Merry Christmas 2018 !!

I just wanted to take a moment to extend my sincere best wishes to everyone and my hope is that you will all have a happy & very blessed Christmas, as well as a safe & prosperous New Year.

At this time of year we all tend to be focused on shopping and the hustle & bustle surrounding Christmas, but I think it is very important to take a moment and focus on what is truly important.

At this time last year I was dealing with the diagnosis that I had cancer. Certainly not what anyone wants to hear, but within a matter of days I would also learn that I had lost my old partner, Paul Murphy, to this insidious disease. Most people would be rocked by the news, but in a way it was very cathartic for me. My diagnosis allowed me to stop for a moment and deeply consider things I had always taken for granted. One of those things was my relationship with Christ.

For several years I had been toiling, unsuccessfully I might add, at writing a book entitled: Where Was God? Suddenly, my diagnosis created a sense of urgency in addressing this, but what started out as a question of where God was on 9/11, soon turned into my investigation if there even was a God.

The very nature of this topic was daunting, but I opened my heart, as well as my mind, to the task. It is nice to ‘believe’ in something, but if that belief is predicated on a fallacy than what is the point? Who’s benefit does it serve? As someone once said: “I’m an investigator, I search for facts, I don’t ‘create’ them.”

When I was finished, I was satisfied that I had explored things to their proper conclusion and I was ready to present it to the reader; the same way an investigator passes a case along to the prosecutor. What I found particularly interesting was that one of the responses I received was from an actual attorney. He wrote in part, “Early in my journey with God I read ‘The Case for Christ’ [Strobel] and I was disappointed. It was not persuasive and frankly left more food for the cynic in me. Your book felt like a real case for Christ, as if a seasoned trial lawyer was putting on a case.”

The reality is, as we come face to face with our own mortality, we all begin to question what we believe in. Beyond the twinkling lights, and the festive decorations on the tree, is the real Reason for this Season: Jesus Christ.

We have all ‘heard’ the story about the innocent little baby, born in a humble manger, who would soon change the entire world, but was it just a story or was it real? The answer, based upon my investigation, is a resounding: YES.

The real Christmas gift is that Jesus came into this world to save us.

This Christmas I ask you to take pause amidst the holiday chaos, and give thanks for the gift of Eternal Life.

“Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world." John 16:33

No matter what you are going through, God is Always Faithful.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God bless you all,
Andrew

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My 2018 Christmas Gift To You

When you give the gift of reading, you give the gift of wonder.

Growing up, I always had a book nearby. Whether it was science fiction by Frank Herbert or a police procedural by Joe Wambaugh, I enjoyed the experience of being immersed in another world. It is one of the reasons I enjoy writing.

This Christmas, I am making my debut novel, Perfect Pawn, available on the Amazon Kindle e-Book platform for only $.99.

Starting December 24th, 2018 (8 a.m. PST) and running through December 31st, 2018 (12 a.m. PST) you can dive head first into the world of James Maguire, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and retired NYPD detective.

This page turning literary roller-coaster ride will take you from the concrete jungle of New York City to the idyllic mountains of upstate New York and beyond.

This Christmas, give yourself a gift that the only regret you’ll have is why you didn’t read it sooner.

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Radio Interview: Your Book, Your Business, Your Brand w/ Daria Anne

I recently had the opportunity to do an interview with the incredible Daria Anne on her show: ‘Your Book, Your Brand, Your Business’ which aired on iHeart Radio Network.

We had a great time discussing my books, the general topic of mystery novels, as well as some of the perils and pitfalls of the publishing industry. I was also happy to answer some listener questions.

The episode is available by following the link below:

Interview with Former NYPD Cop and Author Andrew Nelson

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In the news: Where Was God?

The initial period, following the release of any new book, is always a time of great trepidation for an author. It isn’t till the first reviews come in that you’re finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately for me, the reviews are coming in for my latest book: Where Was God? An NYPD first responder’s search for answers following the terror attack of September 11th 2001, and they are all positive:

“I have read this book during a time of personal struggle and pain. While I try to make a correct decision in life, this book has shined [a] light and reminded me of what I need to do.”

“If you are a skeptic and you think God is all BS. Give this book a chance, it will very possibly change your life forever.”

It is one thing to receive a positive review for a fiction book, but getting them for a book on spirituality is deeply humbling.  I recently received a letter from one reader that I wanted to share. He wrote in part, “Early in my journey with God I read ‘The Case for Christ’ and I was disappointed. It was not persuasive and frankly left more food for the cynic in me. Your book felt like a real case for Christ, as if a seasoned trial lawyer was putting on a case.”

This statement was significant to me because the writer is an attorney by profession. Receiving that type of compliment, from someone who is in the legal profession, is truly remarkable.

I was also honored by the fact that FRONTLINE Magazine, the official publication of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association, featured Where Was God? in their latest edition. I have attached a copy below.

In closing, I would just like to reiterate the importance of leaving book reviews, especially for indie authors. So if you have enjoyed any of my books please head on over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble and leave a quick review. I’d greatly appreciate it.

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Never Forget the Heroes: The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Act (S. 3591 / H.R. 7062)

FORGOTTEN – The lost Heroes & Widows of September 11th

This is a post I never thought I would have to write (again), but I should have known better.

You see, I spent twenty years as a cop in New York City. I learned early on that when the camera lights dim and the T.V. satellite trucks leave, the tragedy of the crime scene is quickly forgotten. In the days and weeks following the September 11th terrorist attacks we were told by the leaders of this great nation, who obligingly wrapped themselves in the flag for the photo-ops, that America would simply #NeverForget the heroes, yet 17 years later I can confirm to you that we have indeed been forgotten.

The reality is that the September 11th attack is not a distant memory. We are quickly approaching the time where we will have lost just as many to 9/11 attributed illnesses as we did on the day of the attack. The aftermath of the attack has never ended.

Those of us who responded that fateful day were aware of the dangers we faced, even after being lied to by the ‘Honorable’ Christine Todd Whitman, who was then head of the EPA, that the air was safe. Ms. Whitman now regrets her role in perpetuating the lie. Gee thanks for nothing, Chrissy. Anyone who was there can tell you that there was nothing even remotely safe, including the air, but they did their jobs without consideration of the risks. Unfortunately, as soon as the sicknesses began to set in, the politicians, like those T.V. crews, packed up and moved on.

“Heroes, what heroes?”

It took nearly a decade to get the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act passed.

As a Republican, I am profoundly ashamed to say that it was my party that stood in the way. What should have been a bill that both sides could have rallied around became a political football, with Republicans threatening to filibuster the bill unless they got tax-cut concessions. Apparently #NeverForget the Heroes is politician-speak for: “What can I get out of this?”

In 2015, politicians were once again shamed into backing an extension of the bill and once again it was the Republicans who dragged their heels. Amazingly, when it comes to their pet projects they are all about funding, but when it comes to helping out people who have truly earned it, they all become die-hard fiscal conservatives.

Now here we are, in 2018, and funding is again running out. And just like in the past, these same politicians need to be shamed into acting.

In 2015, my congressional representative, Rodney Davis, was on record saying the following:  “We will never forget. I remember we were on vacation and I was getting Toryn ready to go to the beach when a plane hit the second tower 14 years ago. Where were you?”

Well Rodney, I can tell you I wasn’t at no friggin’ beach like you were! But you already knew that (hint: Rodney and I used to be on a first name basis a few years ago, but then he got elected to congress and forgot about the people who supported him.)

Sadly, I had to shame Mr. Davis (How “Never Forget the Heroes of 9/11” turned into “Who?”) before he finally signed on as a co-sponsor for the 2015 extension

Back then I got a form letter e-mail response from him, something to the effect that he would be ‘looking into it.’ This time I didn’t even get so much as an e-mail acknowledgment (Perhaps it is lost in the internet). So, it looks like I am going to have to do it all over again. Who knows, perhaps he might even find himself in a contested election, the next time around…… You know, by an actual hero who won’t forget.

The sad reality is that the men and women who rushed in to help on September 11th, 2001, are sick and DYING and a lot of politicians would just be happy to see them go quietly into the grave. They are losing their homes because they are having to choose between receiving medical treatments or keeping a roof over their families head. Widows are being nickel and dimed to death through award ‘deductions’ in what the system cheerfully calls “collateral assets”…….. Funny how the Victim’s Compensation Fund is making victims out of us a 2nd time around.

I know we all have our problems, our own issues, but I am begging each and every one of you to stop for just a moment and please contact your elected representative and urge them to sponsor this bill. If they are a member of the Senate it is S. 3591 and if they are a member of the House it is H.R. 7062. Of all the things they can slash, it shouldn’t be the health benefits of those who gave every last measure that tragic day.

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These are the facts today:

• The more than 42,000 people who are in the World Trade Center Health Program are suffering from at least one certified 9/11 condition caused by toxins at Ground Zero, the Pentagon and the Shanksville crash site, while a large percentage have multiple conditions.

• Chronic diseases like asthma, obstructive pulmonary disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and cancer continue to plague those who were exposed to the many toxins and carcinogens on 9/11 and in the weeks and months thereafter.

• Over 9,300 of those enrolled in the Health Program have been certified with a 9/11 related cancer, with more being diagnosed every day. Thousands more who have been diagnosed with cancer are only now joining the health program, so these numbers will increase dramatically.

• 9/11 responders and survivors in the Health Program reside in all 50 states and in 434 out of 435 Congressional districts.

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