August 2009

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A Note from Nelson

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer despite the weird weather patterns around most of the country. Here on Long Island, we’re experiencing record rain and low temperatures, but I’m stuck in my writing room six or seven days a week this summer so I don’t care. And it’s all about me.

In my last Newsletter, I told you about the problem I had with my government check from the Bestselling Author’s Relief Fund (BARF), but since then, the government has declared me Too Big To Fail, and has sent me, in lieu of a bailout check, a note of encouragement, telling me to hang in there.

Meanwhile, I’m taking advantage of the Cash for Clunker Books program. I’ve sent the Treasury Department dozens of old books that I didn’t like (no, I won’t name the authors) along with a signed statement saying the books were clunkers. Now I think I’m supposed to buy better books, send the receipts to the government, and get a check. I’ll let you know what happens.

Back in April, I said I was working on the sequel to The Lion’s Game. I’m still working on it, and I can report that it’s a great book and a worthy successor to The Lion’s Game. I also have a title — The Lion. Short and simple, and it leaves enough room for my name in BIG letters. If you haven’t read The Lion’s Game, please do so before The Lion is published next June — in time for Father’s Day!

In April, I also mentioned that my last novel, The Gate House would be issued in paperback in November. A small change here — The Gate House will be issued in trade paperback. This is the hardcover-size paperback that so many people like because the type is bigger, and the price is smaller than the hardcover. Please look for this in November in bookstores or your favorite online book source. This trade paperback edition of The Gate House will include a preview chapter of The Lion — for free!

Also, as I mentioned, my last John Corey book, Wild Fire, will be issued this fall in the trade paperback size edition. Included in this edition will also be the preview chapter of THE LION, and John Corey’s recipe for Pigs-in-a-Blanket, space permitting.

So, to recap: the trade paperback of The Gate House and Wild Fire will be issued this fall and will include (at no extra charge) a preview chapter of The Lion. The Lion hardcover will be published in June 2010.

And now some news from Hollywood: One of my earlier, and most successful novels, The Charm School is moving closer to the big screen. Bristol Bay Productions, with Frank Marshall, as producer, have hired Ericson Core to direct The Charm School. They also have a screenplay by Frank Pearson, and they have begun casting. This is exciting news, and this is a very talented and smart team, so I know they’ll be calling me about playing one of my characters in the movie.

If you haven’t read The Charm School, it’s available in paperback, audiobook, and e-book, and you might want to cast the characters in your head, and look for a good part for me. I do alpha males really well.

There’s more news about making my books into movies, but I’ll wait for further developments, which I’ll report in my next Newsletter.

For my summer reading, I’ve received an advance copy of South of Broad by Pat Conroy, published by Random House/Nan A. Talese, and I highly recommend it. It will be released Tuesday, August 11.

For your summer reading, I recommend any of my novels, all of which (except The Gate House) are available in various paperback formats, including an edible edition. Most of my books are also available in audio and a variety of e-book formats. And for poolside reading, don’t forget that e-book devices, such as the Kindle and Sony Reader are waterproof and can be read underwater. (Kidding!)

I wish all my readers and Newsletter subscribers a wonderful summer and good summer reading.

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature

April 2009

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A Note from Nelson

This is my first Newsletter since December, and I’ve spent the last three months writing the sequel to The Lion’s Game. I have no title for the book as yet, so I call it Lion’s Game II. LG II is coming along and I’m enjoying revisiting my old characters — John Corey, Kate Mayfield, the agents and bosses at the Anti-Terrorist Task Force, and Corey’s old nemesis, Asad Khalil, aka, The Lion. Khalil is nastier than ever, and he’s back in the U.S. to settle some old scores from The Lion’s Game. The first score he intends to settle is with John and Kate. This publication of LG II is scheduled for June 2010, in time for Father’s Day.

More publishing news: The Gate House sold very well, and it was listed by Publisher’s Weekly as the #15 bestselling novel of 2008. I want to thank all my readers who bought this book and made it such a big bestseller. And I congratulate all the authors who had the first 14 bestselling novels, and I wish them continued success. Actually, I wish they’d retire, but I don’t want to sound petty.

The paperback edition of The Gate House is scheduled for publication in November, and if you liked the hardcover edition, you’ll like the paperback even more because it’s cheaper. Also included in the paperback of The Gate House will be Chapter One of Lion’s Game II at the end of the book. So, for this reason alone, it’s worth buying The Gate House again.

More publishing news: The last John Corey book was Wild Fire, which is still available in mass market paperback. But this fall, Wild Fire will be available in the larger, trade paperback edition, and included in this larger paperback will also be Chapter One of Lion’s Game II, plus a new author’s foreword.

To recap: Chapter One of my work in progress, which is Lion’s Game II, will be available this fall in a) the paperback edition of The Gate House, b) the trade paperback edition of Wild Fire.

Moving right along to movie news: The producers of The Gold Coast are about to sign a major star to play the part of Don Frank Bellarosa. I have been sworn to secrecy until the deal is done and the name is made public, but I can say that this is one of the best actors in Hollywood, and someone who is perfect for the role. When this actor commits, the rest of the cast should fall into place very quickly. I’ll put out a Newsletter when this is a done deal.

I’ve received a rather nice check from BARF — the Bestselling Author’s Relief Fund — which I deposited into a bank that failed. The FDIC — Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — sent me a check to cover this loss, which I invested with a brokerage house that also failed. The Treasury Department sent me a bailout check to cover my lost investment, and I sent this check to the I.R.S. to help cover my April 15 taxes. The I.R.S. has just notified me that my Treasury Department check bounced. I think we have a problem.

I hope everyone had a happy and joyous Easter and Passover season. Happy Spring!

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature

December 2008

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A Note from Nelson

Again, thanks to everyone who put The Gate House on bestseller lists all over the country. The book continues to sell very well, and many people tell me they are buying multiple copies to give as holiday gifts. This is an excellent idea; books are a wonderful, relatively inexpensive and thoughtful gift. People especially enjoy an autographed copy, so if you haven’t been able to get to one of my booksignings, you have my permission to sign my name on gift books — or your own book for that matter. And add a nice inscription. Just spell my name right, and don’t make any grammatical or spelling errors in the inscription. Thanks.

On the subject of signed books, I’d like to thank all the people who came out to my booksignings. You were all terrific, laughed in the right places during my talk, asked great questions, waited patiently in line to get your books signed, and some of you even brought gifts. Authors only see their fans if they do booksignings, and I look forward to these occasions. I’m always impressed with the people who read my books, and this reminds me of why I write, and it connects me to the people for whom I am writing.

No news on the movie front except that my agent is getting a lot of calls from Hollywood about The Gate House, and also about The Gold Coast, the movie rights to which are already owned by Bregman Productions. So, we’re trying to put together a co-production deal for both books to see if we can get them both on the silver screen, sort of like Godfather and Godfather II. The major obstacle seems to be my insistence that I play the role of John Sutter.

I’ll keep you updated on the progress of those projects as well as my other Hollywood projects.

Meanwhile, my agent has gotten an offer from the New York City Ballet to turn my John Corey books into ballet performances. (I’m having trouble picturing John Corey in tights, but Kate Mayfield in a tutu might be interesting.) Anyway, these books would be interpreted through dance — the dancers don’t talk much — and this would eliminate most of the obscenities. But maybe Corey could flip the bird now and then. I need to think about this.

The Gate House has generated thousands of emails through my website, and once again I am overwhelmed with your warm and flattering comments. My mother drummed into me the concept that I had an obligation to answer every piece of mail I received, but this was before email, and I’m not sure what Mom or Emily Post would advise today. My publisher advises me to start writing my next book, and so I have. I’m having fun with the new John Corey, and I’ll keep everyone posted on my progress and the likely publication date.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a good read, I can suggest some terrific books by great authors, starting with me. Here are my previous books in the order they were published: By the Rivers of Babylon; Mayday; Cathedral; The Talbot Odyssey; Word of Honor; The Charm School; The Gold Coast; The General’s Daughter; Spencerville; Plum Island; The Lion’s Game; Up Country; Night Fall; Wild Fire.

These books, now in paperback, make great stocking stuffers. Or, buy them all and give them as gifts in a box as The Complete Works of Nelson DeMille. Don’t forget to autograph them.

I’ll get back to you on the other books and authors that I recommend.

The holidays are upon us, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah, a Happy Kwanza, and a New Year filled with peace, love, good health, and all good things. And don’t forget our men and women serving overseas and in military hospitals, and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Nelson DeMille

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature

November 2008

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A Note from Nelson

First, thanks to all of you, The Gate House has debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #1. And thanks to me, too, for writing such a great book. The Gate House has also appeared at #1 on other national and regional bestseller lists, so this isn’t a fluke.

I’ve received thousands of emails through my website mailbox, and I wish I could respond to all of them, especially the snarky ones, but it’s not humanly possible, so, this Newsletter has to suffice.

For those who wrote me that they didn’t like The Gate House, sorry, but you were in a distinct minority. The main negative complaint was that the book went on too long. The most common praise was that it went too quickly. So, there you are.

Most of The Gate House reviews in newspapers and magazines were excellent, but one or two were lukewarm, and those reviewers are not getting invited to my annual Salute to Book Reviewers, which I host on a private yacht in the Caribbean every January. I hope they get the message. The most idiotic review I received was written by Charles Taylor in Newsday, which is my local newspaper. You need to read this review to appreciate what John Updike meant when he said, “Reviewers are like pigs at the pastry cart.” Mr. Taylor’s very weird review can be read by going to the Newsday website, click here.

A confession: I once met Charles Taylor at a fundraiser for Talentless Book Reviewers (he was the honoree), and when he got up to receive his award I ate his pork chop. So, maybe that explains the bad review.

I get a lot of questions in my website mailbox and most of them could be answered by perusing my website. You can also read my old Newsletters in the archives. The most frequently asked question is: Are you bringing back John Corey? Yes, in my next book which is a sequel to The Lion’s Game. This book is only four chapters long, but they are loooong chapters.

Recently I was blogging on Barnes & Noble Center Stage. Click here to view.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came to my book signings in the tri-state New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. You were all terrific, and I hope you enjoyed the evening as much as I did.

I had a book signing at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut, something I’ve never done before, and it was fun. This was a joint signing with my Grand Central Publishing colleague, David Baldacci, whose new book, Divine Justice, will also be a #1 New York Times bestseller. David was fun to be with, and the folks at Foxwoods were wonderful hosts, and the attendees were terrific, especially those who came directly from the cocktail lounge. It’s not every book signing where you can drink, gamble, and smoke. Don’t get me wrong — I love bookstores, but, well, there are no blackjack tables or bars in most bookstores. But maybe that’s just as well; I left a few hundred dollars with the house before my wife pulled me out of there.

In the spirit of giving thanks, it is forty years this month since I returned from Vietnam, and I count every day as a blessing and a gift. Someday I’ll write about my homecoming, but in the meantime please pray for our men and women stationed in combat zones around the world as the holiday season approaches.

I wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, peace and love.

Best regards,
Nelson DeMille

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature

October 2008

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A Note from Nelson

Since my last Newsletter, the financial markets have been in crisis, and Congress has approved a $700 billion bailout. An important earmark in this bill is the Bestselling Author’s Relief Fund (BARF), which I heartily support. So, please write your congressional representatives and thank them if they voted for BARF. If they didn’t, then reprimand them for not sending your tax money to bestselling authors who made some bad investments. I’m waiting for my bailout check.

Actually, books sell well in hard economic times — or at least, that is the conventional wisdom in the publishing industry. The theory is that people tend to stay home and read more since they don’t go out to dinner or sporting events, and so forth. This actually did happen after the Crash of 1987 and in earlier tough times. So, if you’re looking for an escape from the bad news and the presidential campaign, turn off the TV and radio, burn the newspaper in the grill, and buy a book.

As I said in my last Newsletter, my latest novel, The Gate House, will be released in hardcover tomorrow, October 28th. The Gate House is a sequel to The Gold Coast, which has just been reissued in mass market paperback and the larger trade paperback edition. Both these stories, The Gate House and The Gold Coast are excellent escapist reading, and their themes of money, greed, seduction, betrayal and murder are very timely.

On the last weekend in September, I attended the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) convention, which was held in Mobile, Alabama. Independent bookstores all over the country are struggling to survive the tough competition from chains and online retailers. The men and women who own and run these stores are a dedicated and knowledgeable group of people who truly love books, and I felt honored to be invited. You probably get a lot of your books online or in a chain bookstore, but if you have an independent bookstore in your area, give them some of your business too.

Also, if you happen to be watching “The View” this Thursday, October 30th, they’ll be giving a copy of The Gate House to everyone in the studio audience. The audience will be told that they’re getting a fifty-acre Gold Coast estate, so when they get a book instead, they’ll be really surprised, and you can watch them get a big laugh at the joke.

I’ve just launched the redesign of my website with new bells & whistles. Be sure to check back regularly, as there will be contests and a video Q&A in the weeks to come.

Okay, this is my last Newsletter until sometime after the election and before Thanksgiving. Remember to stop at a bookstore on your way to or from the polling place. In the last chapter of The Gate House I predict the winner of the 2008 presidential election, and you’ll want to see if I’m right.

Enjoy this beautiful fall season.

Best Regards,
Nelson DeMille

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature

September 2008

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A Note from Nelson

Well, the summer is over and the presidential campaign season has begun. Book sales (especially fiction) traditionally take a dip every four years during the presidential race, which is why I decided to publish my new novel, The Gate House, on Tuesday, October 28, a week before Election Day. There is a method to this madness, and if I remember what I was thinking, I’ll share it with you. Meanwhile, let’s all buck this silly slump in book sales for this election and pre-order The Gate House (click here) or run out and buy it on October 28. The book is 688 pages long, and I guarantee that if you throw it at your TV set during the election returns, you’ll knock out the picture. The book will survive.

The Gate House, as you may know is the sequel to The Gold Coast, and as I mentioned in the last Newsletter, Grand Central Publishing has reissued The Gold Coast in the large trade paperback size, and will reissue the standard paperback on October 1. Both editions have a new cover, a new Author’s Introduction, and a new Twenty-first Century price. You don’t need to read The Gold Coast before you read The Gate House — you can read them concurrently or in reverse order — it’s only important that you buy both books. I’ve got a two-year old who’ll be in college in 16 years.

Costco has done a wonderful promotion of the reissued Gold Coast and if you get their newsletter you’ve seen this and seen the great review, by J. Rentilly, and also seen some very nice things written about me by Pennie Clark Ianniciello, Costco’s book buyer.

I spent the summer outlining and researching my next novel, which will be the sequel to The Lion’s Game, featuring John Corey, NYPD (ret.), currently with the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. I’ve already begun the book and in the first chapter of the sequel Corey kills his nemesis from The Lion’s Game, Asad Khalil. I think that was supposed to come at the end of the book, so now I’m not sure what to do. Maybe I need to rewrite Chapter One.

Anyway, I’m very excited about this book (as yet untitled – any suggestions?), and I’m happy once more to be spending my days with John Corey and Kate Mayfield — especially Kate.

My Newsletter generates hundreds and hundreds of responses from you, and as I’ve said, I read each and every one of them, and I wish I could reply, and it’s frustrating that I don’t have the time to do so, but I appreciate all the emails and I thank you for taking the time to write. I get a much needed ego boost from the letters, but I also get taken to task by some readers for my use of profanity. As one lady wrote, “I read Wild Fire three times and counted the F-word thirty-six times.”

I need to say here that my original manuscripts contain no profanity whatsoever. But Grand Central Publishing has an editor known as the “F-Guy,” who peppers my manuscripts with four-letter words. I would end this practice immediately, but it’s been brought to my attention that the publisher has this right, as per the small print in my contract.

Having said that, I will speak to the “F-Guy” about this and try to clean up the next John Corey book. In fact, at the beginning of Chapter One in The Lion’s Game sequel, John Corey says to his boss, “I am going to find that dastardly blighter, Asad Khalil, and kick him in the shins.”

A side note here: I did a booksigning this summer with other authors to raise money for the East Hampton Public Library. I love libraries — you know, those places where they give away my books for free. I mean, East Hampton is one of the wealthiest communities on the planet, so I think the residents who live in twenty-million dollar summer homes can buy their books. But I digress. At the signing, I met Alec Baldwin, of all people, and we chatted about his past involvement in the movie version of The Gold Coast. That’s a long story, but I need to say here that despite what people may think of his politics or his personal life, he is a charming man, and as down-to-earth as any actor I’ve ever met. And I don’t say that just because he loves my books — he liked Night Fall the best — but I say this because he’s an astute reader and he’s bigger than me — see the photo in my Photo Gallery.

Okay, so that’s about it for this time. I’ll get out another Newsletter before the October 28 publication date of The Gate House.

Meanwhile, click here for my publicity schedule. I’m not doing much of a cross-country booksigning tour this time — I need to work on the sequel to The Lion’s Game — but if I’m in your area, drop by and bring a copy of this Newsletter. You’ll go to the front of the signing line and I’ll tell you a funny story about Alec Baldwin.

Thanks for all your cards and letters and for your support over the years. And remember, no matter who wins the presidency on November 4, the other guy will lose.

Best regards,
Nelson DeMille

Sincerely,
Nelson DeMille signature