Kyle,
You don't know me and I'm sure we'll never meet in person. My name is Ryan Steck, I'm a husband and father of five wonderful children. I live Kalamazoo, Michigan and am 25 years old.
Until last year I'd never read a book in my adult life. When I saw on the news that Vince Flynn had passed away, I had never heard of him. He was an author, they said, and I almost quit listening. Then I heard one of the news anchors say that he also worked on the television show 24, which I'm a huge fan of! For some reason, I decided I was going to check this guy out...
I looked him up, and learned he wrote books about some fellow named Mitch Rapp. I found a list of his books in chronological order, then hopped on Amazon and bought a copy of American Assassin. It was the first book I've ever purchased... I read it in a week and fell in love with the writing and character, so naturally Kill Shot was my second purchase. I was hooked, and over two months I read all fourteen of Flynn's novels, including Term Limits. A display featuring all of his books is proudly set up in my home. It's one of my proudest possessions.
I'm a grown man, a father for crying out loud, I'm suppose to be tough! But when I finished the final page of The Last Man I was devastated. I suddenly realized there were no more adventures to go on with my buddy Rapp. My first love in the world of books, and the stories were over. What an empty feeling that left!
Vince felt like a friend I've never met, and can now never meet. I felt robbed as a fan because having discovered his work after he'd already passed, I never had the opportunity to go to a book signing, or feel the excitement and anticipation from a book release date rapidly approaching.
Thanks to you, and the rest of Vince's team and family, I will now have that chance! I wrote on Emily Bestler's Facebook page last night that I was in bed when my phone vibrated alerting me to the fact that I had an email. Through tired and blurry eyes I saw Flynn's name in the subject line and couldn't get the message opened fast enough!
I have checked, honestly, at least four times a week since last July for ANY updates on Flynn's The Survivor. I know his website and fan newsletter said we, the fans, would be the first to know, but I checked for rumors, or anything, anyways! I was so excited last night that I was actually jumping around my home, celebrating! My wife and oldest daughter, both of which know how much I love Mitch Rapp, wondered what the heck was going on. When I told them, they congratulated me! Me? Why me?
That's why I'm writing you this email, And I pray it somehow finds it's way to you. I just wanted to congratulate you, as well as offer my support and loyalty. I've read your comments this morning about how you've gone back and read every Rapp book in chronological order, taking notes, etc. it's obvious that you're dedicated to breathing new life into Mitch Rapp, so thank you for that!
I've also read your comments about how these are big shoes to fill, I can only imagine! No worries, you'll nail it! I haven't been able to find any other author, or character, that comes anywhere close to the genius of Flynn/Rapp. I immediately got a list of your books, and I can't wait to check them out! I'll be in my library and on Amazon later today finding copies.
You'll be in my prayers as you work to finish The Survivor, and I look forward to an additional two installments from you in the coming years. I hope I speak for most Flynn/Rapp fans when I say this... We're behind you, we support you, and we thank you for continuing our beloved characters. It'll be a true honor to display the additional Rapp books, authored by you, along with the rest in my home.
God bless,
Ryan Steck
