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Adrik
waited in the guard’s room a couple of corridors along from Kornfeld’s
cell. There was only one way out, so the Jew had to pass this room. He
spun a Makarov on his finger, aimed at imaginary targets and thrilled at
the thought of using it. The gun was standard issue, but he would’ve
chosen it anyway. Totally reliable, pull the trigger and out pop the
bullets. The blowback design expels the spent case to the right and
loads the next cartridge into the chamber – easy. And fully armed with
eight rounds, he would use them all.
This
wouldn’t be his first killing and sure as hell wouldn’t be his last.
Kornfeld was a pain, and it was Otto who mattered. He would do anything
for him. Why should he care about some Jew who got in the way?
But
time dragged, and Kornfeld hadn’t yet made a show. For one horrible
minute he thought there might be another way out – but no, that isn’t
even possible. Calm down, be patient… Try as he might, he couldn’t, and
the idea ran around his head, irritating him beyond measure.
He
left the guardroom and paced the corridor outside. At first a short
distance and then a bit further into the next passageway. No good – he
had to find out what had happened. With gun in hand and footsteps
stealthy he reached the cell door – it was slightly open. Oh shit, did
that mean there was another way out? Or maybe Kornfeld had gone deeper
into the prison block. Or maybe he was in the cell hoping the element of
surprise would be with him.
Possibilities
ganged up. Kornfeld knew Lubyanka well. What if there was another way
out and that little bastard knew it? If so, Otto would kill him, never
mind the Jew. He kicked the door fully open, slammed it against the cell
wall, stood back and then moved in, pointing the gun around to make
sure Kornfeld wasn’t hidden on either side of the opening. The cell was
dimly lit and he found it difficult to see. He would stay put until his
eyes got accustomed to the light. A body, he saw a body. It was covered
with a greatcoat, on the bunk facing the wall.
He
was clearly supposed to think it was Kornfeld. In that case he’d be
under the bunk waiting… But then that’s obvious too, so he might be on
top with the guard pushed underneath. That made more sense – it would be
easier for him to make an attack from on top – but, shit, wouldn’t that
be what he wanted him to think?
To
be sure of the kill, Adrik wanted to shoot above and below – but he
couldn’t. How would he explain the soldier’s death? Oh, Otto, if only
Otto was there to tell him what to do. But he wasn’t, he had to make up
his own mind. The Jew was on top – yes, definitely on top.
Cautiously,
he edged forward, pointed the pistol to the back of the person’s head
and pulled the body towards him with gun steady and ready to fire. As
quickly as his huge form allowed, he pulled the greatcoat away.
Fuck!
The guard! No time to react. A leg came from under the bunk with
incredible speed and wrapped around the back of his. At the same time,
the Jew’s other foot came against his knees and pushed. Adrik had
brought his legs together when he tore the coat away and Kornfeld used
the imbalance to his advantage. Adrik’s arms went out. He hovered
awkwardly, then almost regained control, but Kornfeld pushed harder and
Adrik went flying backwards with his legs in the air. A sense of
suspension ended and he fell heavily, striking the hard stone floor. His
head bounced, shudders chased through his brain and he found himself
staring at the ceiling, wavering between conscious and unconscious.
The
pain pierced his skull and he noticed his head had rested in a pool of
warm liquid. He hadn’t seen that when he came in. Numbness consumed his
body; he couldn’t move. But then his blurred vision saw the bleary
outline of the Jew. Awareness came that his body was being rolled over.
He was paralyzed, but it didn’t stop the surge of fear that ran through
every fibre of his being.
Set
against the backdrop of Soviet, post-war Russia, Birth of an Assassin
follows the transformation of Jez Kornfeld from wide-eyed recruit to
avenging outlaw. Amidst a murky underworld of flesh-trafficking,
prostitution and institutionalized corruption, the elite Jewish soldier
is thrown into a world where nothing is what it seems, nobody can be
trusted, and everything can be violently torn from him.
Genre - Thriller, Crime, Suspense
Rating – R
Ten things you didn’t know about Saga of the Nine: Area 38
1) It was originally going to be a musical. The album that inspired it, This is War by
30 Seconds to Mars, was intended not only as the frame work of the
story, but the bulk of the songs as well. I thought about seeking out
Jared Leto’s help/permission to use his music and possibly add more, but
things ended up turning a different direction. It really came down to
the fact that I didn’t think a musical would do the story justice. I
still listened to the album probably a couple hundred times while
writing it, but the story is much different now than the original
musical.
2)
Mica and the USA Division were inspired by a date I took a girl on. My
date and I doubled with my roommate and his date, each got some
masquerade masks, and then went to dinner at a fancy restaurant while we
wore them. Like I said, bizarre, but hey, something worked because my
date that night is now my wife.
3) Area 38 is actually a reference to the 38th state of the United States of America.
4)
The opening setting was inspired by the cold winter mornings in Utah.
I’ve been working the six am shift for as long as I can remember, and
one of the joys about having to wake up so early in order to get to work
on time, is it’s around the time that the sun rises. The fog that
covered the fields outside the industrial park were some of the most
beautiful mornings I’ve seen.
5) Benedict Cumberbatch, the actor who played Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock,
is the person I pictured as I wrote and fine tuned Christopher Stone,
the sadistic Area Leader of Area 38. If he reads this, I hope he
doesn’t get offended. The way he talks in Star Trek: Into Darkness as Kahn is exactly how I imagine Christopher saying his lines.
6)
I wrote the entire novel on the floor of my 500 square foot
apartment--right at the foot of my bed. I could only right for a few
hours at a time though. Any longer than three and my butt and legs
would begin to go numb.
7) Saga of the Nine: Area 38 is
actually a hybrid. The entire plot began as two different stories.
Both of them were going nowhere, and one day I had the epiphany to
combine the two.
8) Most, if not all, of my research for Area 38 came from listening to history podcasts I would listen to at my day job in the warehouse.
9)
The flag on the cover was the brain child of my cousin, the cover
designer. The entire premise is that anything that is evil and corrupt
usually isn’t original. Evil simply takes originality and tweaks it.
That’s what the Nine did with the U.S. flag.
10) The foreign language in the novel is based off of Tahitian, which I picked up on my LDS mission in French Polynesia.
Change
affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38
for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than
under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone
from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all
takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his
yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that
are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.
The
year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of
life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of
America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia.
The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources
and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to
stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the
country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The
Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.
In
a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The
Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38.
However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own,
Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving
what little history he can of himself and the great United States of
America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes
that they will one day finish what he could not.
Jackson,
having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the
war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The
Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with
betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica
and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true
freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly
impossible challenge.
Genre – Dystopian Thriller
Rating – PG13
Why Blogging is Important
I
don’t know if blogging works or not. I have been told it takes five
years to build a viable book selling business. I’m in year one. I’m
taking on faith that some of these things are going to pay off someday.
For
me, blogging is important because it builds your reader base. I started
out with blogs about my adventures sailing down the coast to Mexico. I
got about two hundred hits per post and was pretty happy. Then I hit the
jack pot.
I live with my girlfriend and her Great Dane on my
56-foot sailboat. People always ask “How do you live on a boat with such
a big dog?” I decided to write a blog post about living with a Great
Dane.
One post became three. Then Odin, the Great Dane in
question, took exception to what I was writing about him and wanted to
set the record straight. He wrote about three blogs, to which I had to
respond.
During this blog debate, readers started flocking to my
blog. Dawn, my significant other, posted the blogs to her Great Dane
Facebook groups, I posted to my sailing/cruising groups and people just
appeared from nowhere. Suddenly, thousands of people were reading my
blogs.
Has it done any good? Not a lot. My book sales are still
pretty low, but I get email from readers saying things like “I really
liked your blog, so I decided to buy your book.” Now I just need to get
more people to follow suit.
If Clive Cussler had written Ugly Betty, it would be Hacker for Hire.
Hacker for Hire, a suspense novel
about corporate greed and industrial espionage, is the second book in a
series about Latino computer security analyst Ted Higuera and his best
friend, para-legal Chris Hardwick.
The goofy, off-beat Ted Higuera, son
of Mexican immigrants, grew up in East LA. An unlikely football
scholarship brought him to Seattle.
Chris, Ted’s college roommate, grew
up with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father is the head of one of
Seattle’s most prestigious law firms.
Ted’s first job out of college leads
him into the world of organized crime where he faces a brutal beating.
After being rescued by beautiful private investigator Catrina Flaherty,
Ted decides to go to work for her.
Catrina is hired by a large computer
corporation to find a leak in their corporate boardroom when the
previous consultant is found floating in Elliot Bay.
Ted discovers that Chris’s firm has
been retained by their prime suspect. Now he and Chris are working
opposite sides of the same case.
Ted and Catrina are led deep into
Seattle’s Hi-Tech world as they stalk the killer. But the killer is also
hunting them. Can Ted find the killer before the killer finds him?
Genre – Mystery, Thriller
Rating – R
Connect with Pendelton Wallace on Facebook
How to write without giving too much away
One
of the main tricks to writing is to know when to reveal things and when
to keep them hidden. Otherwise, all books would be about two pages.
Masking and unveiling is an art form in of itself. A character's
background can be hidden while the action of the story takes place or
vice versa. On the other hand, there may be certain little clues for you
to follow left by the author, but you have to be paying attention to
the foreshadowing. It's a literary device by which an author explains
certain plot developments that may come later in the story. Also, you
must not forget we writers like to lead you off course as well. All of
the above is what I attempted to do with my novel COPYRIGHT. Whether I
was successful or not, will be determined in April.
Character:
I never like knowing everything about a character right away in a book.
I want to see the way they move into the story first. I want them to
slowly reveal themselves as the story progresses. For me personally, I
don't even need to like the character. I've never stopped reading a book
because I didn't like the character, case in point Gone Girl. Many
people didn't like it because the characters were not likable, or they
didn't like the ending of the story. That wasn't the case for me. I
loved how blatantly unlovable they were. Why? Because, it went right
along with the story.
Story: The
job of a writer is to build tension. How? We do this by keeping things
hidden to the very last excruciating moment. Think of it as a 'reader's
need to know basis'. When you're about to reveal something important,
consider does the reader really need to know it right then and there? Or
can they wait until later? If the answer is No, they don't need to know
it, then hold off. Remember the TV show LOST? They were geniuses at
doing this, almost to the point of driving their fans nuts. Waiting,
anticipating, trying to guess what's going to happen next-that's my
favorite part of reading. It doesn't matter the genre. Always leave a
little misty fog until the very end, your readers will thank you for it.
Amber
Tyler is living every author’s dream: her books are all best sellers
and she writes full time. She has worked hard and is well-accomplished
in her career, and she has the support and love of her beautiful
children and girlfriend.
But
the dream soon turns into a terrible nightmare when her latest
manuscript is stolen. She decides to fight for what is rightfully hers,
only to find that the harder she tries, the easier it all slips through
her fingers, putting her career, her family, and her life in jeopardy.
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-13
A
blank screen morphs into a visual version of white noise. You begin to
hear your heartbeat thumping, wondering if it will match the cadence of
the blinking cursor. Before you know it, thirty minutes have drifted by,
then an hour. You awake from your mental stupor and ponder how you can
ever re-capture time wasted, your mind grasping for a coherent thought.
Not just any coherent thought, but the next great sentence of the
greatest novel in the twenty first century.
We’ve all been there. So, how do you cope with it?
Writer’s
block. Okay, I said it. The elephant in the room. Honestly, I rarely
use the term. Because I just don’t give in to suffering from it. Ever.
Why?
For the most part—this is my own personal way of addressing life’s ups
and downs—I think it’s more of a crutch. If I allowed myself to go
there, I could find many excuses to not write. We’re not robots or a
manufacturing plant. We’re eating, breathing, mind-straying humans, who,
at times, can lose our focus, or our groove. That’s okay. Don’t beat
yourself up. Don’t pound your fist in frustration, or dig a trench in
the floor from pacing yourself to death. It’s counter-productive.
For
starters, I’m a believer that we’re all as unique as snowflakes. Many
of us are writers in some form or fashion, while a few of us create in
other ways, music, painting, sculpture. But we’re all going to respond
to bumps in our journey to share our creative endeavors in different
manners.
Back
in the day, I cranked out story after story as a newspaper reporter. At
times, I’d have no more than thirty minutes to whip out a twenty-inch
story. Early on in my journalism career, I’d let the pressure get to me.
Finally, in an attempt to free myself from the mental torture and
inevitable stress, I thought through the deadline scenario while I was
jogging one day. There was a correlation, I could see, to my running
workouts. If I was tense, my breath was shortened, I’d have a miserable
run, my time would suck and I simply wasn’t going to get better.
I
learned to prepare myself for those deadline stories. I quickly
understood that you perform your best when your mind is calm, free of
clutter, and your body relaxed. Focused, yes, tense, not so much.
I
realized I didn’t want to be my own worst enemy. Countless other things
in life either purposely or coincidentally create hurdles for us to
overcome. I was determined—and still am—to not let my mental psyche be
on the enemy side of the ledger. In other words, I want my stride over
the hurdle to be as smooth as I can make it. And I will make it. Every
time.
Expressing
your creative self is one of life’s greatest gifts. You deserve an
honest, but encouraging signal from within your own mind. Be real, be
productive. Be true to yourself. But if you have a brief period of time
when you’re not feeling the mojo, don’t sweat it. Let confidence flow
through your bloodstream, cut yourself a break and come back to it
refreshed and ready to establish yourself as the greatest author of this
decade. Just don’t blame…you know, it.
Behind
the façade of every corporate takeover executives pull levers this way
and that, squeezing the last profitable nickel out of the deal. But no
one knows the true intent of every so-called merger.
No one knows the secret bonds that exist.
An Indian technology giant swallows
up another private company that has deep roots in North Texas. For one
unassuming man the thought of layoffs, of losing his own job to a bunch
of arrogant assholes feels like a kick to the jewels.
Until the day Michael’s life changes forever.
Perverse alliances. An affair of the
heart. A grisly murder. A spiraling string of events thrusts Michael
into a life-or-death fight to save a tortured soul and hunt down a
brutal killer…one who lurks closer than he ever imagined.
Greed knows no boundaries.
Genre – Suspense, Thriller
Rating – R
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I joined the choir in my local church when I was eight years old. I left
to sing a different type of music when I was eighteen. When my treble
voice was in its prime I sang with the choir at evensong in Salisbury
Cathedral.
In
the mid 60s I worked for the Kray family. This could send a shiver down
the spine of a lot of people who either experienced the family first
hand or have read about their ‘reign of terror’ in London at that time.
Charles Kray, who was related to the infamous brothers, was a director
of an entertainment agency who booked us to play at pubs and clubs
across London. His name appeared at the head of every contract we
received; one of his ‘boys’ arrived at the majority of venues to pay us
the contracted amount or to tell us it was ‘cheque to the agent’
tonight; we never argued. We worked for the agency for eighteen months
and had no trouble whatsoever; it was probably the best agency we ever
worked for!
In
the early 70s I appeared on several editions of a sports quiz programme
on the radio. British readers of a certain age will remember the
celebrity team captains, Brian Johnston and Ted Moult. The quizmaster
was Peter Jones, a broadcasting legend. It was an unbelievable
experience.
I
started playing snooker when I was sixteen years old. The local League
provided me with many happy years of competition and after 25 years of
playing I decided to give something back. In 1991 I became League
Secretary and I plan to pass the reins over to someone else in 2015.
I’ve operated a ‘benevolent dictatorship’ and it has seemed to work
without too many problems! I plan on playing after my long term of
office is over!
We
played at The Granary Club in Bristol supporting Genesis on February
22nd 1971. It was a regular venue for us and we had backed several big
names there. The gig was voted the best night in the history of the Club
(1969 -1988). Happy days! The full story is in my first book.
Lynne
and I ran a quiz night at a local social club for almost twelve years. I
hosted over five hundred quizzes, all of which I prepared myself. Lynne
was my glamorous assistant. The last quiz we ran was on 21st December 2012; seven days after I started to write ‘The Final Straw’ my first novel.
I was
made redundant in March 2000 after thirty four years with a tyre
company. I took the money and ran! When I had joined them in the mid 60s
it was a friendly, sociable working environment that made it a pleasure
to go to work. By the time I left it had become a soulless money making
machine and I haven’t given the place a second thought since I walked
through the gates for the final time.
It’s
not very rock ‘n’ roll but the summer after I finished work I started
playing bowls. The vast majority of my colleagues were twenty years
older than me at least, yet the next eight summers were the happiest
sporting times of my life. I was Club Captain in 2008 and maybe I’ll
find time to take it up again when I get older!
I
have been an Exam Invigilator at our local school since 2002. I look
after children sitting various stages of their examination life from
eleven to eighteen years of age. We have a team of twenty or so
invigilators and I’m possibly the longest serving member now. It’s
rewarding work and I keep an eye out for how the ‘superstars’ develop as
they leave us and go on to university and beyond.
In November 2012 I was joined by two of the original members of my last group for a reunion gig. It was to mark the 65thbirthday
of one our road managers. Almost 40 years after our last gig together
we played some of our favourite songs; it was the first time my children
and a lot of my friends had heard me sing! We had a great night, but it
was probably just a ‘one-off’. My friends asked me whether I missed how
it felt to be on stage singing to an audience that enjoyed what they
heard. I replied ‘Only every day!’
The
sequel to the award winning ‘The Final Straw’ sees Colin Bailey return
to the UK after almost a decade abroad. With a new name and a new face
he still has scores to settle. His meticulous planning takes him
ingeniously across Scotland and the North of England ticking names off
his list with the police completely baffled.
DCI Phil Hounsell pitted his wits
against Colin before and so he is sent to Durham where he teams up with
super intelligent young DS Zara Wheeler; together they track their man
to Manchester and then eventually south to Bath.
The final scenes take place on the
streets of the Roman city; Phil Hounsell’s family is threatened and in a
dramatic conclusion reminiscent of Holmes and Moriarty at the
Reichenbach Falls, the two men struggle above the foaming waters of the
historic Pulteney weir.
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-18
Tell us about your family? I am a widow, so my handsome, bright sons are the cornerstone of my life. After my husband passed from cancer was when I moved from Minneapolis to the Midwest to take care of my aging mother.
How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk? Everywhere. It depends on my mood. In the winter months when it’s below zero, I bring the computer into my bedroom. If it’s 75-80 degrees outside, you might find me with my laptop on my deck.
Where do you get support from? Do you have friends in the industry? I have a ton of friends in the industry. Many I interviewed when I was first started my website. My friends live all over the world; Italy, Germany, the UK. I don’t ever want to lose even one of them.
How much sleep do you need to be your best? I don’t sleep well, I’m always thinking, thinking, thinking. I think this is the lament of most women. If I have five hours of continuous sleep, I’m good to go.
Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge and thank for their support? Katie French, who is an excellent author, and I have been beta readers for each other’s books for three years. My books are enhanced by Katie’s input. We are brutally honest with each other, and that’s what we both want.
Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you? Don’t we all want to be at the top of the New York Times Best Selling list? I’m no different. I’m not going to try to woo anyone with words such as “I just hoped and prayed that someone would read my books.” I want everyone to read my novels and applaud the fact that I am a bold writer who isn’t looking to “fit it” to what the most popular genre of the months is, as I’m ready and willing to take a chance.
It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign? I market the first thing in the morning every single day. Marketing doesn’t have to be about your book, it can be about building a relationship - one person at a time. I try to seek out people who I find interesting, and hope they find me interesting too. I have a “facebook team” that are unbelievable supporters who shout out the word to their friends whenever I have a release, a book signing, or radio interview. But make no mistake, this team is about friendship first and not marketing.
Tell us about your new book? What’s it about and why did you write it? Psychological thriller Lottery just came out this month. Mental illness has always fascinated me. I don’t think the public really understands that mental illness is just as real to the person afflicted as the so called “normal” person’s mind. In Lottery, Caleb O’Toole is described as “Jekyll and Hyde meets Dexter.” The human mind is fascinating, and there have been instances where we find that the person next door is not who we thought he/she was when their dark secret is exposed.
If you could have a dinner party and invite anyone dead or alive, who would you ask? My father. He passed three years ago, and I have so much I want to tell him.
Do you have any tips on how writers can relax? Exercise. Make yourself work out the kinks of sitting at a computer writing for hours and days at a time. Set a time, place, and how long you are going to work those muscles and take a break from the computer. Your mind, your body, and those closest to you need you to take a breather. I’m also a golfer and try to get on the course as much as time allows.
Soon
after Ann Ferguson and Ben Grable marry, and Ben unseals his adoption
papers, their perfect life together is torn apart, sending the couple to
opposite sides of the courtroom.
Representing
Ann, lawyer Michael J. McConaughey (Mac) feels this is the case that
could have far-reaching, judicial effects -- the one he's been waiting
for.
Opposing counsel knows this high profile case happens just once in a lifetime.
And
when the silent protest known as HUSH sweeps the nation, making
international news, the CEO of one of the top ten pharmaceutical
companies in the world plots to derail the trial that could cost his
company billions.
Critically
acclaimed literary thriller HUSH not only questions one of the most
controversial laws that has divided the nation for over four decades,
but captures a story of the far-reaching ties of family that surpasses
time and distance.
***
Hush does not have political or religious content. The story is built
around the emotions and thoughts of two people who differ in their
beliefs.
EDITORIAL
REVIEW: "Suspenseful and well-researched, this action-packed legal
thriller will take readers on a journey through the trials and
tribulations of one of the most controversial subjects in society
today."
Katie French author of "The Breeders," "The Believer's," and "Eyes Ever To The Sky."
Genre – Thriller
Rating – PG-13
If
you’ve read my author bio somewhere on the Web, you know that I live on
a mountain ranch in Colorado and have a rather spirited Golden
Retriever named Shelby. She follows me everywhere and wouldn’t give me a
moment of solitude if I didn’t periodically assert my rights to be an
independent being and do things like going to bathroom by myself. But I
also have a wife who enjoys kanoodling with me from time to time, and it
isn’t very romantic if a Golden Retriever is simultaneously licking
your face. Fortunately, the young lady has her own, comfy bed on the
floor. That would be the dog, by the way, not my wife.
As
a writer, I clearly spend a lot of time at my desk, and Shelby is
always nearby. She spends most of her time in the media room adjacent to
my study staring out the French doors, monitoring our property for the
multitudes of deer who frequently chow down on our landscaping. If I
hear Shelby whining or barking in there, I know exactly what’s going on,
and I’ll jump from my desk to let her out so she can chase them away.
When she returns, she usually opens the door to let herself in and trots
into the study looking like she had just saved the world from a nuclear
holocaust.
You
would think, since pushing down the door lever is a piece of cake for
her, she’d also let herself OUT, but she doesn’t quite have the knack of
pulling the door open yet. It’s so much easier to push from the
outside. Then I have to get up and close the door again.
But
Shelby’s favorite little caper is to come into the study periodically
throughout the day and stare at me with a very clear message in her
eyes: “Dad, I don’t know what you’re doing in here, but it’s quite
boring, and I need you to stop it. Let’s go outside and do something far
more entertaining like barking at things that don’t exist.”
These
visits happen more frequently as the day goes on since we’re getting
closer and closer to “quitting time” (or at least dinner time if I plan
to return to work afterwards). Usually, after I spin around in my chair
and see her staring me down, I’ll call her over and spend a couple of
minutes giving her vigorous petties. That will pacify her for some
indefinite period of time, after which she comes back for an encore
performance, clearly hoping I’ll listen to reason this time.
I’m
not saying we don’t take occasional breaks during the day to play, take
a hike, exercise, or go for a ride in the car. We do all that. But I
still adhere to a regimented work day, which means no less than 8 hours
(and often 10 or more) at my desk, and that’s a lot of sedentary time
for a dog to endure. Sometimes she’ll goof around outside without me for
a while, especially if chipmunks or other nefarious creatures are in
need of chasing around. But in no time she’s back at the study, and I
need to get up and close the door, hopefully before those dastardly
chipmunks scurry inside.
Oh,
if you’re wondering why I harbor such contempt for chipmunks, just
check out my author blog at GoodReads.com and read about our
cutting-edge chipmunk relocation program. Then you’ll understand.
So
it’s safe to say that Shelby has no understanding of why I fiddle with a
four-screen computer workstation all day (I trade stocks, too), and I’m
sure she thinks we’d both be better off if I did something else for a
living. But my former career was in structured finance, which often
entailed 60 to 80-hour work weeks with barely enough time outside the
office to eat and sleep. If I went back THAT life, she would hardly ever
get to see me, and I doubt that’s what she has in mind.
Sometimes puppy dogs just don’t think things through.
"James Bond Meets Fifty Shades of Grey"
Immerse yourself in the world class novels that combine action,
mystery & suspense with tantalizing and tastefully written erotica.
You’ll find all your sensibilities roused at once with Kevin Sterling’s
ultra-sexy, action-packed Jack Lazar Series.
In
this fourth action-packed thriller, Jack travels to Denmark for a
business venture, but what seems to be a textbook transaction turns into
a nightmare after he gets involved with Katarina, a vivacious Danish
girl who apparently lacks a moral compass, not to mention an off button.
After naively believing their liaison was just a random encounter, Jack
discovers she’s connected to his business deal, and there’s a dangerous
political group with skin in the game, too.
Katarina makes a convincing case of being a victim, not part of the conspiracy, but can Jack really trust her?
The
firestorm gets out of control as Jack digs deeper, unearths the
convoluted plot behind it all, and discovers that innocent people are
being heartlessly killed. He’s not only horrified by the reason why it’s
happening, but how it’s being done, and there appears to be no way to
stop it from occurring again.
Then
the scheme’s real objective emerges, launching Jack into action with
intelligence operatives to prevent it. But that’s not so easy with
assassins on Jack’s tail, forcing him to struggle for survival while
trying to prevent Katarina from getting caught in the crossfire.
Genre – Action, Mystery, Suspense
Rating – R
When they could not convene at Madrigal’s island fortress on Saint Kitts, the Alliance used a dedicated secure satellite link that had been purchased at great cost. Half a dozen of the top Mexican figures from the organization had gathered in Esteban Zaragosa’s vast, heavily secured Barragán residence, in one of the wide, tree-lined streets of the Colonia Roma area. This teleconference had been called by Caesar Rodriguez, who had emerged from the pack in recent months to become the defacto number two to Zaragosa. The subject at hand was the attack of a few months prior on the heroin refinery in Conchillo.
“Cigarette butts? I don’t understand,” one of the Peruvian contingent said.
“The ends of a particular brand of cigarette, Classic, manufactured by …,” Rodriguez looked at the report in front of him and mangled the pronunciation, “… by Duvanska Industrija Nis. It’s a company based in the former Yugoslavia. The brand is popular in the region but otherwise rare.”
“And your man in the Interior Ministry thinks the fact that one of the gunmen may have smoked foreign cigarettes is important?” the Peruvian continued.
“More importantly, Campas, the head of their Anti-Drug Force, thinks it’s important and that bastard is rarely wrong,” Rodriquez replied.
The tall, powerfully built Rodriguez had been working into a simmering rage even before the meeting had commenced, and the slowness of the other callers to grasp the significance of what he was saying was only adding to this. He shook his head in irritation.
Esteban Zaragosa gestured to Rodriguez that he would elaborate. The Mexican cartel leader had been largely silent since the opening pleasantries.
“Campas’s report indicates a mercenary-style attack, and mercenaries are one thing that is in abundant supply in the Balkans,” Zaragosa explained.
“We can’t let this attack go unanswered,” Rodriguez pressed.
Almost two thousand miles away on the outskirts of Bogota, it was clear to Luis Madrigal that Rodriquez was trying to drum up support and, in doing so, force Madrigal into a course of action.
“Normally I’d agree, but before we can retaliate we need to be sure who to retaliate against.” Madrigal had to be careful; he wanted to be firm without appearing dictatorial.
Rodriguez exploded.
“The report I received yesterday contains definitive fucking evidence. The Kosovars are behind the attack, and if we don’t retaliate they’ll be encouraged to go further. We have to act now to show them that this time they’re not dealing with a bunch of putas.”
“Cigarette butts are hardly justification to start a war that could potentially set us back years. Let’s wait to see what else this policeman, whom you rate so highly, comes up with.” Madrigal was well aware of Campas’s pedigree, but this wasn’t the time to acknowledge it.
“We’re not in a fucking courtroom: we only need to satisfy ourselves. I said months ago that the Kosovars, whom you were so happy to approach with talk of closer partnership, represented our biggest fucking threat. They pushed out the Italians, Pakistani, and Lebanese in Europe, and now they’re looking at us. They’ve done business with you and have plainly evaluated you to be weak and vulnerable.”
Madrigal was somewhat surprised. He knew some of the Mexicans, most notably Rodriguez, harbored resentment at what they felt was their subordinate role, but none of them had ever gone this far. Clearly, Rodriguez’s rage was directing him now.
“And you, Caesar, do you agree that I’m weak and vulnerable?”
Although he had remained calm and not raised his voice, something had changed in Madrigal’s tone, and the rest of the Colombian contingent began to shift uncomfortably in their chairs.
Whether due to his anger or his remove from Madrigal, Rodriguez ranted on. “You’re vulnerable if you don’t see the threat! When enemies perceive you to be weak, then you are weak!”
Only when the last word had tumbled out did Rodriguez appear to realize the implication of what he was saying. He glanced around at the other people in the room, all of whom were avoiding eye contact with him, even Zaragosa. Madrigal had ruthlessly clawed his way to the top of Colombia’s drugs elite and then, against all the odds, had pulled the many widely divergent Central and South American cartels together to form the Alliance. It was suicide to challenge his strength so directly.
“Luis, forgive me, I’m not expressing myself properly. There’s no question that you’re more than capable of dealing with any threat. It’s just I appreciate the great number of demands being placed on you. A possible danger might be easily averted now with swift action but be more difficult if left to fester.”
Madrigal took a moment, letting the silence underline Rodriguez’s retreat, before replying. “Here’s what I think. The operation, as you pointed out, bore all the trademarks of a mercenary attack. Many mercenaries operate in Central and South America and, in recent years, some have probably gained employment in the Balkans. So, the cigarettes don’t necessarily indicate someone in the employ of the Kosovars, and can hardly justify an attack on an organization that provides such a profitable sales channel.”
“Luis, I agree that we should not rush to conclusions. Equally, we cannot just ignore the matter,” interjected Cabieses, an elderly Peruvian.
“No, Tomas, we’ll stay on top of it. I suggest that as well as monitoring the official investigation, we pursue one of our own. Our network runs throughout the continent. If mercenaries from this part of the world were used, we should be able to find out.”
“Perhaps we could also extend our investigation to Europe?” suggested Cabieses.
“Of course, we can use our sources there to make discreet enquiries, but we must be careful that the Kosovars get no inkling of this. If they are responsible, we do not want to put them on their guard. If they’re not, we don’t want to risk offending them.”
Madrigal could sense that some of them still had misgivings but knew they wouldn’t voice them. He warned himself not to become complacent and made a note to take some time later for some calls to smooth any ruffled feathers. No position was unassailable.
WINNER THE JOHN MURRAY SHOW / RTE GUIDE / KAZOO COMPETITION
A brutal conflict unleashed.
Who stands to win?
A bloody massacre at a Mexican heroin refinery; a Miami-bound freight ship hijacked for its cargo of illegal narcotics; the ruthless assassination of a Kosovar drug lord – a war has erupted between two drugs superpowers.
As DEA Agent Diane Mesi investigates she becomes convinced that the conflict is being orchestrated by an unknown third party. But she is marginalised by her colleagues and her judgement is challenged at every turn. Only if she can expose the truth will she be able to stop the violence and save her career.
Michael Larsen is an ex-soldier and hired mercenary who has been contracted to fuel the conflict at every opportunity until it destroys both sides. As he battles his own demons, he hopes that by directing the violence he will attain some measure of redemption.
But neither Mesi nor Larsen know the full extent of the forces at play or of what is truly at stake. As they each pursue their own resolution, the violence escalates and they become increasingly vulnerable to the dangers that stalk them.
Incitement won the John Murray Show / RTE Guide / Kazoo Competition from over 500 entries.
Genre – Thriller
Rating – R
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