Tom Clancy's former wife is trying to take over management of a lucrative paperback book series they own together, claiming that the best-selling author wants to derail the side project and dilute her considerable profits, according to a lawsuit filed in Calvert County Circuit Court.
Wanda T. King, Clancy's wife of almost 30 years before their 1999 divorce, alleges that the Calvert-based writer wants to stop publication of "Tom Clancy's Op-Center," a popular set of books stamped with his imprimatur but written by others.
King, 53, also alleges that Clancy has not hired an agent for the books, has refused to promote them and has blocked potential television spinoffs and a hardcover book deal for the series. In court papers filed last week, she asked a judge to remove her ex-husband as managing partner of the Op-Center series and install her in his place.
King owns a 25 percent stake in the series and alleges that as part of the divorce settlement, Clancy must work to "maximize" its profits.
Although Clancy's name is featured across the top of all the books, he does not write them and owns only a 25 percent stake in the limited partnership. Op-Center books are separate from his more well-known works such as "The Hunt for Red October," "Clear and Present Danger" and "The Sum of All Fears," all of which were made into movies.
The series was created in the mid-1990s by Clancy and Steve Pieczenik, a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Nixon administration, to cash in on the ubiquitous author's name recognition. The books are co-authored by Pieczenik and another writer, Jeff Rovin. The current book, "Sea of Fire," is No. 5 on the New York Times bestseller list.
In a telephone interview, Pieczenik said Clancy was at first enthusiastic about the book series, helping to negotiate television movie deals and write the scripts. Clancy has profited from the series "in the seven figures," Pieczenik said.
But, he said, Clancy told him several years ago that he felt Op-Center competed with the books he actually writes.
"He does not want to have the Op-Center series in existence," Pieczenik said. "That's no secret."
Clancy, though, cannot stop the series by himself because of contractual obligations to Pieczenik and the divorce settlement with his wife, said Pieczenik, who is also a managing partner for the series.
A woman who answered the phone at Clancy's home said he was traveling and could not be reached. Clancy's attorney, Lowell Bowen of Baltimore, declined to comment on the case because he had not seen the lawsuit.
According to one associate of Clancy's who spoke on condition of anonymity, Clancy began to sour on the series shortly after his wife received a significant settlement in the divorce. "He didn't feel that she deserved any more," the associate said.
The Clancys' divorce took more than a year to resolve as King fought the author over financial issues. Court documents do not contain a detailed record of the battle, but they say Clancy must pay $3,250 a month in child support to King, who has primary custody of the couple's two younger children. The author does not make alimony payments.
Court records show that King has assets of up to $16 million. According to Forbes magazine, Clancy made more than $47 million last year.
King's attorney, Jerrold Thrope, said his client wants to be a managing partner in Op-Center but does not want to eliminate Clancy's financial stake in the series.
"I really am hopeful the parties will be able to mediate a resolution of the dispute before there are any court proceedings," Thrope said.
A spokeswoman for Berkley Books said the Op-Center series is promoted aggressively because of its popularity worldwide.
"They are best-selling books, and they are well distributed," the spokeswoman said.
Pieczenik said he and Rovin are working on the 11th book in the series. The books focus on the adventures of the Op-Center, a fictional U.S. covert operations team that handles one major crisis after another.
The latest book, "Sea of Fire," chronicles Op-Center's attempts to stop a multinational corporation from selling Australian nuclear waste to terrorists.
Pieczenik said the books are sold in 30 countries and have a more international audience than Clancy's own books because their settings are outside the United States.