Newsletters
From 2008 to 2025, Nelson wrote to his readers about his books, his travels and whatever else was on his mind. Here is every newsletter, in his own words.
2025
April 2025
This is Nelson’s son Alex. It’s hard to believe it’s been over six months now since my father’s passing. Every day between that day and this, I have…
Read the newsletter →
2024
September 2024
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of our father’s passing yesterday after a nine month battle with cancer. True to form, he faced his…
Read the newsletter →
June 2024
My last Newsletter was December and I’m putting out this Eblast to let you all know that I’ve been diagnosed with esophageal cancer which is why I…
Read the newsletter →
2023
December 2023
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. And also a good Hanukkah, which came early this year. The Jewish side of my family has a great Hanukkah…
Read the newsletter →
November 2023
My newest book, Blood Lines , which I coauthored with my son Alex, debuted on The New York Times Combined Best Sellers List at #2. Alex and I thank…
Read the newsletter →
October 2023
In my last Newsletter , I suggested that people should not loan or give away books that they’ve bought and read and that they should burn them to…
Read the newsletter →
September 2023
Well, the summer of ’23 is history, and I hope everyone had a safe and happy one. I did go to that sensitivity class at Columbia University that I…
Read the newsletter →
May 2023 II
In my last Newsletter I wrote: I’m putting aside writing for the summer and I’ve enrolled in a sensitivity class at Columbia University. My goal is…
Read the newsletter →
May 2023
It’s been awhile since my last Newsletter, which means (pick one) A) I’ve been busy; B) I’m lazy, C) I have nothing to report. The correct answer is…
Read the newsletter →
2022
December 2022
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I had a houseful of family and friends, many of whom were invited, and most of whom stayed for the…
Read the newsletter →
September 2022
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…
Read the newsletter →
January 2022
I hope everyone had a wonderful and magical Christmas. I’m sure that Covid put a damper on many people’s plans for travel, parties, and family…
Read the newsletter →
2021
December 2021
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…
Read the newsletter →
October 2021
In my August Newsletter, I said that I’ve completed my new John Corey book, The Maze , and that it will be published in Spring of 2022. This is still…
Read the newsletter →
August 2021
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…
Read the newsletter →
2020
April 2020
There’s nothing I can say about the corona virus pandemic that hasn’t already been said. But hundreds of fans have emailed me to ask how I’m doing,…
Read the newsletter →
2019
December 2019
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…
Read the newsletter →
November 2019
First, thank you for all your emails, which I enjoy reading. As my auto response says, “Thanks for your email which I will read, but un fortunately I…
Read the newsletter →
October 2019
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…
Read the newsletter →
August 2019
First, many thanks to the hundreds of people who wrote or emailed me with their expressions of sympathy on the death of my wife, Sandy. Many people…
Read the newsletter →
July 2019
As many of you may know, I lost my wife last September after a long and very brave fight with cancer, so I haven’t been writing any Newsletters for…
Read the newsletter →
2018
June 2018
Hope you all had a great Mother’s Day and that you bought Mom a bottle of wine. Remember, you’re the reason she drinks. In my May Newsletter I shared…
Read the newsletter →
May 2018
May 1 is May Day, a holiday in much of the world. It is also the name of my book which I co-authored with my childhood friend, Tom Block, retired US…
Read the newsletter →
April 2018
First, Happy Easter! Also, Sunday, April 8 is Eastern Orthodox Easter – they use a different calendar. So if you’re Catholic or Protestant, and you…
Read the newsletter →
March 2018
If you didn’t get my January or February Newsletter, it doesn’t mean your free subscription has expired; it means I never sent them out. So, to play…
Read the newsletter →
2017
December 2017
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, surrounded by family and friends. We have a tradition at our house where the youngest person at the…
Read the newsletter →
November 2017
Whoops! In my October Newsletter I said to those who complained that children (or adults) in Halloween costumes were engaging in cultural…
Read the newsletter →
October 2017
Great news! The Cuban Affair will debut on the October 8 New York Times Best Sellers List at #1! Thanks to all my readers who have put me on the top.…
Read the newsletter →
September 2017
If you’re an American, summer is over after Labor Day weekend. For the rest of the northern hemisphere, it’s over on September 21, and autumn begins…
Read the newsletter →
August 2017
Hard to believe that summer is half over already – unless you’re reading this south of the equator where it’s winter. It’s worth a trip to Australia…
Read the newsletter →
July 2017
I hope everyone had a great Fourth of July. A lot of my friends and family don’t bother to go to a fireworks display; they see the same thing in…
Read the newsletter →
June 2017
First, thanks to the thousands of my readers who entered the contest to win a signed advance reading copy of The Cuban Affair . Three names were…
Read the newsletter →
May 2017
If you were anxiously awaiting my April Newsletter, the reason you didn’t get it was because I was putting the finishing touches on my new novel,…
Read the newsletter →
January 2017
I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year celebration. We had a houseful of people for the holidays, many of whom looked…
Read the newsletter →
2016
December 2016
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I’m not a big fan of fowl, so my wife bought me a beef Wellington for Thanksgiving. We had about twenty…
Read the newsletter →
November 2016
Is the election over yet? And now some good news: the John Corey series has been optioned by SONY-TV, and ABC-TV will air the pilot which may be…
Read the newsletter →
October 2016
First, thanks to the thousands of people who’ve emailed me to compliment my new website. I can’t take credit for designing it, but I did pay for it.…
Read the newsletter →
September 2016
I was very touched by the hundreds of emails I’ve received from my Newsletter readers in the last six or seven months asking if I was still alive.…
Read the newsletter →
January 2016
I was just reading a capsule review of 2015. I didn’t realize 2015 was that bad, but when you read about it, the year really sucked. I mean, if 2015…
Read the newsletter →
2015
December 2015
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and took it easy on the kale. We had a few vegetarians at the table and we served them tofu and bean sprouts,…
Read the newsletter →
November 2015
I hope everyone had a great Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on November 1. In the U.S. we call it All Souls Day, and this holiday never caught…
Read the newsletter →
October 2015
It is October already, and here in New York there’s a chill in the air. This is when I switch from vodka to scotch, and sit in front of the fireplace…
Read the newsletter →
September 2015
Labor Day has come and gone and summer is officially over, though it really ends on September 23, which is the first day of autumn. Except in the…
Read the newsletter →
August 2015
Well, here it is August already and the summer seems to be flying by. But we all say that every summer. Except in Australia and New Zealand where…
Read the newsletter →
June 2015
My new book, Radiant Angel , was published on Tuesday, May 26 and will debut at #1 on and Best Sellers lists. Early reports indicate that bookstores…
Read the newsletter →
May 2015
Today is May Day, a holiday in some countries, sort of like Labor Day in the U.S. Mayday is also the name of my airline disaster novel, co-authored…
Read the newsletter →
April 2015
I’ve just returned from a much-needed and well-deserved vacation in Florida, tan, fit, and ready to begin my next novel. I stayed at The Breakers in…
Read the newsletter →
March 2015
As I said in my February Newsletter, I have finished my book, titled Radiant Angel , and it will be released on May 26. You can read Chapters 1 and 2…
Read the newsletter →
February 2015
I have just finished my novel and I am happily unemployed. There is a saying among writers: “I hate writing, but I love having written” and that’s…
Read the newsletter →
2014
December 2014
I hope everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. As I mentioned in my November Newsletter, I’ve basically completed my next novel, A Quiet End ,…
Read the newsletter →
November 2014
It’s been awhile since my last Newsletter because I’ve been writing long hours to complete my next book, A Quiet End , featuring John Corey. Last…
Read the newsletter →
June 2014
First, I want to thank James Patterson for his incredible generosity to small independent bookstores. Jim has created a multi-million dollar fund,…
Read the newsletter →
May 2014
“April showers,” said my seven-year-old son, “bring May flowers.” He smiled and asked, “And what do May flowers bring?” “Pilgrims.” “No,” he replied,…
Read the newsletter →
April 2014
Spring has finally arrived and I can already feel the return of global warming. It seems to happen every April. Unless you’re in the Southern…
Read the newsletter →
March 2014
Thanks to everyone who bought my latest, The Quest , which was released in September last year and is still available from your Internet retailer and…
Read the newsletter →
2013
December 2013
My latest novel, The Quest , has a nice Christmas scene, set in Rome, making it a great holiday gift. And what could be better than an autographed…
Read the newsletter →
November 2013
My latest novel, The Quest , continues to sell well, thanks to all of you. The unabridged audio CD is now available for those, like me, who prefer to…
Read the newsletter →
October 2013
My latest novel, The Quest , was published on September 17 and debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list at #2. Number 1 was The Longest Ride by…
Read the newsletter →
September 2013
I am happy to announce that my latest book, The Quest , was published on Tuesday, September 17. As I’ve mentioned, most hardcover novels are…
Read the newsletter →
August 2013 II
This is my second Newsletter for August, so we’ll call this August Newsletter II. As I said in my August Newsletter I, I finished my latest novel,…
Read the newsletter →
August 2013
First, some good news: I’ve finished my latest novel, The Quest , and it will be published September 17 by Center Street. will also be available as…
Read the newsletter →
July 2013
Sorry I haven’t done a Newsletter in a few months, but I’m working long hours to complete The Quest , which will be published September 17.…
Read the newsletter →
April 2013
April, according to T. S. Eliot, is the cruelest month, and I agree. He was talking about the weather; I’m talking about income tax. On a happier…
Read the newsletter →
March 2013
March comes in like a lion and goes out like The Lion’s Game. Order now. And don’t forget the sequel, The Lion . And the latest, The Panther . I was…
Read the newsletter →
February 2013
In my January Newsletter I asked everyone, “. . . let me know if you’d like to see another John Corey novel, or a book featuring one of my other…
Read the newsletter →
January 2013
Well, the world did not end on December 21, but the Mayans in the Yucatan were overrun with goofy tourists who arrived for the big day to find Mayans…
Read the newsletter →
2012
December 2012
Well, it is December and the end of the world is just around the corner. That’s right, not many shopping days left until December 21. Actually,…
Read the newsletter →
November 2012
Well, as you’ve seen on TV, or as you’ve experienced firsthand, Hurricane Sandy hit hard in this area on October 29, followed by a Nor’easter. On…
Read the newsletter →
October 2012
Publication Day for The Panther is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 16. In my last Newsletter I said I’d tell you why all hardcover books are published on…
Read the newsletter →
August 2012
First, the big news — I’ve finally completed The Panther and I am now unemployed. But not for long, because I’m thinking about starting my next book.…
Read the newsletter →
June 2012
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…
Read the newsletter →
April 2012
Sorry I haven’t gotten out a Newsletter this year, but I’ve been working diligently on The Panther — a John Corey novel — and I’m happy to report…
Read the newsletter →
2011
December 2011
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…
Read the newsletter →
November 2011
I haven’t written a Newsletter for a while because I’ve been busy writing my latest, The Panther . As you may recall, this is a John Corey/Kate…
Read the newsletter →
June 2011
In my May Newsletter I reported that German designer Karl Lagerfeld was coming out with a perfume called Paper Passion that smells like books.…
Read the newsletter →
May 2011
Lots of good news since my April Newsletter. First, it was announced in a German newspaper that designer Karl Lagerfeld is creating a perfume that…
Read the newsletter →
April 2011
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…
Read the newsletter →
March 2011
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and happy spring. My good friend Mary Higgins Clark has been chosen to be the Grand Marshall of this year’s St. Patrick’s Day…
Read the newsletter →
February 2011
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…
Read the newsletter →
January 2011
Happy New Year! In my December archived Newsletter I inaccurately reported that the end of the world was a year away. No, it’s two years…
Read the newsletter →
2010
December 2010
First, belated Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends and fans. My two older children read Hebrew and I’ve given them the Hebrew translations of my…
Read the newsletter →
November 2010
As I mentioned in my October Newsletter, the paperback edition of was to be published on November 1 and it was, and it’s doing very well, thanks to…
Read the newsletter →
October 2010
As promised, here is my October Newsletter in October. In my last Newsletter, I went on a bit about summer turning to fall in the Northern Hemisphere…
Read the newsletter →
September 2010
The summer will be officially over here in the Northern Hemisphere on September 21, and if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, winter will be over…
Read the newsletter →
August 2010
The Lion continues to sell well, and I thank all of you who’ve bought it and kept it on the bestseller lists. I also want to thank everyone who…
Read the newsletter →
July 2010
First, the good news: The Lion debuted at #1 on The New York Times bestseller list. Bad news: it was actually tied for #1 with Stieg Larsson’s, The…
Read the newsletter →
June 2010
My last Newsletter was in April, so if you don’t remember a May Newsletter you are not losing your marbles. Or…did I post one in May? Let me know.…
Read the newsletter →
April 2010
This is my first Newsletter since December and I hope everyone had a good winter despite the record-breaking global warming freeze in most of the…
Read the newsletter →
2009
December 2009
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I enjoy the holiday, but I wish the Pilgrims had shot a cow instead of a turkey. I mean, turkey is good for…
Read the newsletter →
November 2009
I hope everyone else had a wonderful summer. I spent the whole summer, including weekends, writing. And just last week, I wrote the two most…
Read the newsletter →
August 2009
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…
Read the newsletter →
April 2009
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…
Read the newsletter →
2008
December 2008
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…
Read the newsletter →
November 2008
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…
Read the newsletter →
October 2008
Since my last Newsletter, the financial markets have been in crisis, and Congress has approved a $700 billion bailout. An important earmark in this…
Read the newsletter →
September 2008
Well, the summer is over and the presidential campaign season has begun. Book sales (especially fiction) traditionally take a dip every four years…
Read the newsletter →
