Oh, the lessons I’ve learned. And, farewell.

From the St. Paul Pioneer Press Opinion page, October 4, 2019 It’s said that the right decisions are the hardest ones to make. That’s certainly been true for me. In 1993, I was a practicing attorney with a baby on the way when my two-year-old son was diagnosed with autism. Autism – one new word,…

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Author Vince Flynn Teed It Up for the Troops

9/12/17 Vince Flynn never served in the military but he had great respect for those who did.  When his own dream of serving as a Marine pilot was thwarted by a history of concussions, he found a different way to serve. He used his platform as an internationally acclaimed author to shine a light on…

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The Intriguing Legacies of Vince Flynn

 9/10/17 This story appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  Vince Flynn was a man with a big personality, a big heart, and a big following. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he created a body of work featuring a counterterrorism agent named Mitch Rapp and plot lines so plausible he captured the interest of readers and…

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Mitch Rapp and the Killer Moustaches

11/10/16 Have you noticed an uptick in men with bristles above their lips? It’s no accident. November is also Movember. It’s a time when women tolerate their men’s stubble in the interest of raising awareness and funds for men’s health. Men would rather think or talk about anything but the most personal aspects of their health. But…

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Legacies: What We Leave Behind

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on 10/18/15 I was one among hundreds who attended an unusual book launch at St. Thomas Academy on Oct. 6. Sitting in the gymnasium bearing his name, family, friends, fans, and colleagues of the late Vince Flynn celebrated the release of the 14th thriller in his Mitch…

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Making the Choice: Bitter or Better

As seen in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on 6/21/15 Eight summers ago I crafted my first column for these pages. With no plan, but a calling, I set my life on a new course, despite my editor’s observation that I’d picked a bad time to get into the newspaper business. Life changed dramatically after…

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Inspiration and Grief: Vince Flynn, Gone too Soon

June 21, 2013 The news arrived by text early Wednesday morning. After a 2-½ year battle, St. Paul author Vince Flynn had succumbed to cancer. Though I didn’t know him well, the news hit me hard, for like many, I was praying for a miracle for the man who had a track record for beating…

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Vince Flynn’s “Kill Shot”

February 10, 2012 Vince Flynn made his mark writing about counter terrorism operative Mitch Rapp, who lives on the edge, undertakes seemingly insurmountable challenges, and eludes death. Yet, until this past year, the local novelist spent little time contemplating his own mortality. In November 2010, Flynn returned to Minnesota after a grueling promotional tour of…

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Vince Flynn and the Clandestine Services

October 7, 2010 One of my favorite pastimes is attending book signings. For one who is being urged to write a book, hearing how others do so successfully is enlightening and inspiring. Last fall, I attended Vince Flynn’s book signing for his 11th novel, “Pursuit of Honor.” Unlike other authors, Flynn spoke little about how…

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