About Nelson DeMille

Nelson DeMille was the author of twenty-four novels, seven of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. His novels include The Maze, The Cuban Affair, Word of Honor, Plum Island, The Charm School, The Gold Coast, and The General's Daughter, which was made into a major motion picture starring John Travolta and Madeleine Stowe. With his son Alex DeMille, he cowrote The Deserter, Blood Lines, and The Tin Men. Nelson DeMille was a combat-decorated U.S. Army veteran; a member of Mensa, Poets & Writers, and the Authors Guild; and a past president of the Mystery Writers of America. He was also a member of the International Thriller Writers, which honored him as 2015 ThrillerMaster of the Year. He died in 2024.

Nelson by the Numbers

  • 24Novels Written
  • 17Bestselling Novels
  • 7#1 New York Times
    Bestselling Novels

Did you know...

  • I write all my manuscripts in longhand, using #1 pencils and legal pads.
  • I call my writing studio Area 51.
  • My favorite foreign city is Rome. Second favorite is London.
  • My father was Canadian and joined the American Navy in World War II.
  • My father’s favorite historical hero was Lord Nelson, and that’s how I got my name.
  • My father’s second favorite historical hero was Richard the Lionheart, and that’s how I got my middle name.
  • My favorite cocktail is Dewar’s Scotch and soda.
  • My three favorite beers are Corona, Budweiser, and Stella Artois.
  • My favorite appetizer is pigs-in-a-blanket.
  • My favorite cuisine is Italian.
  • My second favorite cuisine is Mexican.
  • My favorite American city is New York. Second favorite is Boston.
  • My favorite authors are mostly British and all dead.
  • My fourteen-year-old son beats me at Minecraft.
  • My adult daughter is a psychologist and says I am John Corey.
  • My adult son is a screenwriter and has adapted my novel SPENCERVILLE into a screenplay.
  • I drink about 12 cups of black coffee a day when I’m writing.
  • I was made an honorary Kentucky Colonel by Kentucky Governor Steven Beshear in 2013.
  • I grew up near Belmont Park race track and I learned to bet the ponies when I was 12.
  • My favorite spectator sport is college and high school football.
  • My favorite casino games are roulette and poker.
  • My favorite season is autumn.
  • I keep in touch with childhood and high school friends.
  • I contribute a lot of time and money to charity.
  • My mother was a saint.
  • I left college in 1966 and joined the Army for adventure.
  • I went to Vietnam for a year. Enough adventure.
  • I returned to college and graduated with a degree in Political Science & History.
  • I worked for years at jobs that were so boring, I missed Vietnam.
  • My first hardcover novel, BY THE RIVERS OF BABYLON, was published in 1978.
  • My newest solo novel, THE MAZE, is my 22nd hardcover.
  • My hobby is asking other people about their hobbies.
  • I used to spend too much time at the racetrack. Bad hobby.
  • I like casino gambling. Bad hobby.
  • I’d like to get back into deep sea fishing. Good hobby.
  • If I wasn’t a writer, I’d be an architect or an archeologist.
  • My favorite movies are the INDIANA JONES movies, GODFATHER I & II, JAWS, THE EXORCIST, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, MR. BLANDING BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE, and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE.
  • I think modern art is a joke or a hoax.
  • I spend a lot of time helping struggling authors.
  • I spend a lot of time talking people out of wanting to become authors.
  • When I grow up, I’m going to get a real job.
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