Archive for category: Nelson DeMille Newsletters

It’s been awhile since I’ve sent out a Newsletter, and I’ve actually gotten e-mails through my website from people saying they look forward to my Newsletters more than my books. I’m sure they’re just kidding.

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful summer. With most of the Covid restrictions lifted, things seem to be getting back to normal. School starts soon, or has already started, and if you’re like me, you are overjoyed and celebrating.

As I announced in my last Newsletter, my new John Corey book, titled, The Maze, will be published on October 11. But as a sneak peak, I now have Chapter One up on my website which you can read for free. Download it today. If you like it, you can pre-order the book online or from your local bookstore. The Maze will be available as a hardcover or an e-book, or in audio disc or download. Scott Brick, who’s narrated all the John Corey books, will again be the narrator and he’s done a great job as always.

The Maze is sort of a sequel to Plum Island, which was the first John Corey book in the series. Early reviews have been terrific, so go ahead and pre-order now. Also, you might want to read or re-read Plum Island before The Maze.

With the imminent publication of The Maze, there is renewed interest in the John Corey series for TV, and my agents have had promising talks with people at the various cable and broadcast networks. John Corey, as you know, is politically incorrect, so some of the networks are hesitant to promise an accurate representation of John Corey. They won’t say that, of course, but we know that. And so does John, who thinks that TV and movie execs are a bunch of *CENSORED!*

You may recall from past Newsletters that Paramount Motion Pictures optioned the movie rights to The Cuban Affair. The screenplay that was written was . . . let’s say not of the same quality as the book from which it was adapted. The good news is that Paramount wants to try again with a new or substantially rewritten screenplay. I look forward to reading the new effort—with a stiff Scotch and soda in hand.

There is other movie and TV interest in my books as there always is when a new book is about to be published. I will keep everyone informed of the progress on this.

And now for my next book, titled The Explorers Club: This is a stand-alone, meaning it’s not part of an existing series. It’s a classic action/adventure story, set in New York City, and also the Mideast. I’ve created a new leading character, Kip Truitt, who is a bit like Harrison Ford in Raiders, with a touch of James Bond and maybe a little bit of Nelson DeMille. I’ve just started writing this book, so I don’t know when it will be published. Not next week.

My son Alex, who co-authored The Deserter with me, is putting the finishing touches on our next co-authored book, titled Blood Lines, featuring Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, Army CID agents who we first met in The Deserter. If you liked The Deserter, you’ll love Blood Lines. Publication is scheduled for sometime next year. I’ll keep you posted. Alex’s website is here. Shoot Alex an e-mail; he loves to hear from his readers—especially when he’s racing a deadline to complete a novel.

As for The Maze, I’m doing a publicity tour, so please check out my website Events page in a few weeks for my appearances. The book tour is my favorite part of being an author—canceled and delayed flights, security lines, rough weather, airport hotels, long hours and weeks away from my La-Z-Boy recliner. I love it. But seriously, I love meeting my fans. And that makes it all worthwhile.

That’s it for now. I hope to get another Newsletter out, or a few e-mail blasts before The Maze is published on October 11.

Hope to see you at one of my talks and signings.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I have family and friends to my house every year, and they always enjoy the food and the company. One of these years I’ll skip my trip to the Caribbean and join them. Just kidding.

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I promised in my last Newsletter to share with my readers the results of the survey in which I asked you to vote for one of the following for my next book:

A) Another John Corey book, which would be the ninth in the series after The Maze, which will come out next Spring. I don’t have a plot yet, but you can trust John to find trouble.

B) A sequel to The Cuban Affair featuring “Mac” MacCormick and Sara Ortega who would return to Cuba on another dangerous mission.

C) A book featuring Paul Brenner who we saw in The General’s Daughter and Up Country, and who had an appearance in the John Corey book titled The Panther. Paul (played by John Travolta in the movie version of The General’s Daughter) will be on special assignment with the Army Criminal Investigation Division investigating . . . maybe a sinister plot to take over the government.

D) A stand-alone book which would follow a young man from college to the war in Vietnam and back home from the war. This would be set against the turbulent times of the 1960s—you know, sex, drugs, war, love and peace. This, to be honest, would be semi-autobiographical to the extent that I can remember any of this.

E) And finally, a return to The Gold Coast, which is my bestselling novel to date, and whose sequel, The Gate House, was also a critically acclaimed bestseller. If you’ve read one or both of these books, I don’t need to elaborate.

First, sorry I didn’t make it clear that you could respond via my website email, and not through a direct survey button. In any case, I received close to 2,000 emails and they’re still coming in. I’d like to reply to each of you who wrote to cast your vote, and who also told me why they’d chosen one of the book ideas. But that might take awhile. So I’ll say “Thank you!”

Hard to believe that my last Newsletter was April 2020. Check it out here.

I’ve gotten a few thousand emails from my readers since then, with many people asking why I wasn’t sending my usual monthly Newsletter and if I was all right—meaning, I guess, still alive. Well, I’m fine and I thank you for asking.

I had actually begun a May 2020 Newsletter, but never finished it. Why? Maybe because I felt I had to mention the pandemic in my Newsletter, and I was tired of the subject, and I had nothing to say that hadn’t already been said. But mostly I decided to clear my head and concentrate on the book I was writing during that period of social isolation. Well, the book is finished, and it’s titled The Maze. It’s the eighth book in the John Corey series and it’s sort of a sequel to the first Corey book, Plum Island.

The Maze begins where Plum Island began: on the back porch of John’s uncle’s house on the North Fork of Long Island. The last time we saw John Corey was in Radiant Angel and he was working for the Diplomatic Surveillance Group. Now he’s separated from the DSG and also separated from his wife, FBI Special Agent Kate Mayfield, who is living and working in Washington D.C. As Corey sits on the porch, having a beer and contemplating his future, he gets a visit from Detective Beth Penrose, who was John’s love interest in Plum Island, and Detective Penrose has an interesting proposition for her former lover.

And this begins a tale of murder, betrayal, mortal danger, and, of course, sex and romance. I’ll post the first chapter or two on my website later this year, which you can read for free. And if you like what you read, maybe you’ll buy the book.

When will The Maze be published? Well, normally a book that’s completed in the Spring can be published for the Fall/Holiday season, but because of Covid there’s a backup in the supply chain and a bottleneck in the printing process. So to insure maximum impact, the publisher and I have agreed to a publication for Spring 2022, in time for Father’s Day and summer reading. This will be the longest time I’ve waited for a completed book to be published, but in this business patience is a virtue, and timing is everything. Meanwhile, you can see The Maze posted on Amazon. The announced June 7 publication date may change by a week or so. But you can pre-order it now. 

So what am I working on this summer? Well, I’m working on my tan. That’s what I told my publisher and agents, and they thought that was the title of my next book: My Tan. But I’ll be back to work after Labor Day.

And now for a brief word or two about Covid: It sucked. Still does. I hope you and your loved ones have come through this with relatively few bad experiences. Stay healthy, and be safe. Enough said.

On the movie front, Paramount Motion Pictures has optioned the motion picture rights to my last solo book, The Cuban Affair. More on this when I hear from my agents about a screenplay, a director, casting, and other pieces of the mosaic that go into making a movie.

Also on the movie front, two of my older novels, The Gold Coast and The Charm School, have been resurrected by the production companies that own the motion picture rights. So hopefully we’ll see some progress on both books. Hollywood works in mysterious ways. I’ll keep you informed.

As for my next co-authored book after The Deserter, my son and co-author, Alex, is busy writing and sending me chapters for my input. The book we’re writing is titled Blood Lines and features the two main characters from The Deserter: Army CID detectives Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, who have been reunited to investigate the murder of a fellow CID agent in Berlin. If you liked Brodie and Taylor together in Venezuela, you’ll love them in the atmospheric and tense setting of Berlin. Publication date is undetermined, but I’ll let you know as soon as I know. Also, we have serious TV interest in The Deserter.

As for what I’m reading this summer, I just read an advance copy of Brad Meltzer’s The Lightning Rod which, like The Maze, is being held for release and will be published March 8, 2022. Brad is a good buddy and a great writer, and this is one of his best. Pre-order it now. Brad Meltzer never disappoints.

Also, I’m reading The Doctor’s Secret by Tina Funt. Tina is an M.D. and a longtime friend, and she’s put pen to paper and written a prescription for everyone who loves a smart and sexy novel. The Doctor’s Secret is available on Amazon in print and ebook. I’m loving the story and learning a lot about the lives and loves of a young woman going to medical school and defying the odds by setting up a private practice while juggling personal and family issues. Can’t wait to find out what the doctor’s secret is.

Well, that’s enough news for now after a very long hiatus. I promise to be a more constant correspondent in the months ahead, now that I’m unemployed.

Have a wonderful summer. We all deserve it.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving, filled with warmth and good cheer, and devoid of politics.

As I announced in my November Newsletter, The Deserter, co-authored with my son Alex, debuted at #3 on the New York Times combined print and e-book Best Sellers list. This was a tough list to crack, filled with new books by mega-selling authors, so this was something to be thankful for. The Deserter continues to sell well and reviews have been terrific. If you haven’t picked up a copy at your bookstore or haven’t ordered a copy online or downloaded the e-book or audiobook, this is the time to do it. And you can do that right here and now. The audio download has an added bonus – an interview with me and Alex done by Scott Brick, the audiobook narrator. If you listen closely, you can hear someone saying, “Are we getting paid for this?”

Alex and I have completed our book tour, which was fun but exhausting. We met lots of enthusiastic fans and signed hundreds of books. This was my 21^st book tour and Alex’s first. We enjoyed doing this together and we look forward to doing it again for our next co-authored book. Someday I will write a book about my book tours. I will title it, The Agony and the Ecstasy.

Also, let me remind everyone that all twenty of my earlier books are in paperback and they would make great stocking stuffers. Check them out here.

I’d like to recommend a book that I’ve just read: Takes One to Know One, by my good pal Susan Isaacs. Susan, who wrote Compromising Positions and thirteen other great novels, is at the top of her game here with this smart, wicked and witty novel. The New York Journal of Books says, “Isaacs’s writing is clever and funny, with laugh-out-loud moments and strong character development.  …Highly recommended for anyone who likes fast-paced storytelling, quirky and interesting characters, and a plot that keeps you guessing right along with the protagonist.”

Takes One to Know One will make a great Christmas or Hanukah gift. The nice thing about a book as a gift is that you can read it, then wrap it. Don’t spill anything on it.

Also for holiday gift giving, you can get a signed copy of The Deserter by ordering it online from my good friend Otto Penzler, who is the owner of Mysterious Bookshop in Manhattan and publisher of Mysterious Press. Alex and I were in Otto’s bookstore recently and signed about a hundred copies of The Deserter. You can get one by clicking here. Act now; he’s almost sold out.

Also as announced in my November Newsletter, a major studio and major producer/director have made me an offer I can’t refuse for the movie rights to The Cuban Affair. I thought I’d be able to reveal the details at this time, but I’ve been asked to wait until the deal is announced in a studio press release, probably in January.

Meanwhile, if you’ve read The Cuban Affair and if you have a suggestion about who should play Mac MacCormick and Sara Ortega, let me know. I already know who should play the cantankerous Viet Nam veteran. Me. Maybe this is what’s holding up the deal.

A lot of readers of this Newsletter have asked me what I’m working on. I’ve answered this in past Newsletters, but let me answer again: My work in progress, titled The Maze, is another John Corey book, the eighth in the series, and the book opens where the first John Corey book, Plum Island, began: on the back porch of his uncle’s house overlooking the water on the North Fork of Long Island. John is in early and forced retirement and exploring his options, when someone from his past steps onto the porch and makes him an offer he should refuse. John Corey does not make good choices, but he makes for a good story.

As for Alex, he’s begun the second book in the new series featuring Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, Army CID agents who debuted in The Deserter. This book is tentatively titled No Man’s Land, and it takes place in Berlin, a city with a dark history and darker secrets. Alex and I are in a writing race to see who finishes first and gets published first. I hope we don’t get the chapters mixed up.

Christmas is coming, and whether or not this is your holiday, it is the season where we reflect on the past and remember loved ones who are no longer with us. We should also remember the men and women who serve in uniform.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukah, and a New Year of peace, happiness, and good health.

Summer is over, but spring is here if you live south of the equator. For the rest of us, it’s autumn, and there are a lot of great fall and holiday books coming out this season, so to help you choose what books to buy, let me make some suggestions:

First, The Deserter, by Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille, which will be published October 22. I’ll give you the rest of my suggested fall reading list in the next Newsletter – or the one after.

To read some chapters of The Deserter, free of charge, click here. If you like the chapters, pre-order one for everyone on your holiday shopping list. If you want Alex and me to inscribe and sign The Deserter, come to one of our book signings. Here is a preliminary schedule of our appearances. If there isn’t a signing in your area, take advantage of our Do-It-Yourself autograph policy.

To learn more about Alex DeMille, please visit his website www.alexdemille.com and find his social media links to follow him.

And don’t forget that all my previous books are available in paperback, and they make great stocking stuffers, especially the ebooks and audio downloads which don’t take up any space in the stocking or under the tree.

This ends the commercial messages.

I just went to a gathering of my high school class, Elmont Memorial H.S., Class of 1962. It was wonderful to see old friends and classmates and catch up on life. Elmont was a tough neighborhood, and many of my classmates compared notes on their parole officers, their time doing time, and other life-changing events. When the check came, the room emptied quickly and the class disappeared into waiting cars. Just kidding, of course. It was a beautiful occasion, and if you have a chance to go to a class reunion, do it.

The Union League Club in New York City hosted a Vietnam Veterans night to honor those who served. It was a black tie affair and the Club asked us to wear our service medals, which we did with pride. The guest of honor was Jack Jacobs, a friend of mine and fellow author who earned the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary bravery under fire. The guest speaker was General Petraeus who gave a very moving talk and thanked us for our service. A surprise guest speaker was Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State who negotiated the Paris Peace Talks that got us out of the war, but didn’t actually lead to peace.

So those were my two trips down Memory Lane in September, and these occasions always make you reflect on your life.

I went to both of these gatherings with my childhood friend, Dan Barbiero, who served in the Marines and was in Vietnam at the same time I was. We both made it home in one piece, right before Christmas, 1968, and we’ve been celebrating life ever since. Which reminds me of a cartoon I saw recently that depicted a tombstone with the words: ALL THAT KALE FOR NOTHING.

My sentiments exactly. Skip the kale. Have a drink. And have a great October.