Newsletter 06/11

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. 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,