Larry Kelter, a resident of Woodbury, recently published a mass market thriller entitled Don't Close Your Eyes, which was published by Leisure Books.

The story features detective Stephanie Chalice, a hard-hitting NYPD homicide detective. She is a cop's cop, according to Kelter. She's bold, smart, independent and beautiful - a powerhouse working in NYPD's homicide unit. She's seen a lot in her years on the force, but nothing like the case she's up against now.

A murdering psychopath is stalking Manhattan, on the prowl for a very special type of woman. Part of his twisted game is intentionally leaving clues for the police, clues designed not only to taunt, but to do something much worse. Will Chalice be able to discover his real purpose before another woman dies?

Kelter was not always interested in writing or reading. "Although I did well in school, I was always voted least likely to crack a book," joked Kelter. "I had no patience for reading while in school."

This all changed for Kelter approximately 10 years ago when he was doing a lot of traveling for his clothing business. He spent many long hours on plane rides.

"I got very into reading Nelson DeMille," said Kelter. "When I started writing, I went to some of his book signings and readings. He is a great guy and although he said that he gets many requests, he read my material and helped me with editing the book. It was a big help and I am very grateful."

The book has been well-received, according to Kelter, who said that Nelson DeMille and James Siegel furnished blurbs about the book. The publisher has asked Kelter for another book based on the original character, which he is currently working on.

The book is available wherever books are sold, including amazon.com and bn.com.