More than one hundred people showed up Wednesday afternoon at Barnes & Noble at Lake Sumter Landing to listen to Nelson DeMille talk about and sign copies of his new book, The Cuban Affair.
It was suggested to DeMille by his new publisher Simon & Schuster that it was time to introduce a new character to readers.
“They said (of his beloved character John Cory) he was ready for Social Security and Medicare,” said DeMille. He is introducing a new character in this book, 35-year-old, U.S. Army combat veteran Daniel “Mac” MacCormick, now a charter boat captain in Florida who finds himself through a series of events searching for $60 million in American currency hidden in Cuba.
DeMille researched Cuba by touring with an educational tour organized by Yale University and he uses the vehicle of being part of a tour group in his book.
DeMille was very generous with his time answering questions. His favorite of his books – The Gold Coast.
“I had fun poking fun at people I knew.” DeMille resides in Long Island but not on the Gold Coast. His favorite book to research – Charm School.
“It was a very interesting time to be in Moscow.”
Will he go back and finish the John Cory series?
“Definitely have to go back and end the series, can’t just leave a series like that hanging.”
He also informed the audience that after many starts and stops that series will begin shooting a pilot to become a TV show.
DeMille was asked if he would consider setting one of his books in The Villages
“I am thinking about it. I have heard a lot about the Villages. Today is my first time here and we took some time to drive around.”
Who does he read?
“The old stuff, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Arthur Conan Doyle and for this book I read Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene. I read non-fiction pertaining to whatever book I am working on.”
Many in the audience had Long Island connections. His assistant Patricia who he credits with being one of only two or three people that can read his writing and types his hand-written manuscripts had both her mother, a Villages resident, and her grandmother-in-law from Leesburg in the audience.
Tamarind Grove residents Christine and Charlie Johnson attended the same high school as DeMille, Elmont Memorial High School, graduating three years after him.
So far Night Fall is their favorite of DeMille’s books, but they are looking forward to reading the new one.
Shared interest in Cuba brought new Village of Sanibel residents Ron and Denise Stagmari to the book signing. They visited Cuba about the same time DeMille was there in 2015 on a photography trip.
Although the line was long, DeMille really took his time signing books engaging each person that came up in conversation.
