania / Bota
- Brazil / Ediouro
- China / Bertelsmann Asia
- Finland / WSOY
- France / Laffont
- Germany / Heyne
- Hungary / General Press
- Israel / Modan
- Italy / Sperling & Kupfer / Frassinelli
- Lithuania / Alma Littera
- Netherlands / The House of Books
- Norway / Damm
- Poland / Albatros
- Portugal / Presenca
- Romania / RAO
- Russia / AST
- Slovenia / Mish
- Sweden / Wahlstrom & Widstrand
- Turkey / Artemis
- UK / Time Warner
Published: 2005