Writing under a pen name for years, Fort Worth attorney publishes new novel in plain sight

No more hiding in plain sight for Dee Kelly Jr.

Now the much lauded Fort Worth attorney and author is just in plain sight with his newest novel — the first under his own name. “The Malachi Covenant” was released April 23.

Kelly is no stranger to the literary world, but readers of his previous works may not be aware of that. He previously wrote under the pen name Landon Wallace and on the book jacket would wear a hat to further disguise his identity.

“The Malachi Covenant” is billed on Kelly’s website as “a globe-spanning, page-turning thriller where the hunt for a stolen relic with mysterious powers ignites a conspiracy that blurs the lines between truth and deception, all with the world watching.”

When Kelly started writing his first novel, “Come and Take It — Search For the Treasure of the Alamo,” published in 2014, he was managing partner of the Kelly Hart & Hallman law firm in Fort Worth. He said it was important to him at the time not to distract from his main responsibility, which was running the firm, so he chose to write under a pseudonym.

In 2016, he stepped down as managing partner, but completed the book he was writing at the time under his pen name (a sequel to his second book, “The Election,” published in 2017).

“When I started my next book, which was eventually titled ‘The Malachi Covenant,’ I thought it was the right time to make the change,” he said.

Still, Kelly said a part of him — and his family — are going to miss Landon and the hat.

“Over time, my family had fun with it. We were all a little sad to lose Landon,” he said, adding with a laugh, “We buried him in our back yard.”

Creating Landon

Kelly wrote his first book without telling a soul.

“When I’d finished, I didn’t even know what I was going to do with the novel,” he recalled. “I thought at the time that I would hold onto it until I completed my duties as managing partner.”

That’s when fate smiled on him.

“I was preparing for a legal proceeding one day with one of our paralegals and during some down time we started talking about writing. Turns out she was a part-time writer as well,” he said. “When I explained to her my dilemma, she laughed and said ‘Why don’t you just write under a pseudonym then?’”

Kelly said they put 10 last names they liked into a hat and pulled out two. They were Landon and Wallace.

“I guess I could just as easily been named Wallace Landon,” he said, smiling.

About the book

The plot of “The Malachi Covenant” centers on the relics of Saint Nicholas, among the most prized possessions in the Christian world. Many believe they hold the power to heal incurable diseases and protect those who come in contact with them.

Biblical archaeologist Maggie Shepherd is presented with a chance of a lifetime, extracting and studying one of the priceless artifacts buried in the tomb of the man known as Santa Claus.

Meanwhile, on Christmas Eve, the Pope is set to present the revered relic to the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Moscow in hopes of reuniting the East and West after a split of 1,000 years.

However, when word gets out about the powers connected to the ancient relic, a group of nefarious characters seek to get their hands on it, including a dying Russian oligarch who enlists Malachi Popov to steal it for him. From there, Popov, Maggie, the Vatican, and the Russian mob embark on a quest around the world.

Kelly said this book was born out of his inspiration to write a novel set during the Christmas season.

“The holidays were always an important part of our family. I found myself drawn to the exploits of the historical Saint Nicholas and the many stories about his generosity of spirit,” he said. “The more research I did into Saint Nicholas, the more my story came together.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading historical fiction/thrillers and that was the genre I wanted to use for this novel.”

Fort Worth’s own

Kelly is a graduate of Fort Worth Country Day School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas in 1982 and his juris doctrate degree from UT in 1985. He returned to his hometown following graduation.

He and his wife, Dana, have three grown daughters, Cate McLaughlin, Lynn Kelly and Camille Kelly. They all attended All Saints Episcopal School.

His father, Dee Kelly Sr. was a larger-than-life man who passed away in 2015. He founded the firm that Kelly has been part of his entire career.

Kelly lost his mother in November.

“She was a wonderful woman who I dedicated ‘The Malachi Covenant’ to,” he said.

When he’s not working, golf is Kelly’s main pastime. He also supports a number of philanthropic and civic organizations in Fort Worth, including the Southwestern Exposition and Livestock Show, Performing Arts Fort Worth/Bass Hall, the Fort Worth Zoological Association and more.

His prestigious law career includes being recognized by U.S. News and World Report in its Best Lawyers in America ranking every year since 2007. In addition, every year since 2003 he has been named a Texas Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters.

In 2013 Kelly was appointed to serve on the Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee and received a presidential appointment to the United Service Organization in 2004. In addition, the Boy Scouts of America recognized him as the Distinguished Citizen of Fort Worth in 2014.

Recognizing a calling

While Kelly has a long career as one of the nation’s most renowned attorneys, there was a passion within him for creating the written word.

He wrote a book when he was fresh out of college but said it’s never seen the light of day. However, it was proof that writing was always something he wanted to do.

“I was a history major/English minor at the University of Texas. After law school, I started practicing law, got married, and then started raising three daughters,” he said. “Writing took a back seat for many years, but never left me.

“I committed to getting up every day at 5 a.m. back around 2000 so I could write a couple of hours every morning.”

The dedication to the dream has paid off. Following the publication of “Come and Take It — Search for the Treasure of the Alamo” in 2014, “The Election” was published in 2017 and “The Next Election” in 2019.

“It’s conceivable that I re-edit ‘Come and Take It’ and release it under my own name,” he said.

Kelly said history is his main inspiration.

“I love to read and I find threads to stories in everything I read,” he said.

Looking ahead

Even as he promotes “The Malachi Covenant,” Kelly has begun work on his next book. It will, in a way, be a continuation of his latest work.

While no publication date has been released, he gave a hint that it’s well underway.

“I’m deep into my next novel, tentatively titled, ‘The Petrine Symbol,’” he said. “Maggie Shepherd, the protagonist in ‘Malachi,’ will return in this one.”