And now he is dead. Sidney Sheldon

Sidney Sheldon was one of my favorite authors. His novels always inspired me. Every time I read his book, I would live in a different world, for some time at least, I would try to imitate and identify with the protagonist who was talented and capable and retained her femininity. At one time, I almost believed, that I too, would triumph in a hostile world of ruthless men. Such was the influence of his books on me. His character always looked real. He prided himself in the authenticity of his novels. He remarked in 1987: ``If I write about a place, I have been there. If I write about a meal in Indonesia, I have eaten there in that restaurant. I don't think you can fool the reader.'' For ``Windmills of the Mind,'' which dealt with the CIA, he interviewed former CIA chief Richard Helms, traveled to Argentina and Romania and spent a week in Junction City, Kan., where the heroine had lived. I would pride myself with collection of his books and would always recommend my friends to buy their own copy because I hated sharing or lending. ‘Other side of the Midnight’ being one of my favorite ones.