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Tributes are paid to author Vince Flynn

Tributes are paid to author Vince Flynn

TRIBUTES have been paid to the bestselling author Vince Flynn who has passed away at the age of 47.

All but one of the American’s 14 thrillers feature the character Mitch Rapp — a counter-terrorist vigilante. His titles have racked up total sales of more than 15 million, but his writing career was very nearly stalled by rejection slips from publishers.

When his first book, Term Limits, was turned down by every company he approached, Mr. Flynn decided to publish it himself. At one point he even sold the book out of the boot of his car and gradually built-up a level of sales that got him noticed by publishers. He was eventually signed-up by one of the top companies and Term Limits became a bestseller in 1999.

He went on to produce a new book every year, all of them bestsellers. His titles include Transfer Of Power, Memorial Day, American Assassin and The Last Man (see below). His final book, The Survivor, will be published later this year.

Mr. Flynn, who was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, had said he believed having grown up with dyslexia may have helped him hone his skills for developing plots because he had been forced to use his imagination to ‘fill in the blanks’ as a result of early reading difficulties.

His skills were utilized by the makers of the TV series 24 who brought him in as a story consultant for the fifth season of the hit show.

Mr. Flynn passed away after suffering prostate cancer.

To view an interview in which Vince Flynn talks about his book The Last Man, click here.

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