THE BOOKMARK: Fans will miss Flynn's passion and patriotism

Wednesday's news of Vince Flynn's death came as a shock to many of his legions of fans, who had been following his two-year battle with cancer on his website and through his monthly e-mails. Though he had not said much lately — his last Web update was a year ago — Flynn had expressed optimism and toughness, and many readers didn't know how ill he was.

Flynn, who grew up in St. Paul, wrote brash, tough thrillers about spies and espionage, all but the first book starring CIA counterterrorist Mitch Rapp. As one reader posted in an online comment on the Star Tribune: "Finally, a character who didn't flinch or apologize for doing what it takes to fight terrorism. RIP Vince and God bless his family."

His last book, "The Survivor," was scheduled for publication this fall. His publisher said Wednesday it's unclear now if that will happen, or if the manuscript has been completed.

Flynn leaves behind a wife, three children, 14 books, and millions of grieving fans.

Also …

• "Dodge and Scramble," poems by Morgan Grayce Willow, will be published in October by Ice Cube Press. Willow grew up in Iowa and lives in Minneapolis and teaches at the Loft Literary Center. She'll launch the book Oct. 9 at the Loft, where she will read with poet Sharon Chmielarz and Minnesota poet laureate Joyce Sutphen.

• "The Cartographer of No Man's Land," a novel by P.S. Duffy, will be published in October by Liveright/W.W. Norton. Duffy lives and works in Rochester. This is her first book.

• "The Incrementalists," a sci-fi novel by Steven Brust and Skyler White, will be published in September by Tor. Brust is the author of the New York Times bestsellers "Dzur" and "Tiassa." He lives in Minneapolis.

• A new edition of "A Taste of Life on the Gunflint Trail: Stories, Histories and Recipes From the Lodges and Restaurants, as Told by the Women of the Trail," has been published by Adventure Publications.

• "Pitch," poems by St. Paul poet Todd Boss, is out in paperback from W.W. Norton.

• "Frederick Weyerhaeuser and the American West," by Minneapolis writer Judith Koll Healey, has been published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press.

• "Gloria Swanson: The Ultimate Star," by Stephen Michael Shearer, will be published in August by St. Martin's Press. Shearer, who lives in Woodbury, is the author of two other biographies.