Investigating Nine Decades of Stop-at-Nothing Ambition

Now in his nineties, top trial lawyer and mystery and suspense writer John Martel invites readers to join him in a candid investigation of his remarkable life.

WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT, USA, April 30, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Public Relations Contact:
Thomas G. Fiffer
[email protected], (203) 246-1989
 
Connecticut-based independent publisher Christmas Lake Press announces the release of legendary attorney John Martel’s memoir, Driven: Investigating Nine Decades of Stop-at-Nothing Ambition. DRIVEN explores the life of a man consumed with accomplishment and determined to achieve it in every arena. From flying in the Air Force to winning high-profile legal cases (his record as a trial attorney was 96 wins, 4 losses), from successes in music as the popular singer-songwriter Joe Silverhound to writing best-selling legal thrillers and winning medals in competitive sports, John Martel has never let anything stop him. Not even Parkinson’s—which necessitated his using speech-to-text to write this book.

Along with Scott Turow, Martel pioneered the legal thriller, writing five novels while continuing to practice law and pursue his musical and athletic activities. These include Partners (Bantam – 1988), Conflicts of Interest (Atria – 1995), The Alternate (Dutton – 1999), Billy Strobe (Dutton – 2001), which Booklist called “better than most of the output of John Grisham and equal to the best of Philip Margolin or John Lescroart,” and The American Lawyer (Vantage Point – 2012).

Born during the Great Depression in rural Modesto, California, with no family encouragement, Martel became a college athlete, then an elite US Air Force pilot, a top trial lawyer, a successful singer-songwriter, a national best-selling author, and an international Masters Track and Field high hurdling champion. Now in his nineties, the mystery and suspense writer invites readers to join him in a candid investigation of his life as he tries to solve the mystery of who or what drove him to a lifetime of frenzied preeminence, in total disregard for his health, happiness, and well-being. DRIVEN is a story of manic ambition that ends with lasting love and emotional redemption.

DRIVEN has earned praise from John’s contemporaries in both literature and law.

Extraordinary writer John Martel is back with a must-read memoir—the capstone to his astonishing career.

—John Lescroart, New York Times best-selling author

As an attorney, I stand in awe of John Martel’s legendary accomplishments in the courtroom, and as the author of a legal thriller, I appreciate his commitment to the craft. It’s no surprise that his memoir is a page-turner, powered by the intense energy and unstoppable drive he has brought to every aspect of his remarkable life.

—Brian Cuban, attorney, author of The Addicted Lawyer, Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow & Redemption and The Ambulance Chaser, and addiction recovery advocate

To complete the book, John worked with Christine Wolf, an award-winning essayist, former newspaper columnist, and author of POLITICS, PARTNERSHIPS, & POWER: The Lives of Ralph E. and Marguerite Stitt Church (Master Wings Publishing – 2023). Says Wolf, “When I first met John Martel via Zoom in January 2022, I was shocked when he asked for help shaping his latest book. I wondered why a New York Times best-selling author need my—or anyone’s—assistance.

According to Wolf, here’s why: “Not only had the publishing industry drastically changed since Martel’s last release, but he was also now 92 and battling Parkinson’s Disease. He knew this was likely his last title, and he was determined to publish it and hold it in his hands. And, he had the good sense to appreciate that thriller writing and memoir writing are completely different beasts.”

As the two formed a personal and productive relationship, Wolf urged Martel to dig deep about balancing his love for his children while also rising to prominence in his professional life…about traveling the world and building successful side hustles in music and in writing…and about his quest to find the love of his life, Bonnie.

“Martel’s life,” Wolf says, “is a rare, sweeping triumph in perseverance. The man is a wonder, and his remarkable storytelling brims with authenticity and inspiration.”

Wolf brought DRIVEN to Thomas Fiffer and Julia Bobkoff, who run Christmas Lake Press, in the fall of 2023 with the urgency she and Martel shared to get the book published by the following spring.

Says Fiffer, “Working with John was a joy. His logical mind and language skills, honed during his time in the courtroom, produced a manuscript that flowed beautifully—and relentlessly—to its conclusion and required only light editing. At all times during our correspondence, this nonagenarian legal and literary legend politely deferred to me and my experience—“You’re the publisher”—when it came to editorial decisions. So many people who have risen to the top in their field—or multiple fields as John has—have let it go to their head. Not John. He is a true gentleman.”

John Martel was one of the most famous lawyers in the US, named among the Top Ten Trial Lawyers in America by the prestigious National Law Journal. He was concurrently a successful singer-songwriter who performed his original songs as Joe Silverhound in famous venues like The Troubadour in Los Angeles and the Palomino Club in North Hollywood. In his spare time, he helped build a nationally recognized law firm of over 140 lawyers that bears his name. He then became a national best-selling author of five legal thrillers and in his senior years, won the gold medal in the 100-meter high hurdles at the 1997 Masters Track and Field National Championships, running the fastest time in the world for his age group that year. Martel lives in California with his wife, Bonnie.

Thomas G. Fiffer is co-founder, with Julia Bobkoff, and Publisher of Christmas Lake Press, a small, independent publishing company focusing on fiction and memoir. Recent and upcoming titles include Last of the Famous International Playboys, a novel by Adam Lenain, and You Were Still Dancing: An Unforgettable Journey Through Alzheimer’s, a memoir by Marianne Benz.

To request a review copy, please contact Thomas G. Fiffer at [email protected].

For more information about John Martel, visit johnmartel.com

Thomas Fiffer
Christmas Lake Press
+1 203-293-8337
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