After a long battle with prostate cancer, Vince Flynn died June 19. He was 47.
Flynn self-published his first novel, Term Limits, in the late 1990s, before self-publishing was a popular option for authors. Flynn opted to go the DIY route after numerous rejections--his agency, ICM, said he received over 60--and, a week after doing so, landed a traditional book deal. Term Limits was acquired by Emily Bestler at Pocket, and Simon & Schuster went on to publish the book in 1997.
A former marine, who also worked in sales and marketing at Kraft, Flynn found success with Term Limits, which went on to be a New York Times bestseller in paperback. That debut kicked off a long, and successful, writing career and, as S&S put it, Flynn's other books have been "perennial bestsellers" in all formats. S&S added that, since the 2007 publication of Protect and Defend, Flynn's titles have regularly hit #1. Addtionally, film rights to his Mitch Rapp character are currently under option at CBS Films.
Speaking about Flynn, S&S said: "As good as Vince was on the page--and he gave millions of readers countless hours of pleasure--he was even more engaging in person. ... Yes, we will miss the Mitch Rapp stories that are classic modern thrillers, but we will miss Vince even more."
Flynn is survived by his wife, Lysa, and three children.
