Lots of news to report and I’ll start with the announcement that my hardcover bestseller, The Lion, is now out in paperback. But in the back of this edition is a sneak preview from my work-in-progress, The Panther. I urge you to buy The Lion to catch a little of The Panther. Or, for free, you can see this sneak preview on my website by clicking here.

The rest of The Panther will be published on October 16, and it’s not free. But you can Pre-order from your favorite retailer or etailer.

Also, I’ve written a short story titled, “The Book Case,” which is now offered as a Kindle Single eBook through Amazon for $1.99. “The Book Case” has been in the Top Ten of Kindle Bestsellers, since it came out on May 8. This is a great short story at a great price and also available for a limited time in print.

In addition, “The Book Case” is available as an audio download through Hachette Audio, read by Scott Brick who reads most of my novels for audio, and who is an excellent narrator.

What is “The Book Case” about? It features my character of John Corey in his early days as an NYPD detective, before he became an agent for the Federal Anti-Terrorist Task Force. Check out the customer reviews on Amazon.

So, to recap, “The Book Case” is available as an Amazon eBook and an audio download through Hachette, and as a limited print edition at Mysterious Bookshop. Enjoy.

On to the next short story: “Death Benefits.” This story originally appeared in the Mystery Writers of America 2011 Anthology titled The Rich and the Dead, published by Grand Central Publishing and still available in all formats.

“Death Benefits” will now be published as a stand-alone short story eBook in August. Again, a great story at a great price. Check it out at your favorite retailer.

What is “Death Benefits” about? It’s about an author who plots to kill his literary agent, and it was a labor of love for me to write. You can see the love on every page.

Moving right along, my childhood friend, Thomas Block, has written a novel titled Captain. Tom, as you may know, was my co-author on Mayday, an airline disaster novel which is available in all formats, including a waterproof life raft edition.

Captain, too, is an airline disaster novel, and Tom, a former U.S. Airways captain, brings his thirty years of flying expertise into this edge-of-your-seat story of midair terror. Captain Block is also an accomplished writer and he blends both these skills into a flight to remember.

Even though we were classmates since kindergarten, Tom is twenty years older than me, and he brings that maturity to his writing. Also, Tom is my technical advisor on many of my novels and he’s also written articles for aviation journals, and penned a number of other novels on his own, so he understands this flying stuff, like lift, drag, thrust, and why airline food sucks.

Captain is now available online with great customer reviews. Visit Tom’s website here.

Another fellow writer and friend, Alafair Burke, has instituted the annual Duffer Awards, which are bestowed on fictional characters who appear in novels and are not really alive.

Last year, my character of John Corey was nominated in the category of “Most Likely to Save the World.” This year John Corey is once again nominated for a Duffer Award, and the category is “Guy You Call at 3 A.M.”

The winners in all categories are not decided by a panel of inept judges with an ax to grind, but by you, the reader. To vote for your favorite fictional character in all categories, go to www.alafairburke.com. You can also comment on your choice.

So let me put in a good word here for John Corey: He is definitely the Guy You Call at 3 A.M. because closing time in most New York bars is 3 A.M. and John has nothing to do after last call. You may not get the full benefit of his intellect, or the best advice at that hour, but you won’t be waking him out of a deep sleep. Voting begins June 10.

Also, Alafair Burke is a great writer and her latest, Never Tell, will be published on June 19. It received a top starred review in Publishers Weekly and I highly recommend Never Tell and all her past novels.

BookExpo, the annual gathering of the publishing industry, will be held at the Javits Center in New York City, June 5-7. If you are attending, I will be there on Wednesday, June 6. I have a busy schedule, and I really don’t want to see you, but if you corner me, I’ll be polite and charming if you tell me what a great writer I am. You can check out my schedule here.

The Panther is nearing completion, and as I said it will be published on October 16, in all formats. If you enjoy the sneak preview chapters included in the paperback of The Lion, or on my website, please let me know. And while you’re at your computer, Pre-order The Panther.

On the Hollywood front, the cable TV series of the John Corey books, possibly starring Aaron Eckhart, is still in the talking stage, but hopefully moving closer to reality. In my last Newsletter, I mentioned that the series would be along the lines of “Heartland,” but what I meant was “Homeland.”

In any case, I see the series as a cross between “Mad Men” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” The producer does not share my vision, which is a good thing. More on this in my next Newsletter.

Summer is almost here, followed by fall, followed by the end of the world on December 21st, according to the Mayan Calendar.

So if you’re ordering The Panther online, you need to order no later than, say, December 16, to receive it and read it before the lights go out. An eBook, of course, is instant and you can wait until, say, December 19th if you’re a fast reader. I’d like to get these sales credited to my royalty statement before the world ends. So, just go ahead and order now. Thank you.

In conclusion, I also want to thank you for your emails and snail mails and for your good wishes and many years of support and encouragement. Writing is a lonely profession and I barely speak to anyone during the day, except my banker, so I appreciate your communications, all of which are read, even the handwritten letters that are barely legible, and the emails that are totally devoid of punctuation and remind me of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” in written form. Thank you.

But seriously, I look forward to hearing from everyone and I wish you a happy spring and great summer reading.

Sincerely,

The Holiday Season is upon us. And I mean upon us; like a five-hundred pound boulder squeezing out our last ounce of energy, our last dollars, and our last drop of patience. With any luck, this will be the last holiday season if indeed the world ends on December 21, 2012. We can only hope.

Just kidding, of course. I love the holidays. In fact, I have a five-year-old son who renews my sense of wonder at Christmas, and in some strange way he makes me a kid again each December. If he believes in Santa, then I believe in Santa. If his eyes brighten at the sight of Christmas lights, then my eyes brighten. And every morning, when he tears down the stairs to find the Elf on the Shelf, I’m as excited as he is, even though I, or his mother, hid the Elf. Same with opening the door on the Advent calendar to find a small toy that brings an ear-to-ear grin to
his face.

Don’t get me wrong, the world is a tough place. You know it and I know it. But my son doesn’t know it. And neither do his friends, and hopefully neither do any five-year-olds anywhere. They’ll find out soon enough, but for now, the world is a place of magic and wonder; Santa is real, and so is the Elf on the Shelf and Santa’s other helpers, and Mrs. Claus, and flying reindeer, and the Polar Express, and the Miracle on 34th Street and on every street. And if you’re lucky enough to have a kid around, or if you can borrow one for a day or two at Christmas time, then you will be blessed and renewed, and through that child you can recall and relive your own childhood at Christmas when you, too, believed.

Merry Christmas to all, and my sincere wishes for a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year.

And to my Jewish friends, which include my adult children, Happy Hanukkah.

I leave you with this from Elizabeth Akers Allen:
Backward, turn backward
O Time in your flight.
Make me a child again
Just for tonight!

Peace.

Sincerely,

In my May Newsletter I reported that German designer Karl Lagerfeld was coming out with a perfume called Paper Passion that smells like books. Quoting from a German newspaper, I wrote, “The fragrance will have a fatty note, probably along the lines of linoleum.”

Well, apparently someone at Lagerfeld has come to their senses, (pardon the pun) and Mr. Lagerfeld put out a statement saying this was a misunderstanding — or perhaps a translation error. There will be no such perfume. Rumor has it, however, that Mr. Lagerfeld, who is a book lover and collector, may be working on a perfume that smells like binding glue. More on this as I attempt to translate the next press release from Germany.

Also from my May Newsletter: My friend and fellow novelist, Alafair Burke, is running an awards contest this month on her website, called the First Annual Duffer Awards. I’m delighted to announce that my character of John Corey has been nominated for Most Likely to Save the World. Readers can vote online here. And you can also post your comments stating why John Corey should get the Duffer Award in this category. Please visit Alafair’s website and Vote For John. He needs the ego reinforcement. Me, too.

As you know, the trade paperback edition of The Lion was published by Grand Central Publishing on June 7, and it’s leaping off the shelves, clawing its way onto bestseller lists, and getting roaring acclaim. Got it? As I said last month, this is an excellent beach read, and in light of all the current turmoil in the Mideast, it’s a very timely book.

And speaking of turmoil in the Mideast, as you know, I was supposed to go to Yemen to research my book-in-progress, titled The Panther which is set mostly in Yemen. But if you’ve been following the news, you’ll know that the situation there has escalated, and that the presidential palace in the capital, Sana’a, has been rocketed, and the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh has been wounded. Also, there are gun fights raging in several cities. Well, sorry to have missed the rocketing of the presidential palace — you don’t see that everyday — but I think the sound of AK-47 fire might bring back some unpleasant memories of my time in Vietnam. So my trip is still on hold, though my travel agent tells me that hotel prices in Yemen have never been lower. Food, water, and medical services, however, could be a problem. I’ll keep an eye on the Yemen Tourist Board website.

Another commercial break: three of my earlier novels, By the Rivers of Babylon, Cathedral, and Mayday (co-authored with Thomas Block) are now available in the larger trade paperback edition for the first time this month. These are great old favorites and even if you’ve read them, this is a very handsome edition for a good price, and each book has a new Foreword by the author. That’s me. The forewords alone are worth the price of the book. All four of these trade paperbacks together will make an excellent Father’s Day gift. Available as an eBook, AudioBook, or from your online retailer, or in bookstores.

Also as announced last month, I attended the Hunter College Writers’ Conference in Manhattan on Saturday, June 4 for a keynote talk with my good friend Lewis Burke Frumkes, and also a panel discussion with bestselling authors Stuart Woods, Heywood Gould, and my pals, Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark. Lewis runs the Writers Program at Hunter and he organized the Conference which was a smashing success. Published writers and aspiring writers came from all over the country as did book lovers, Hunter College students, and people off the street who were looking for the subway entrance.

Lewis presented me with a beautiful, limited edition gold-nibbed Parker pen, which was generously donated by the Parker Pen Company. The listed price of this pen is an astonishing $3,000 and I promised Lewis that I’d sign my next publishing contract with it. It might be worth more than the contract. This is the kind of small, expensive item that I sometimes have bad luck with, so I clipped it securely to my inside jacket pocket where I hope it still is when the jacket comes back from the dry cleaner.

My last known public appearance of 2011 will be the East Hampton (Long Island) Library’s 7th Annual Authors Night fundraiser, on Saturday, August 13, 5:00-7:30 pm. This is a great evening for a great cause. I.e. to support the public library in the wealthiest town in America. Attending will be lots of wonderful authors, and wonderful me. Also signing that evening will be my friend and neighbor Susan Lucci, who will be autographing her new bestselling memoir, All My Life. This is a great book, made more so by her mention of me in the acknowledgments. Plus you’ll see a group photo which includes my lovely wife. For more info on this event, click here.

This is Audiobook Month, and the Audio Publishers Association has asked me to mention this, and to say, “Buy Nelson DeMille Audiobooks,” or maybe just buy Audiobooks.

I like Audiobooks because they’re easy on the eyes. Also, they’re hands-free. You can have a beer and a cigar while listening with your eyes closed. But not while driving.

Also, Audiobooks are great for the commute to work. I have a short commute — about six minutes — and I’ve been listening to War and Peace for about three years now, and I can’t wait to hear how it ends.

Scott Brick narrates most of my books, so when I shared a stage with him at the Fort Myers Reading Festival in March, I asked him to narrate The Lion to the audience. Sixteen hours later he was still reading to a mostly empty auditorium, but the night cleaning crew was entranced and they hung on every word. Scott is good.

A good rule when buying books for friends is this: paper books and eBooks for the hard of hearing; Audiobooks for the visually impaired and illiterate. Comic books for “Jersey Shore” fans. There’s a format for everyone.

Not much movie news this month, but I did watch The General’s Daughter on DVD a few weeks ago and I’m still impressed with how well this movie was adapted from my novel of the same name, and how well it’s stood up to time. If you buy the DVD of The General’s Daughter you’ll see an interview with me, and you can be the judge of who is better looking — me or John Travolta. And buy the book while you’re at it.

As I said, Father’s Day is approaching and Dad wants an autographed DeMille book. As I do with every holiday, permission is hereby granted for you to forge my signature — or clip it from this Newsletter — and present the signed book to Pop with a nice greeting from me. And remember, every time you buy one of my books, you’re also giving a gift to me. Thank you.

July 4th, Independence Day, is approaching, and I wish everyone a happy and safe holiday. This is a good time to reflect on our many blessings, and most of all on one word: Freedom.

 

Sincerely,

Every time I think it’s safe to go to Yemen to research my next John Corey novel, there’s a new outbreak of civil unrest. The good news is that tourism is down to zero, so I won’t have a problem getting a hotel room anytime I want to go.

I was at the Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Ft. Myers on Saturday, March 19 as announced, and I had a wonderful time. I gave two talks, the first with my Audiobook narrator, Scott Brick, and the second with bestselling author Ted Bell. Both talks attracted over 500 people, and the crowd was
enthusiastic and very welcoming. I also did two booksignings at the Festival and signed hundreds of books, including some of my own. All in all, it was a great experience, and I thank everyone who attended, and everyone who put the event together for a good cause.

The night before my talks and signings, there was a reception and dinner for all the authors and guests from the community. I went to this reception directly from the airport with my good friend, Dan Barbiero, who had flown with me from New York to Fort Myers. At the reception, we were escorted to a table where five men and one lady were sitting. I began to introduce myself to the people at the table, then I realized I knew these men. They were, in fact, five guys I served with in Vietnam in 1968. I was absolutely floored. They’d heard I’d be at this event and they decided they needed to surprise their old lieutenant after 43 years. The amazing thing was that I recognized them. None of
us had aged a day.

Here’s who they are: Jerry Frease, who put this surprise reunion together, and who helps keep everyone in touch; Paul Sadowski, who was the last man of my platoon who I saw in November 1968 as I was leaving base camp for my long journey home; Jesse “Smitty” Smith, my radio operator whose most important job was to remind me to keep my head down; Ed “Doc” Copps, my medic, who saved a lot of lives; and Phil Hamm, who was badly wounded in both legs and still suffers from his injuries.

It was a wonderful reunion—happy and sad—and we reminisced and caught up on life.

Dan Barbiero served with the Third Marines not far from where we’d been stationed in 1968, so he had a lot to talk about, too.

Smitty had brought his wife and she was a good trouper, listening to a lot of war stories.

The unit we’d been with in Vietnam was the famed First Cavalry Division—made more famous by the movie Apocalypse Now—and at the end of the evening, my guys presented me with a beautiful cavalry saber, inscribed from my platoon to me.

Thank you gentlemen, and welcome home.

And now for some NEW announcements: I will be participating in BookHampton’s annual event called Mayhem. This is a weekend of booksignings and other activities at BookHampton’s three bookstore locations on Long Island. I’ll be doing a talk and signing at the Sag Harbor store at 1:00 pm on Sunday, May 15. Click here for more information. This is a fun weekend, and if you’re in the area, stop by.

I’ll also be at Hunter College Writers’ Conference (NYC) on Saturday, June 4 at 12:30 pm for a talk with the famed Lewis Burke Frumkes, followed by a booksigning. Click here for more information.

And finally, what will probably be my last booksigning of 2011—the East Hampton (Long Island) Library’s 7th Annual Authors Night event, on Saturday, August 13, 5:00-7:30 pm. This is held under a big tent and attracts rich and famous authors and much richer guests, plus the rest of us. It’s a nice evening with wine and cheese, and the proceeds go to the East Hampton Public Library. For more info, click here.

As I’ve mentioned in my last two Newsletters, I was honored to be chosen as the editor of the 2011 Mystery Writers of America Anthology, titled The Rich and the Dead. You can pre-order this book from your favorite online retailer right now—I’ll wait—and it will be delivered to your door on or about publication day, which is May 2. Or you can pre-order from your favorite bookstore, and beat the crowds on May 2 who will be fighting for the last remaining copies on the shelves.

And don’t forget, if you’re in New York City on Tuesday, April 26, you are invited to the launch party of The Rich and the Dead, 6:00-8:00 pm at The Mysterious Bookshop, located at 58 Warren Street. There will be pre-publication copies of The Rich and the Dead available for purchase, and many of the short story contributors will be there—myself included—to sign your copy at no extra charge. The proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop is my good friend, the legendary Otto Penzler, who has ordered a case of squirt cheese and a box of crackers whose sell-by date is also April 26. The crackers expire at midnight, so get there early. You’ve heard of jug wine and box wine, but have you heard of Hefty Bag wine? Otto has a bag of red and a bag of white which will flow all night. Bring your own straws, ladles, or plastic cups. Hey, the New York literary scene also got hit hard by
the recession. The eighties are over.

In conclusion, one more thanks to my brave and trusted men who fought a hard and unpopular war, but who kept the faith and loved their country. And to the men and women who are serving now around the world to keep us safe at home—thank you, and safe home to you.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Sincerely,

Whoever said that April was the cruelest month must have spent January and February in Barbados. Actually, it was T.S. Eliot, and he wrote that in 1922, before global warming—now known as Climate Change—so maybe April cruel ninety years ago, but now it’s looking very good from here.

I mean, I don’t mind the cold and the snow, but the sleet, hail, and rain is a bit much, and then it gets warmer and everything turns to slush, then freezes again. Also, the wind has been unusually strong. How strong? Well, a flasher on 42nd Street opened his trench coat and got lifted into a holding pattern over the Chrysler Building.

On to other subjects. A few weeks ago I found myself at a dinner party in Michael’s Restaurant on West 55th Street, and sitting across from me was Tony Lo Bianco, who is a very fine actor and a good guy. Mr. Lo Bianco told me that he had just seen Marty Bregman who owns the movie rights to The Gold Coast, and Marty told Tony that, “Al has agreed to star in The Gold Coast.” Great news. Who’s Al? Must be Pacino. Marty had originally bought the movie rights years ago with the idea that Pacino would play the part of Mafia don Frank Bellarosa. Marty had made several movies with Al, so this was exciting when it was first announced twenty years ago. And it’s still exciting—though I have no confirmation of this; I’m just passing along what I heard from Tony, who also said that Marty’s son, Michael (no relation to the restaurant), has written the screenplay (which I knew) and that Al likes Michael’s screenplay. I don’t know if Al read my book, but if he has, I hope he enjoyed it. I, hope, too, that Tony gets a great part in the movie.

Also on the movie front, my agent has told me that Bradley Cooper is reading the screenplay for The Charm School. I guess if Brad likes the screenplay, he’ll agree to play the part of the main character, Sam Hollis. I must confess here that I didn’t know who Bradley Cooper was, but when I mentioned this to my wife, she fainted. So, I guess he’s a hottie. Anyway, that’s the movie news as it has developed since my January Newsletter. More next month if I hear anything new.

And now for some repeat announcements: As I said in January, I will make an appearance at The Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers on Saturday, March 19. I’ll be doing a presentation with bestselling author Ted Bell at 12:30 pm, followed by a booksigning, then a presentation with Scott Brick at 2:15 pm, followed by another booksigning. Scott, as you may know, is the narrator of many of my Audiobooks. For more information on this event, click here. Hope you can be there.

Also, as reported, I was invited to be the editor of the 2011 Mystery Writers of America Annual Anthology, titled The Rich and the Dead, to be published on May 2 by Grand Central Publishing. I’ve collected short stories from twenty of the most outstanding mystery writers in the country, myself included, and in my unbiased opinion, this is a superb collection of new and original stories. Pre-order it now online or through your bookstore. The proceeds support the Mystery Writers of America, a great organization that is dedicated to bringing you the finest mystery stories by the best writers in America, myself again included. I was honored to be president of the MWA in 2007 and I served a full year without incident or impeachment, so I like them. Check out their website.

A new announcement: To kick off the publication of the 2011 Mystery Writers of America Annual Anthology, there will be a book signing at the Mysterious Bookshop at 58 Warren Street, NYC, on Tuesday, April 26, 6-8 pm. This is a week before publication but there will be books available to buy or steal. Also, I’ll be there as will many of the other authors who have contributed short stories to the anthology. The deal is, buy a book and all the authors present will sign their stories and/or the title page of the book. This will become an immediate collector’s edition.

The owner of the Mysterious Bookshop is Mr. Otto Penzler, an old and dear friend of mine who has promised some wine and cheese for the occasion. The Mysterious Bookshop is a revered New York institution and one of the last mystery bookstores in the city. Please join us on April 26 for a nice evening. Admission is free, but you need to buy a book to get out.

As I mentioned last month, my last novel, The Lion, which was published in hardcover in June 2010, will be published in trade paperback on June 7 of this year.

Also in June, three of my earlier novels—Mayday, Cathedral, and By the Rivers of Babylon—will be published in the trade paperback edition for the first time, with a Foreword by the author. That’s me.

And don’t forget, all of my novels are available as Audiobooks, eBooks, and in various print editions. As I’ve said, I’m not trying to get you to read my books; I’m trying to get you to buy them.

I get hundreds of emails a month and I assure you I read every one of them, but as I’ve said, I can’t respond to everyone; if I did, I wouldn’t be writing any novels. One frequently asked question, however, can be answered here. Many people have asked me if I’m going to bring back the character of Paul Brenner who appeared in The General’s Daughter and Up Country. Even John Travolta, who played Paul Brenner in General’s Daughter, has asked me about that—even though John turned down the Brenner role in Up Country. Well, with so much reader interest in Paul Brenner, I’ve decided to give him a major part in my new John Corey novel. So, for the first time, two of my main characters meet in a novel. John Corey and Paul Brenner. Two loveable ego maniacs. This should be interesting.

In conclusion, don’t forget that February 14 is Valentine’s Day. Do something different this year. Buy a book for your Valentine and dip it in hot chocolate. Don’t do this with an eBook or Audiobook.

Sincerely,