Téigh le Dia Nelson DeMille

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/other/nelson-demille-bestselling-author-and-long-island-native-dead-at-81/ar-AA1qMQTP?ocid=BingNewsSerp

Yesterday afternoon, I learned from my friend (and central character in WTLLM), Pete “Buck” Sheridan that my favorite living American Author, Nelson DeMille, had passed.

Nice touch, choosing to go out during a Full Supermoon. A celestial spotlight for a deserving spirit.

I loved all of DeMille’s novels, but his NYPD Detective John Corey series taught me how to create a character that could get himself deep in shit and still be a wiseass.

Yes, Jimmy Moran and John Corey could have been cousins.

The above Post Article, chronicling ND’s passing, made an interesting reference to ND’s relationship with his John Corey character which resonated with how I feel about Jimmy Moran.

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“In a 2022 interview with Crime Spree Mag, DeMille said that he was having issues with his publisher wanting to make “politically correct” edits on John Corey.

“There was some pushback on the John Corey character,” he said. “They wanted me to make changes, which I would not make except for a few.”

DeMille added, “I do know who I am writing for, and this book will debut in the top three. The problem is not that these books are losing readers or do not sell well. These are huge best sellers. The publishers are not concerned with the financial end, but the politics of it, the wokeness.  They are nervous about the character. I replied that ‘I am writing for my readers, not you.’”

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It is sad that even a writer of ND’s stature would have to deal with political correctness in art.

Thank you Reagan Rothe and BRW for not screwing with Jimmy Moran.

Now, I’m not much of a fanboy (although, thanks to Anna Hillman, one of my inner circle of readers and who appears in FJM as a college guidance counselor, I have had each of my novels blessed by being taken to Hemingway’s Key West Home to absorb his mojo), but I recalled how much I broke my mother’s stones over sending John Wayne a fan letter, and felt that to atone I should subject myself to similar humiliation.

So, one fine day back in Spring 2022, I decided to see if I could track down Nelson DeMille.

After some internet sleuthing, I located ND’s literary agent, Ms. Joel, and decided to take a shot and send her an email.

It was a message in a bottle kind of thing. Never thought I would get a response. But then –

I almost shit myself. I mean, this literary titan congratulated me on my first three novels – and wished me luck on my writing. I was Gobsmacked.

I was in my 60s, so, I wasn’t about to put off anything else meaningful. And if I didn’t ask, the answer was already “no.” Of course I wrote back to see if he would allow me to send him my books.

Still, I knew I was pressing my luck, and didn’t expect a response. But then –

At that point, I was ready to order some Depends from Amazon. So, of course I immediately sent out the inscribed set and then followed up with another email. By now we were on a first name basis.

Again, I expected that he would start to worry I was a stalker, so I didn’t expect a response. But, will wonders ever cease?

Now, I wish the story ended that ND read all three novels then went on the late night television circuit lauding this wonderful old/new writer he discovered who had created a character, Jimmy Moran, that was the next best thing to John Corey – of course he is – but that’s where the trail went cold. I never heard from ND again. I didn’t realize he was battling cancer.

Beggars can’t be choosers, and I’ll take my brush with literary greatness as a gift from the Universe. I hope he at least took a chance on reading TWA, like he mentioned. But at least ND enjoyed my inscriptions, so he read something I wrote. And he liked the cover art. Those literary crumbs have sustained me to this day.

And it taught me a valuable lesson. No matter how successful one might become in whatever endeavor you pursue, remember that there are a lot of others following that same path and it never hurts to show a little kindness and encouragement to your creative fellow travelers. It can change someone’s life. I still get chills just reading those emails.

Which is why I really do try and remain accessible to everyone. I try to support other writers and, without the readers willing to read my work, what possible use does my writing serve. So, I try to be responsive to anyone who reaches out to me.

And, I hope that someday some other writer or reader gets to tell a story about how they reached out to me and I was nice to them. Life is just too short to be an asshole.

Well now, Thursday, Handmaiden to Magical Friday is upon us.

You fine, five readers down that last sip of caffeine and head into work. Get whatever it is you do done and dusted, but don’t turn it in until tomorrow just before you sneak away for the weekend.

I’m going to go cuddle some kitties and make my rounds. I’ll share my Nelson DeMille story with the creatures, they get it.

And no matter what else we get up to, let us make today a great one.

Thank you for your kindness and generous spirit, Nelson DeMille. And thank you for your wonderful writing. It made all the difference to me.

If you never got around to reading my books on this energy level, reach out to my Mom, Vera McCaffrey, when you get all settled into your new digs. She’s figured out how to get Kindle versions delivered past the Pearly Gates.

Téigh le Dia.