I never had the pleasure or honor to meet this man, but I can tell you this: He was a patriot. From hearing the various acknowledgments of his death, I've learned he was extremely generous, willingly sharing his time, charity, and gifts. He loved deeply. Family and friends mattered to him. And so did God. He was a practicing Catholic and knew the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse in Psalms which says "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." surely applies to Vince.
I will miss his creative accuracy which gave us devoted fans a truer picture of the conflict in keeping this nation safe not only from the terrorists who desire to destroy us but from those within our government who work against all that operatives like Mitch Rapp try to do to keep us free. It's no secret Vince Flynn's detailed stories came from sources "in the know". Clandestine information came through his stories taut and true. I loved him as a writer. And I'm sure I would've loved him as a man.
A close friend of his, Rush Limbaugh, said in many ways Vince Flynn was Mitch Rapp. I believe that. No one could write the character like he did without residing somewhere in his skin.
I hope his novels set new records for sales just because there couldn't be a better time to read them than right now.
If you'd like to know more about Vince, here are some links to investigate:
http://www.vinceflynn.com/index.html
http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=814071&ocid=ansent11
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uhbbhWWuMU
All of his novels have been reviewed here at Into the Fire.
Father, please comfort those who've lost this precious man. You're truly the only one who can. My tears mean nothing other than to join with those who mourn this earthly loss. Such a decent man will be missed, and I pray the extreme pain of his loss will slowly subside by your gentle and reassuring hand. Bless his family with your divine presence and intense comfort. In the Name, Authority, and Blood of Jesus, Amen.