Posts Tagged ‘Action’

 

Find Me At The Disco

By Diahanna Aurora Hampton

 

Publication date: January 8th 2026
Genres: Action, Romance

New York, 1977. Liza Collins is struggling to reconcile her relationship with her father, Will, after a lifetime of secrets and betrayal. Upon graduating from boarding school in London, Liza returns to her hometown of New York City seeking answers about her childhood that Will has largely left unanswered. Instead of answers, Liza unearths a series of illicit affairs, sham marriages, and financial troubles her father has tried to keep buried.

As Liza struggles with these findings and navigates adulthood, she meets Jennifer Blake-a woman who introduces her to a world of drugs, alcohol, and disco. In the midst of it all, Liza then discovers something about her family that she never could have imagined, clouding her judgment and sense of self. Consequently, Will is forced to either confess his mistakes or give up on his relationship with his daughter entirely.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Jennifer grabbed Liza’s arm. “Let’s go boogie!”

“I don’t know. It’s kind of crowded.”

Liza stood awkwardly, watching people bump into each other. “That’s the best though, people moving their bodies against you. No one cares if you can’t dance, you just move to the beat and have fun.”

Before Liza could respond, a different song came on, Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love,” making people cheer and dance faster than before.

“Oh my God! I love this song, come on!” Jennifer squealed.

Liza let Jennifer pull her onto the dance floor. At first, she wasn’t really dancing. She kept getting shoved and pushed as she stood in front of Jennifer, who automatically moved to the beat. She tried to mimic her friend’s movements, but she felt unsure of herself as she struggled to get the right rhythm. Jennifer must have noticed Liza’s efforts, as she turned Liza around and placed her hands on her hips to help guide her. The song’s beat got easier for Liza to follow as she heard Donna Summer’s voice hum from the speakers.

Liza relaxed as the alcohol coursed through her veins. She let her body move under Jennifer’s direction and stopped overthinking. Jennifer turned Liza back around to face her, moving their bodies closer. Jennifer reached into her pocket to show Liza a few pills in a small plastic bag. She still moved to the beat when she popped one in her mouth and then promptly kissed Liza, transfer-ring a piece of the pill from her tongue to Liza’s. When Jennifer pulled away, she smirked.

After a few moments, Liza threw her head back as she felt the drug take hold. She saw the disco ball spinning above her, and the multicolored lights flashing around the club. Her vision blurred, coming in and out of focus like a kaleidoscope. Jennifer was behind her again bumping and grinding, leaving no room between them. Liza’s heart rate sped up, and she felt sweat drip down her neck. It was hot on the dance floor. Although she was breathing heavily, she continued to dance, letting the beat take over her movements.

They danced for several more songs, each one faster than the last. Liza’s skin was slick from sweat.

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About Author Diahanna Aurora Hampton:

Diahanna Aurora Hampton is a Boston based writer with a B.A. in Art Studies. Find Me At The Disco is her first novel.

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Find Me At The Disco Blitz

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Mild Mannered Men by Walter Horsting Banner

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MILD MANNERED MEN
by Walter Horsting
September 1-26, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

 

 

Synopsis:
The Rain Will Wash Away The Blood

An action-packed thriller, Mild Mannered Men explores how a simple mistake can change the lives of countless people. An honest mistake leads to the accidental exchange of a disc that holds top-secret information which can threaten the socioeconomic fate of the world as we know it.

The novel follows Sergei, an ex-KGB freelancer who’s dealing with the Cartel and China’s technology leader. Happy Camper, sister of George Camper, a cybersecurity expert, is putting together a venture deal of her own during a VTC. John Nord is the man helping set up the international video teleconference with Sergei and Happy, unaware of how a simple meeting could change his life and the lives of many.

As the Russian kidnaps John’s fiancée for a barter, an FBI agent is hot on the trail, desperate to find closure of his own. Peter Holland, a reporter chasing a story, finds himself in the middle of the chaos after having accidentally left his phone in Happy’s car.

Murder, espionage, and an international conspiracy bring together five people from different walks of life who find themselves entrapped in an adventure beyond their grasp.

How much could possibly go wrong in just four days?

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Praise for Mild Mannered Men:

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“Don’t let the title fool you. Mild Mannered Men is a fast-paced thriller in the tradition of John Le Carré and Tom Clancy. Horsting’s first novel weaves multiple characters into a spiraling narrative, picking up the pace as the main characters are drawn into the intrigue of hi-tech international espionage. Mild Mannered Men deftly juxtaposes seemingly divergent plot lines in a cleverly-constructed cat-and-mouse game of Who Has It, rather than Who Done It. If you like car chases and snappy dialogue then give this shape-shifting page-turner a spot on your bookshelf.” ~ Ken Nicholson Emmy Winning Editor

Mild Mannered Men is a fantasy come true: who hasn’t wondered what would happen if you suddenly became involved in a high tech international conspiracy with Russian hit men, drug cartel death squads and FBI agents all converging on you? How would you do in a high-stakes, high-speed chase through the mountains of northern California? All of you Ian Fleming, Tom Clancy enthusiasts can stop wondering—here’s the novel for you. Horsting’s hero is a regular guy who thinks his way out of dire situations, using his with and cunning to get out of tight scrapes that lead into worse situations. With the help of a big cast of characters, his fianceé and some well-monied friends, John Nord follows the tech trail to navigate this wide-ranging, fast-paced thriller. It’s not everyday you get a chance to save the world.” ~ Max Rebeaux, Publisher

“Bob and I just finished reading your book and thoroughly enjoyed it! I brought it with me on our 5 day trip to Cabo. I liked the spacing (layout) in the book, pictures, list of characters and their roles for reference during the early part of my read. The many places are a tribute to Sacto and SF! I need to revisit Frank Fat and Boulevard in 2025. I typically read nonfiction but loved it! Very clever in the time frames and most visual descriptions ❤️ throughout. Congrats and THANK YOU for this signed copy. It took me quite a while to read the book in order to fully absorb the story but it was a faster read for Bob. I will lend it to a couple of friends in the coming months.” ~ Bob and Carol Tetz

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Mild Mannered Men Trailer:

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Book Details:

Genre: Spy Action Adventure

Published by: Self Published Publication Date: October 4th 2024 Number of Pages: 298 ISBN: 9798337680613

Book Links: Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Goodreads | BookBub | Audible

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Enjoy this peek inside:

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The monsoon gale was relentless, tearing apart the redwood trees that dotted the sweeping curves of Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. Traffic was minimal, with only a few drivers braving the hundred-year storm that assailed the Santa Cruz Mountains that day.

Mount Herman Road

The storm was brutal. John Nord squinted through the moving windshield wipers; his brows drawn with tension. The visibility was close to zero. He was clenching his jaw, angry at how the wipers were not quick enough, even at their fastest.

The rain came down in sheets, thundering on the roof of John’s faded blue Taurus Wagon. His car swerved on the deserted but slick curves of the road, the winding asphalt reflecting the wagon’s headlights at him. The midday sky was heavy with dark clouds, the torrential rain blinding every driver on the road. The world beyond the shelter of John’s car was pure chaos. The noise of the storm hemorrhaging through the car’s windows. Even though the windows muffled the sound, John was fully aware of the creaking as the redwoods bent under the pressure of the wind.
Felton Empire Grade Curve
The roadbed spiraled around consecutive two hundred and seventy degree turns while clawing another one hundred feet of altitude; sheets of rain pelted the road and hillside. The wind whipped redwoods side to side, and the raging gale edged up in pitch and fury. Massive trees groaned in protest. Branches snapped in the wind, the redwood needles adding to the hell that poured down the Felton Empire Road curve. The sound of heavy wind in an evergreen forest had its own fierceness. The high-pitched growl of trillions of needles scratching the air mixed with the guttural low-frequency strain of heavy timber, stretching to survive, foretold doom. A large branch slashed across the road and down the cliff along the side of Felton-Empire Grade. The roadway rose two thousand tortuous feet from the foot of the grade. Hurricane-force winds lashed and moaned from the forest above the pavement as it twistingly ascended through a nasty corner. No one should be out driving, but John had no choice.
Mount Herman Road
“This is Santa Cruz classic rock. It is a wonderful day to stay indoors with another classic from Yes, Owner of a Lonely Heart. The DJ’s voice crackled through the radio. The song’s instrumental began to bleed through the speakers of John’s car. The riff of the electric guitars was easy to hear, even over the noise of the heavy rain. The blue wagon sped away from the Highway 17 exit. Mount Herman Road wedged itself between the competing strip malls of Scotts Valley. John ignored the discordant symphony of horns behind him, protesting his driving. John focused on another vehicle that zoomed in and out of the midday traffic ahead of him. The black sedan he followed sped past cars on the four-lane highway, snaking through the rush of traffic as John stepped on the accelerator in anxious pursuit. The DJ’s voice broke into the song’s flow. “Folks, we have a breaking story. A national weather alert for the Santa Cruz Mountains, torrential rain for the next six hours, and a landslide warning. Back to Yes.” “Move yourself,” the singer belted. John’s eyes darted to the signboard above, making a mental note of how soon Mount Herman Road would leave Scotts Valley behind. The sedan sped forward smoothly, unaffected by the torrential rain. John’s faded blue wagon whizzed past five more cars, jumping ahead of traffic before the stoplight turned green. The road began to narrow as the chase continued, the four lanes shrinking to one going uphill. John scanned ahead for the sedan, squinting through the downpour. He spotted the dark sedan pulling past a fuel tanker truck beginning its slow ascent uphill. John gritted his teeth in frustration, staring at the sedan fast disappearing in the rain. “Never thinking of the future. Prove yourself,” the song continued. In his rush to catch up with the sedan, John almost missed the tanker changing lanes. He winced at the wrenching sound of metal against metal. The scrape was a sickening contrast to the rock song. Still, his car sped forward. John straightened up in his seat checking the damage his wagon had sustained. The hauler had clipped the Taurus, taking the right turn signal with it. John veered right, narrowly escaping a collision with an oncoming logging truck. As he returned to his lane, the logger angrily sounded his air horn. The headlights behind him were blinding, the truck’s beam set high. “You are the move you make. Take your chances, win, or lose. See yourself. You are the steps you take. You and you, and that’s the only way.” The downpour got heavier as the road narrowed. The wind and rain had increased to hurricane strength. Branches snapped, and mud oozed over the road. Sludge began covering the inside lane as the howling wind increased. Inside the Taurus, John, a rough handsome man in his thirties, ran a hand through his blonde hair, puffing out his cheeks as he exhaled. His gaze darted frantically to the mirrors, checking his position on the hill. His heart still thundered from the near-death experience of almost totaling his wagon into a logging truck. He was feeling the strain of the high-speed chase. John sped after the dark sedan. It was the only thing he could do. His hand fell for his phone as he kept his gaze on the road, glancing down in time to see that it would not turn on no matter how many times he pressed the button on the side. “Shake…” The car veered sideways again as John’s eyes darted around for the car phone charger. The charger he kept on the dashboard slid off onto the passenger side floor, out of reach. John grunted, annoyed. The charger thumped against the soft makeup case his fiancée had kept there. He glanced down to see a nail file and cuticle clippers peeking out from the case. The passenger side was a mess of clutter, as if the woman who sat there would return any moment, gather her things, and pass John a smile and a wave as she headed off to work. A Sutter Healthcare security pass slid out from her purse on the floor beside the case. John’s throat tightened at the sight of the face staring back at him from the badge. The sound of the truck horn faded into the downpour. John swallowed sharply, dropping the phone in his lap while pressing down on the gas, willing his car to speed up. “Shake yourself…” The rain hammered down on his windshield. John turned up the wipers’ speed, clearing the windshield for a millisecond before the view returned to a blur of rain and the heavy wind. The redwoods bent whichever way the wind pleased, and the thunderous crackle of smaller trees falling and branches snapping leaked into the safe shell of John’s car. The redwood trees moaned as the rain blew sideways, cracking as nature continued its violent assault. Muddy rivulets trailed down into the roadway. “You’re every move you make. So, the story goes, owner of a lonely heart.” The narrow path had turned into a steep incline. As John urged his car up the slope, the faded Taurus battled against the wind and rain. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel, knuckles white as his jaw ached, his fiancée’s face flashing before his eyes. He had to make it. “Owner of a broken heart. Owner of a lonely heart.” John let out a heavy breath as his faithful Taurus pulled through. The windshield cleared again momentarily, and John’s eyes widened at the sharp curve ahead. The slick roadways would make it impossible to make it through in one piece. John clenched his jaw, determined as he turned the wheel, whispering a silent prayer as he felt the rear wheels slide on the turn slewing off the road entirely for a moment. John held his breath, his heart stammering as the wheels floundered, barely staying on the road as he entered the town of Felton. “You’ve been hurt so before; watch it now. The eagle in the sky. How he dancin’ one and only, you, lose yourself. No, not for pity’s sake; there’s no real reason to be lonely. Be yourself.” The blue wagon slid to a rolling stop at Gramhill Road as he caught his breath. The chase had started taking a toll on him, but it was up to him. John’s head whipped toward the right, gaze zeroing in on his target. The dark sedan was speeding away, unaffected by the storm. John stepped on the gas, shaking his head, his car rocketing away in pursuit. “Give your free will a chance. You’ve got to want to succeed—owner of a lonely heart.” The blue wagon crossed Highway 9 onto Felton Empire Grade at a breakneck speed. The car veered left and right; John was understeering to get his vehicle under control. John caught his breath as his car straightened. He felt the tension in his shoulders, the steady ache that increased with every passing moment. A battered green pickup truck on Highway 9 spun out of control at the light. Most drivers were pulling their cars onto the side of the road at awkward angles, not wanting to drive in blinding dangerous conditions. John slammed his fist on the steering wheel, willing the car’s exhausted, faded, battered remnants to push its limits for one more charge. He fought to steer left, the road both turning and rising as it curved uphill and steepened. John felt like he may as well have been chasing that sedan on foot. Steering the distressed Taurus was no less than a marathon. The faithful wagon journeyed onward, the song’s chorus continuing as the trees on either side had started to canopy the road John was on, supplying a temporary respite from the assaulting rain. John exhaled; his relief was short-lived as he took in the approaching hairpin curve. “After my own indecision, they confused me so. Owner of a lonely heart. My love said never question your will at all. In the end, you’ve got to go.” The rock song continued as John sped forward. No turn could scare him enough to stop his pursuit. Just then, a giant redwood branch fell onto the road. Spotting it in time, John avoided it, but the road ahead now seemed impassable. The wind whipped branches off strong redwood trees and laid them out crossways on the road. But John refused to slow down. He pushed the Taurus to its last limits, sweat beading on his forehead. John muttered a silent curse as a branch landed heavily on the roof of his car. Up ahead was a sharp turn that veered left, then right, with fifteen miles an hour posted. “Look before you leap—owner of a lonely heart.br>And don’t you hesitate at all – no, no.” As the song faded into a guitar solo, John stared at his next challenge: the hairpin corner. The roadway snaked through a series of turns. The rain softened the shoulder of the mountain opened to a ravine below. He steered a centerline through the extreme right hairpin as the pavement descended into the Redwoods. The water poured down the hillside in torrents that became gushing creeks. John Nord nodded to himself, determined. He slammed his foot down on the pedal as the dark sedan sped seamlessly toward the turn, disappearing around the turn raising wakes of road water. “Owner of a lonely heart. Owner of a lonely heart. Much better than a Owner of a broken heart. Owner of a lonely heart.” The road straightened slightly out into rhythmic curves. The wagon strained against the weather, the rasping sounds from the engine a sure sign of the price the chase cost the wagon. The straining engine mirrored John’s mental state, the faded Taurus manifesting the intensity of its driver’s panic, fear, and determination. John floored it. The chorus of the song repeated, inching toward the end. “Sooner or later, each conclusion, Will decide the lonely heart. Owner of a lonely heart. It will excite; it will delight.” The song faded into silence as John approached another yellow fifteen-mile-per-hour sign leaning to the left. The storm bent the pole planted into the ground. The road spiraling up to the left, the slick road ahead had large cracks across the surface, promising him a harrowing experience. “It will give a better start. Owner of a lonely heart.” The music faded, John’s panic winning out as he braked hard for the hairpin turn. The wagon dropped into the large crack in the road, jerking his body as the sun visor popped down. John felt the jolt run through him, his head slamming back against the headrest. “Don’t deceive your free will at all. Don’t deceive your free will—owner of a lonely heart. Don’t deceive your free will at all, Just receive it—” John sighed, gritting his teeth, reaching over, switching off the radio. The blue wagon drifted through the hairpin curve and raced around the sweeping blind turn as the rain saturated hillside mud slipped down into the valley. The dark sedan disappeared while John, caught in the unforgiving road collapse, slid into the abyss. In defeat, John pounded the steering wheel. “And I thought I had it made. *** Excerpt from MILD MANNERED MEN by Walter Horsting. Copyright 2025 by Walter Horsting. Reproduced with permission from Walter Horsting. All rights reserved.

 

 

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About Author Walter Horsting:

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Walter Horsting

At age nineteen, Walter Horsting started his first career as a teenage soundman in the music industry and formed a concert audio company. He engineered over three thousand live shows in ten years. Walter branched into media systems integration of government hearing rooms, military command rooms, entertainment complexes, and Fortune 500 headquarters. He has developed national and international business for leading media and technology providers for airports, smart cities control rooms, network control centers, and global briefing centers. Walter lives with his wife, Sherry, in Sacramento, California. .  

Catch Up With Walter Horsting:

MildManneredMen.com Amazon Author Profile Goodreads Instagram – @mildmanneredmen YouTube – @MildManneredMen-r1o X – @WalterHorsting Facebook – @Walter Man

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MILD MANNERED MEN by Walter Horsting

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A sci-fi-tinged
action-adventure with heart and humor, the TimeLock series is
set in the crime-ridden near future where a bold new technology transforms the
justice system and challenges America’s moral compass. Only one problem—what
happens if you’re innocent? 
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The Millennium Paradox

Time Lock Book 3

by Howard Berk & Peter Berk

Genre: SciFi Action Adventure

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The
Award-Winning series co-written by award-winning writer Howard Berk
(“Columbo,” “Mission: Impossible”) and Peter Berk. 

Newly relocated to the charming Alaskan town of Caribou Bay
after bidding farewell to his best friends Morgan and Janine Eberly, Yoshi Ito
inadvertently prompts his boss, geneticist Dr. Emory Layton, to try a new
genetic acceleration protocol in a local prison. Using technology from the
TimeLock process, the experiment goes awry.

Instead of yielding the desired medical benefits, it generates a terrifying
outcome that infuses a convicted killer with superhuman powers.

As the killer begins to exact revenge upon his enemies, local helicopter pilot
Tom Brooks recruits the Eberlys’ help to stop the unstoppable force before the
residents of Caribou Bay—and possibly the whole world—are forever at the
killer’s mercy.

**NEW RELEASE!!**

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* Kobo * Bookshop.org
* Goodreads

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The Kyoto Conspiracy

Time Lock Series Book 2

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TimeLock stole
twenty years from Morgan Eberly’s life. A terrifying new version of the radical
technology might just end it. 

Two years after the events of TimeLock, a new and unhinged
president of the United States approves an immoral and illegal plan to develop
a weaponized form of the TimeLock process for use on the battlefield.
But only one man, geneticist Dr. Lionel Garvey, can execute the program. When
both he and his wife Kiyoko are kidnapped in Kyoto, Japan, Morgan and FBI Agent
Janine Price receive a frantic text from Kiyoko’s brother, Yoshi.

Realizing they can’t trust anyone in their own government, Morgan and Janine
fly to Japan and team up with Yoshi for an unauthorized rescue mission. After a
daring raid of a research facility in Japan, the trio realize they have only
delayed the president’s insane plan. They must now execute a dangerous assault
on a frozen corner of Siberia to accomplish their mission. Can Morgan and
Janine stop the president from unleashing a newly weaponized version
of TimeLock before it’s too late?

“A deftly crafted dystopian style science fiction
suspense thriller of a novel, “TimeLock” by the team of Howard and
Peter Berk is a compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover and
unreservedly recommended . . .”​  —
Midwest
Book Review (TimeLock)

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Time Lock

Time Lock Series Book 1

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When everyman Morgan Eberly is arrested for a murder he
didn’t commit, he’s subjected to an experimental new technology that instantly
ages prisoners the number of years of their sentence. Now 43 and on the run,
can Morgan and rogue FBI agent Janine Price unlock the truth about TimeLock
before it’s too late to turn back?

An innocent man. A radical punishment.
The clock is ticking . . .

With crime rampant, the President authorizes a hugely controversial
program: TimeLock, a cellular acceleration process whereby select
prisoners are instantly aged the total number of years of their
sentence. In other words – three strikes and you’re old…very old.

A sci-fi-tinged action-adventure with heart and humor, TimeLock is
the first in a new series of novellas set in the crime-ridden near future where
a bold new technology transforms the justice system and challenges America’s
moral compass. Only one problem—what happens if you’re innocent? 

  

What Readers
are saying about the series:

 

TimeLock is a
high-octane action thriller with a classic feel, reminiscent of Michael
Crichton or Tom Clancy. It’s familiar, but in all the right ways. 

​The central concept is brilliant . . . The novella is tightly paced,
and there’s not a dull moment. . . .The introduction is particularly engaging,
with an absolutely killer prologue that sucks you in right from the
start. Reading TimeLock, I felt like I was watching a movie . . . It’s a crowd-pleasing blockbuster of a
novella, with all the thrills you’d hope for, and a cracking start to a
series.  
– Read
the full review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whoa!! Okay so this was awesome and I have to say first off- I hope like hell
someone picks this up to make a movie or a show out of it!! This was a
super interesting premise so I was hooked. It moved at a great pace and I was
on the edge of my seat the whole time.  -Book Blogger @gryffindorbookishnerd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I vastly enjoyed this quick read . . .  The writing was keenly honed and
smartly detailed  . . . In sum, was a well-plotted and shrewdly paced
action-packed thriller featuring slightly frayed characters and storylines that
were cleverly laced together with wry humor and witty snark.
–Empress DJ/Honolulubelle, Books
and Binding Book Reviews

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Author Interview – Q&A

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Author Peter Berk reflects on working with his father & the inspiration for the new action
thriller series,
TimeLock.
Peter and his father, Howard, shared more than DNA—they shared a love of film and television
and a talent for writing. Indeed, Howard was an award-winning film and TV writer and book
author whose credits included such classic series as Columbo, Mission: Impossible, and The
Rockford Files.
Over the years, Peter and Howard worked on numerous projects together, but one screenplay
stood out among the rest. It was a clever idea about the future of the justice system in America.
In a country burdened with rampant crime and prison overcrowding, ambitious politicians roll
out an innovative, but controversial technology called ‘TimeLock’ that instantly ages prisoners
the number of years of their sentence—the ultimate punishment for inmates and the ultimate
deterrent for potential criminals. Just one problem, though: what happens . . . if you happen to
be innocent?
These and other questions about morals, politics, and the danger of power are brilliantly
addressed by the authors in this story, along with a plucky hero, a little romance, and lots of
action and humor.
Although Peter lost his father, Howard, before translating this exciting story into a novel, the
father-son spirit of family and creativity is fully present in this work. And the circle continues as
Peter now collaborates with his own sons, Jordan and Daniel, on various creative endeavors.
Author Interview Q&A
We caught up with co-author Peter Berk ahead of the TimeLock book release on September 22
and learned more about the origins of this utterly unique story and the authors who created it.
Why did you pick this particular subject matter to write about?
I always thought the premise of TimeLock was one of my father’s cleverest ideas, so when
COVID hit and I was stuck at home day after day like most people, I was inspired to translate
the original screenplay we wrote into a novel. Beyond the action and sci-fi elements of the story,
©2022 IngramElliott, Inc.
however, I always felt the most interesting aspect of the premise was how a young man with his
whole future ahead of him is forced to adjust to sudden middle age when he becomes one of
the first to undergo the radical and terrifying process that is TimeLock.
What makes you the happiest?
Corny as it is–family, of course, friends, writing (both fiction and music) and tennis–the one
sport I’m fairly good at (for my age!).
What fact about yourself would really surprise people?
I can’t say this would qualify as surprising info to anyone, but I actually originally planned on
becoming a film composer and songwriter. Inspired by such movie composers as John Barry,
Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams, I locked onto writing music as a career as young as 13
years old and thought I’d have my first Oscar by 25. It obviously didn’t exactly work out that
way, but to my great pleasure, both of my sons, Jordan and Daniel, are excellent composers and
Daniel has already amassed some 75 film, TV and commercial music scoring credits–about 73
more than I ever did!
What is your favorite scene in your book? Why?
I have two favorite scenes, actually. The first is an early lighthearted scene at Morgan’s
workplace when he and two of his fellow programmers hack into their horrible boss’s car and
take over its spoken navigation system. It’s a silly scene that doesn’t advance the plot in any way,
but I think it provides some levity before the action kicks in shortly thereafter. It also, I hope,
depicts Morgan as the young and slightly immature man he is before TimeLock changes
everything. My other favorite scene is in the prison auditorium when Morgan, his fellow
inmates and we the readers first truly become aware of what TimeLock is and the horrifying
future these prisoners are about to face.
What books did you love growing up?
Like many young people of my generation, I devoured the Ian Fleming/James Bond novels, but
also gravitated toward sci-fi authors such as Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, while also taking in
such classics as Catcher in The Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. As I got older, I tended to alternate
between “fun” reads like some of the ones mentioned above and books about WWII and world
history. And of course I can’t leave out my father’s first two novels, The Hero Machine and The
Sun Grows Cold.
Please tell us something about your book that is not in the summary.
TimeLock actually began life as a screenplay I wrote with my father—and two more of the five
novellas planned for the series also originated as movie scripts. In tandem with IngramElliott
Publishing, I very much hope to bring some or all of these stories to the big or little screen in
the future.
©2022 IngramElliott, Inc.
What motivates you to write?
The never-ending inspiration of my father, Howard–the best writer I’ve ever known. I’ll cherish
the countless hours we spent writing together and now I can honestly say that thanks to
IngramElliott, bringing the projects my dad and I wrote together to life in this series of novellas
is easily the most gratifying work I’ve ever done in my life.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
TimeLock is available September 22, 2022, in print and e-Book. Follow @timelocknovel on
Facebook and Instagram. Learn more at www.ingramelliott.com/timelock.
Media inquiries: Email pecalvert@ingramelliott.com.

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An award-winning novelist and screenwriter, Howard Berk’s
credits include memorable episodes of such classic TV series as “Columbo,”
(including “By Dawn’s Early Light,” for which guest star Patrick McGoohan won
an Emmy), “Mission: Impossible,” “The Rockford Files,” “The Fall Guy,” “The New
Mike Hammer” and “The Contender,” starring “V” and “The Beastmaster” lead Marc
Singer. Howard Berk also wrote the feature film, “Target,” starring Gene
Hackman and Matt Dillon.

Peter Berk has
written six novels, three TV pilots and a dozen screenplays, including several
with his father, Howard Berk, which became the basis for the TimeLock series
of novels. IE also published Peter’s political murder mystery, First
Line of Defense
 
and will publish his forthcoming novel, Fireline. Peter and his
family live in Southern California.

Website * Facebook * Facebook * X * Instagram * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 giveaway!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?

 

 

 

Title: Dragged Down Deep

Author: Michael Okon

Pages: 331

Genre: Action Adventure/Monster

Logan Osborne has spent his life chasing the shadows of the past.

As a child, he watched helplessly as his father was snatched from a fishing boat by what he swore was a mermaid. No one believed him then. No one believes him now.

Determined to prove that mythical creatures exist, Logan is drawn back to the small coastal town where his nightmares began after another mysterious disappearance stirs the waters.

Teaming up with his pragmatic colleague Elliot Sheppard and his fiercely loyal friend Penny Swanson, Logan dives headfirst into an adventure packed with danger and deception. As they dig deeper, the trio faces resistance at every turn—a secretive agency with its own agenda, a suspiciously unhelpful police force, and Logan’s old flame, who may know more than she’s letting on.

What they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than Logan ever imagined: the truth about his father, the secrets of Minatuck, and the horrifying reality of the Mermaid of the Hamptons.

Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?

Dragged Down Deep is available at Amazon.

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MY REVIEW

I’m always searching for the next cryptid story. I even watch those cheesy documentaries where they search for mythical creatures. And Michael Okon is one of my favorite authors on the things that stay hidden, that prowl those hard to reach places. I’ve read all his books and when I spotted this one it was a no brainer. A mermaid? A killer mermaid? I was all in!

This had everything I could have hoped for. Big Brother cover ups. Threats of death around every corner. Believable characters that you can empathize with. Worthy villains. And a creature that mesmerized and terrified me in equal measures. The suspense was almost continuous.

Michael takes you from the past to the present throughout the book. His choice of telling the story that way was dead on. Kept me so invested in wanting to know all about the characters and the events that occurred. When I finished reading Dragged Down Deep, which is a perfect title, I felt like I could have been watching the movie. I could imagine myself sitting in the dark, the surround sound cranked up, hugging a pillow and covering my face with my hands, peeking between my fingers so I wouldn’t miss anything.

Bravo, Michael. You continue to make this lover of all things cryptid happy.

5 STARS

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Book Excerpt

The creature was indistinct in the dark night. A howl split the air, the noise somewhere between the lolling of a cow and with the shrillness of a siren. It traveled through Logan, making the fillings in his teeth hurt. If an elephant and a Tasmanian devil had a baby, it would have sounded like this, Logan thought inanely.

     It began to move purposely toward them, its arms outstretched. Its eyes shone like blazing yellow neon, mesmerizing them. There was no place to hide in the tidal pool. Logan spun, pushing Elliot toward the parking lot. 

     “That was no turtle,” Elliot gasped. 

     Logan ran, his heart pumping feeling like it would jump from his chest. “Run!” he yelled.

     They splashed heavily in the shallows; their feet weighted with water. Clamoring through the tide, Logan slipped, Elliot pulled him under the armpit propelling him forward. Their clothes were drenched, glued to their perspiring bodies, their feet heavy with trapped fronds and weeds. They made it onto the beach.

     Logan was afraid to look behind them. “Move this way!” Logan pointed to a perimeter of shrubs lining the sand.

     They took off, their arms slashed by the tall grasses. Elliot clutched his phone. He turned for a second, but Logan grabbed the back of his shirt to drag him through the reeds. “Not now, you idiot!” Logan screamed.

     They could hear the heavy splashes of the creature following them. They burst out of the grasses, running at full speed onto the sandy area toward the car. The reassuring outline of the jeep greeted them at the same time a club grazed Logan’s shoulder. 

     Logan heard Elliot grunt with pain, the distinct sound of a fist meeting flesh echoing in the still night. Ham-sized hands gripped Logan’s shoulder, spinning him to plant a fist that landed under his right eye. The night went silent but for the sound of the roaring of the blood in his head. He felt the trickle of blood leak onto his lips after his nose connected with what felt like a brick wall. He was on his knees, looking down at two sets of biker boots, silver skulls dangling over the insteps right in front of him. 

     Logan caught sight of another pair of footwear, polished traditional lace-ups. He pushed himself up on all fours, reaching out and grabbing the legs connected to those shoes. He clutched a handful of beige trousers, the gabardine material slipping in his hand. He recognized the uniform. He felt rock-hard muscles underneath the pants leg. His assaulter kicked, Logan’s head snapping back to see a field of spinning stars. Their attackers were laughing. Logan was outraged. 

     They wouldn’t be laughing when the mermaid from hell pounced on them, he thought grogilly. He opened his mouth to let them know they were about to be surprised by the alleged wild dog or imaginary alligator but decided he’d have more satisfaction watching them wrestle with whatever was following them from the marsh. 

      A strong hand picked him up by the hair and another pounded his ribcage. He winced, his vision blurred, trying to see when the creature from the Black Lagoon would arrive like the cavalry.

     Except that pursuer never arrived. It appeared that the monster had more brains than he and Elliot put together. 

     Logan listened vainly for whatever was following them to break through the marsh, but it must have been scared off. He chose that time to swing wildly, his fist finding a face that must have been hewn of stone. The impact stunned him more than the beating his ribs were taking. His arm went numb from knuckles to elbow. 

     His cheek landed in the dirt while Elliot was thrown against the car wheel. A baseball bat made contact with the windshield, showering them with shards of glass. The bat sailed through the air to smash the side mirror. More glass rained down on them.

Logan lay on his face, every bone in his body aching, his head heavy. He heard new footfalls, lighter one, followed by the sound of a plank of wood connecting with a body.

“Ow!” one of his attackers howled. 

Next he heard several grunts, and the hard slam of bodies falling. 

Logan picked up his head, his vision fuzzy to see two figures in wetsuits beating the crap out of his assailants. Tilting his head, he squeezed his eyes, discerning one was decidedly curvy and feminine. “Penny?” he asked, the word garbled by his swelling lips.

Running feet penetrated the fog that was swallowing his brain. Everything sounded muffled, as if he could barely hear it. There was a loud ringing in his ears.

“Done,” a woman’s voice came to him from far away. “Cowards,” she spat. 

“What do you want to do with these too?” a male voice asked. 

“Leave them. They’re harmless.”

“The boss isn’t going to be happy.”

“I said leave them,” the voice commanded. 

Logan tried to rise, groaned and fell down into the wet sand. “Elliot?” his voice a thread.

“He’s coming around. We have to go!” a man’s barked.

The cold touch of a wetsuit made his skin goosebump as a person knelt next to him. He tried to roll over. Logan felt a soft hand brush back his hair. “Stop tilting at windmills, you silly man. Go back to school.” He caught sight of a smile with a mole on the upper lip.

Logan felt the blood drain from his head as it fell onto a cushion of grass. 

     “Did you see them?” Logan spit out a mouthful of dirt. He was sprawled on a small mound and couldn’t move.

     “My eye is swollen shut,” Elliot’s voice was gravelly. “I feel like I got hit by a train. Am I imagining it, or were we rescued by the creature?”

      “It wasn’t the creature.” Logan was breathless with the effort, wondering if he should share what he thought. “I think it was Aimee.”

“Aimee!” Elliot coughed. “What’s she doing here?”

Logan ignored the question; he was wondering the same thing. 

     Rising painfully to his knees he crawled over to where Elliot was propped against the wheel of the jeep. “Anything broken?”

     “Only my pride. I feel like I’m trapped in an eighties crime drama. What are you doing?” he asked Logan, who was pulling his phone from his pocket with a battered hand.

     “I’m calling the police.”

     “I think that was the police,” Elliot retorted weakly. “What happened to your mermaid?”

     Logan growled, “She’s not my mermaid.” 

     “Did you get any pictures?” Logan asked.

     “Let me see with my good eye.” Elliot squinted as he looked at his screen. “Nothing good. Maybe it was one of those goons setting us up.”

     Logan shrugged. “I couldn’t see much, but I know it was that monster, Mitch and his playmates,” he paused and continued, “And Aimee and some other guy.”

      “You think she was working with them?”

      Logan shook his head. “No, they beat the crap out of them. Mitch practically crawled out of here.”

      “Are you sure it was Aimee? This is a major complication.”

      Logan didn’t answer. He spoke into his phone. “Pen? Can you swing by the marsh, and Penny… don’t say anything to anyone.”

– Excerpted from Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon, Chelshire Publishing, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

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Watch the Trailer

 

About Author Michael Okon

 

 

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres, including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure, and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Website & Social Media: Website / Twitter / Instagram

 

 

 

Sponsored By:

 

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Elephant Safari by Peter Riva Banner

ELEPHANT SAFARI
by Peter Riva
June 24 – July 19, 2024 Virtual Book Tour

 

 

Synopsis:
A MBUNO & PERO THRILLER

A documentary team hiking through East Africa collides with a gang of deadly poachers, in this gripping adventure by the author of Kidnapped on Safari.

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Years of filming, extreme dangers, and daring rescues have taken their toll on documentary producer Pero Baltazar and his team. To relax and reconnect with the East African wildlife they love, Pero organizes a walking safari for him, his camerawoman Nancy Breiton, and their elite guide Mbuno Waliangulu. Still, Pero has trouble truly disconnecting from work. When the team comes across a herd of elephants making their annual migration north of Lake Rudolf, Pero decides the team will film their journey from Kenya into Ethiopia along the Omo River. What begins as a peaceful trip quickly turns into a chaotic nightmare as the trio crosses paths with a crew of poachers whose ivory sales are financing terrorists. The three are determined to protect the endangered herd from slaughter, and Mbuno enlists the help of local tribesmen. But the corruption of ivory poachers has deep roots that stretch to UN refugee camps, Chinese gangs, and the Iranian elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard. Faced with overwhelming odds, the trio must now rely on Pero’s contacts in the CIA, as well as Mbuno’s skills in the bush, if they hope to ever return from this excursion alive . . .

Praise for Elephant Safari:

“If you’re in the mood for an African thriller series to add to your summer reading pile, Peter Riva has got you covered. Riva’s impressive career has provided him with plenty of inspiration for his novels, which he writes as a form of relaxation.” ~ The Lakeville Journal and The Millerton News “Many readers will enjoy this story for its fast pace, engaging characters, and insights into world politic. I particularly loved the depth of knowledge about the natural history and ecology of the East African landscape. This may be a thriller but it’s also an important book about the killing of elephants for their ivory tusks.” ~ Sharman Apt Russel- John Burroughs Medal winner

ELEPHANT SAFARI Trailer:

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Book Details:

Genre: Action and Adventure Thriller

Published by: Open Road Media Publication Date: January 30, 2024 Number of Pages: 302 ISBN: 9781504085335 (ISBN10: 1504085337) Series: The Mbuno & Pero Thrillers, 4 | Each is a Stand-Alone Novel

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | BookaMillion | Goodreads | Open Road Media

Enjoy this peek inside:
In modern Kenya and most of East Africa, elephant were dying out, Mbuno knew this and lamented. His chest ached for them. Gone were the innumerable small herds of his youth, mostly replaced by farms, settlements, human sprawl, and tourist attractions. What elephant remained had their age-old pathways and migration routes blocked, stopped, fenced, and constantly monitored. White men came and collared them, watched them on scopes, darted them, sampled them, and even shot them when they became a nuisance to farmers with cash. What elephants modern man did not manage in parks were easy prey for poachers. The days of the Liangulu hunter were over. Mbuno knew this, accepted this, and did not mind even half as much as he mourned the passing of the realm of the elephant. All of Africa had once been the realm of the elephant. As the largest beast, immune to the normal prey and hunter battles going on all around, the elephant set the pace of the land, fertilized the forests, cropped the prairies, and paved the migration routes that all the migratory species followed. In times of drought, their superior intelligence showed where water could be found and even taught man to dig in dry riverbeds for a boundary layer of precious liquid. They created mud holes for mud baths to keep the insects at bay, used also by Cape buffalo and rhino. Over the millennia, they brushed aside acacia thorns and baobab saplings with equal ease creating the open plains. And, in time, Africa’s rhythm resounded to the beat of their feet and their migratory timekeeping. Without the elephant ruling the land, the land fell into the discordant rhythm of the upright apes and began to fracture. Mbuno had known the last best years of the elephant’s realm and, sadly, was now witnessing the fall of Africa’s harnessing stability. Without the elephant to freely roam, the balance of nature would be broken, herds would grow to enormous size in protected parks and, outside that protection, devoid of traditional hunters, herds could be led by weak leaders who would fail to protect them from ivory hunters. Mbuno had heard this had happened before. At the end of the slave and ivory trade, in 1911 there were fewer elephants than now and the herds were only brought back from extinction by White Hunters—led by Teddy Roosevelt—using farm and ranch husbandry methods – culling every senile cow and bull. Young, vibrant, herds repopulated the migration routes. But now the elephant and Mbuno’s tribal way of life were both threatened once again. Mbuno looked back to make sure Pero and Nancy were crouched, waiting a few hundred yards away as he instructed. He then inched closer to the worrying herd, prone again, a sharp stone rolling under his hip painfully. He dared not move quickly, the bush above him would vibrate. He stopped any forward movement as he spotted feet, the small grey feet of a baby elephant, a mtoto. One foot had an encircling, red, puss-oozing sore. Behind the mtoto’s feet stood the mother. Mbuno could see the way the weight was shifting on both mother and child that the mother was soothing the young one who would be in pain. Silent pain, the sign of a strong herd leader. Or a very frightened herd, one that is being hunted. The mtoto’s sore had been caused by a wire snare that had probably dropped off. Mbuno had seen this far too often. Now Mbuno felt compelled to do something, not just observe. It was now a matter of honor, duty, and common ancestry, not to mention his responsibility for the safety of his safari charges. Mbuno’s mind made decisions quickly. In the bush, life and death were often just moments apart. Soundlessly, moving no bush or twig, he retreated the way he had come, donned his pants only, and set himself into a running crouch. It was his usual hunter’s pace, swift, determined, and ready for a change in direction. Circling the place where he knew the herd to be, he stayed four hundred yards away at least. Starting downwind and determinedly coming full half circle until he announced his presence to their sensitive noses, he tested their resolve. When he was sure they had smelled him, he knew there was real danger here because there was no charge, no bellowing threat, no foot stomp. The elephants could smell that he was only one man and also that he was a man of the bush. As Mbuno had feared, they clearly had a more dangerous enemy threat nearby, for they did not give themselves away. He continued his crouching circling run, sweating from adrenaline and the jini of the hunt. For he was hunting, but not elephant. When he was three-quarters the way around his circle, he sensed, and then diving behind a fallen log on his stomach, he saw the men just outside the forest’s edge. One was sitting on a pickup truck’s hood and two stood in the flatbed. They wore no uniform. The man sitting was dressed as an Arab with a face scarf and camouflage trousers and bush shirt. He had binoculars but no gun. And two standing tribesmen looked like Pokot, Mbuno thought–northern, violent Maasai cousins. Hunters, not cattlemen. The two tribesmen had black rifles with yellow wood stocks and foregrips. Mbuno knew AK-47s when he saw them. Mbuno had seen these types of poachers before. They snared a baby and, in its squeals, it attracted the herd; close and closer until the slaughter would be efficient, deadly, machine gun rapid. Standing behind a tree trunk on tiptoe, peeking out, Mbuno saw the panga (machete) on the flatbed tailgate, unsheathed, its 12-inch blade glistening, freshly sharpened. The back of the truck held two freshly drawn tusks; the brown blood still not yet black. The herd had been running and not just because of the mtoto. Mbuno did not hesitate, did not reason, did not moralize. In the bush, the law of the land was kill or be killed. These men had killed, wasted the life of elephant, wanted to slaughter the rest, and were dishonorable. He saw them as little more than wanyama—vermin—to be stopped. Without altering his run, he circled behind the pickup and approached them from behind, soundlessly, before the men could even know he was coming. *** Excerpt from Elephant Safari by Peter Riva. Copyright 2024 by Peter Riva. Reproduced with permission from Peter Riva. All rights reserved.

 

 

About Author Peter Riva:

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Peter Riva

Peter Riva has traveled extensively throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe, spending many months spanning thirty years with legendary guides for East African adventurers. He created the Wild Things television series in 1995 and has worked for more than forty years as a literary agent. Riva writes science fiction and African adventure books, including the Mbuno & Pero thrillers. He lives in Gila, New Mexico.

Catch Up With Peter Riva: www.PeterRiva.com Goodreads BookBub Instagram – @peterriva_author Facebook – @peter.riva

 

 

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Tour Participants:

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For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The World Council organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Norm Meech will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The World Council

by Norm Meech

 

Genre: Science Fiction / Action / Adventure

Synopsis

Ricky Montgomery had just graduated high school in June 1976 and was enjoying life as an 18-year-old teenager. He was hired by the Dawson City Police Force, and after graduating from police college he was assigned to work as an undercover operative in a motorcycle gang.

Ricky, although happy, was struggling living his double life as a cop and biker. Then it happened: during a biker war, Ricky’s life was saved by agents from the World Council (TWC). TWC was created by the world’s leaders to prevent manmade disasters from happening and to liaise with aliens who have been monitoring mankind for hundreds of years. TWC’s mandate, with the assistance of aliens, is to ensure mankind’s continued existence.

TWC is a highly secretive organization, whose agents have the ability to travel through time, to change history, and to take lives to save lives. Ricky becomes a TWC agent and discovers that TWC’s command staff is making unethical decisions, hiding secrets about aliens and trying to reduce the world’s population through biological warfare. Ricky teams up with other agents and tries to save mankind and the world from disaster.

Enjoy this peek inside:

There were overhead cranes that slid on the metal tracking in the ceiling running the distances of the corridors. I was not sure why, but my gut was telling me there was something really strange going on. Something wasn’t right, I really felt like I was in danger. We were walking in a large group and being a Prospect I was at the back of the pack. Although I was walking, I became scared something was wrong. I didn’t even have a gun with me. This was supposed to be a peaceful patch-over.

Then it happened, the shooting started. There were muzzle flashes all over the place. It appeared that we were surrounded and the guys were being shot and were dropping everywhere. Some of the guys were trying to return fire, but the shots appeared to be coming from everywhere.

I suddenly observed these strange metal objects rolling around with guns shooting at us. Something was killing us and there was blood everywhere. Suddenly these metal walls started falling from the roof, blocking doorways and corridors herding us into areas, to be slaughtered.

I had taken cover behind a large metal shelf and I heard somebody yelling at me to climb up the ladder to the roof. I looked over to the right and two corridors over someone else was climbing up another ladder to the roof.

I looked again and the guys were still being slaughtered. Out of fear and self preservation I climbed the ladder as fast as I could. Although I was afraid of heights I was more scared about being shot and killed.

I periodically glanced down and it was so strange, those mechanical things were still rolling around firing shots at everyone. I got to the top of the ladder and saw that there was a metal platform to stand on. I stood on the platform and I glanced down to where the other guy had climbed to. He had pushed some type of button and suddenly he went shooting down the corridor ceiling on some type of overhead crane track out of sight.

I saw some buttons on the adjacent panel and l pushed the green button. Holy shit! I went flying down the ceiling. It was a fast ride, like I was almost travelling through time. It appeared to have taken me thousands of feet in a few seconds. Then suddenly I stopped and I looked around. Off in the distance I still saw these weird metal walls dropping from the ceiling. They were blocking corridors and exits. They were still isolating the guys into smaller areas, to be slaughtered.

I then saw the adjacent guy diving into a room just before a metal wall blocked his exit. The large metal wall came down fast, then slowed for a few seconds before locking into the other metal wall. I looked to my left and saw a strange thing. There was a group of people all dressed in white coloured laboratory coats, rushing around in a room that had a large window overlooking the warehouse.

I was concerned that a metal wall was going to come down and that I was going to be trapped so I decided that I had to jump through the window and escape into that room. I took a few steps and jumped through the window as a metal wall started to come down. Shit!, I was going to be squashed and I was going to lose my legs. At the last second I was able to lift both my legs out of the way, while flipping over on my back. With a clang the metal wall crashed down.

I was laying on my back trying to figure out what the fuck was going on when I saw an Asian girl approaching me. She said, “Hi Rick, I’m Irene and I’m glad you were able to get out in time. You have to come with me now.”

“What the hell is going on?” I managed to ask.

She looked at me, “I will explain everything to you in a few minutes but we have to get decontaminated right away.” She turned and started walking. “Follow me, stay close and do what I do.”

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About Author Norm Meech:

Norm Meech has been retired for nearly two years, capping a distinguished forty-four-year career in policing. He fondly recalls the camaraderie of work friends forged during his tenure and the unique experiences as a police officer.

While missing aspects of his former profession, Norm keeps himself engaged by maintaining fitness and pursuing various hobbies. Additionally, he channels his creativity into writing, aiming to produce a book annually. His latest work delves into science fiction, inviting readers to ponder questions about the existence of aliens, unidentified flying objects, government involvement in secret conspiracies, the potential for time travel, and the impact of human activities on the planet. Norm hopes readers enjoy the fictional stories he crafts, sparking contemplation and curiosity.

Author Links: Facebook / Blog / Instagram

Purchase Link: Amazon

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted.

Are you brave enough to enter my world?

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SWAT for Dummies

Deputy Gemma Stone Book 2

by Gail Koger

Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance

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Just call me Calamity Jane, wherever I go, trouble soon follows. Which makes my job as a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy a bit hazardous. From chasing down a bank robber to dealing with a cat burglar or handling Sun City’s seniors who are crazy as June bugs and horny as hell.

My personal life is complicated. Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer. Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado is my new dance partner. My relationship with him puts me in the crosshairs of a dirty cop with homicidal tendencies. Can we stop him, or will we become his next victims?

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

Author’s note: I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for way too many years and this novella contains some of the wilder incidents that occurred.

Amazon * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Stilettos and Sniper Rifles

Deputy Gemma Stone Book 1

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I’ve been a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy for four years. Most folks don’t have a clue about what a cop deals with every day. Like a pack of attack chihuahuas, a monkey with a bad case of diarrhea, a hungry python, a brahma bull named Bodacious and a six-foot iguana.

And that is just the critters. Now let me tell you about the two-legged varmints. Such as a three-hundred-pound biker who got a bit irate when I zapped him with a stun gun, or a murderous nun, and let’s not forget the senior citizens having an orgy. Ugh.

My personal life isn’t much better. Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer which everyone makes fun of. I love competitive dancing; I get to meet a lot of people who aren’t trying to kill me. Ok, there was one incident, but hey, shit happens. At a dance competition Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado waltzed into my life. My girly parts yelled yee-haw, he’s the one. Now, if I can only get him to do the tango with me.

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

Amazon * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Howdy. My name is Gail Koger and once upon a time I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Too many years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an uncontrollable craving for chocolate. I took up writing science fiction romance to keep from killing people. So far, it has worked.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard,

ebook of Shenanigans by Gail Koger,

ebook of The Trouble With Tigers by Gail Koger

-1 winner each!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

.

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

.

Stilettos and Sniper Rifles

Deputy Gemma Stone Book 1

by Gail Koger

Genre: Action, Comedy, Romance

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I’ve been a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy for four years. Most folks don’t have a clue about what a cop deals with every day. Like a pack of attack chihuahuas, a monkey with a bad case of diarrhea, a hungry python, a brahma bull named Bodacious and a six-foot iguana.

And that is just the critters. Now let me tell you about the two-legged varmints. Such as a three-hundred-pound biker who got a bit irate when I zapped him with a stun gun, or a murderous nun, and let’s not forget the senior citizens having an orgy. Ugh.

My personal life isn’t much better. Off duty I’m a ballroom dancer which everyone makes fun of. I love competitive dancing; I get to meet a lot of people who aren’t trying to kill me. Ok, there was one incident, but hey, shit happens. At a dance competition Detective Sergeant Dante Delgado waltzed into my life. My girly parts yelled yee-haw, he’s the one. Now, if I can only get him to do the tango with me.

Law enforcement isn’t for the fainthearted. Are you brave enough to enter my world?

Amazon * Smashwords * Bookbub * Goodreads

.

.

Howdy. My name is Gail Koger and once upon a time I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Too many years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an uncontrollable craving for chocolate. I took up writing science fiction romance to keep from killing people. So far, it has worked.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Coletti Dagger aka nail file – 2 winners!

$10 Amazon gift card– 1 winner

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Today we are celebrating the release of The Lady and the Barrister by USA Today Bestselling Author Ruth A. Casie. This is the first novel in the Return to the Ladies of Sommer By the Sea. Come check out an excerpt of this historical Regency romance and enter the giveaway before grabbing your copy!

The Lady and the Barrister

 

Return to the Ladies of Sommer By the Sea #1

Amazon | Goodreads

Two men vie for Lady Anna, but who will she choose? The smooth politician or the down-to-earth barrister turned duke?

Lady Anna Ravencroft shines brightly as a much-admired organizer and hostess. In her mind it is the one thing at which she succeeds. Inwardly she is shy, retiring… a wallflower. With two failed seasons that ended in disaster she has accepted marriage might not be in her future.

Lord Fraser Castleton, a London barrister is shocked when he inherits a title and estate from his mother’s great aunt and becomes the 8th Duke of Willbury. He returns to Sommer-by-the-Sea to take up permanent residence. He crosses paths with his longtime friend, Lady Anna. He confides that he is the target of every mother with an unmarried daughter. She commiserates with him. Every eligible gentleman sees the Ravencroft purse rather than her. Together they decide to find a mate for each other. Anna presents him with a list of several eligible women. Castleton is receptive, but not enthusiastic. He gives her the same reaction with the subsequent two lists. Will she realize he has already found his match?

Reginald Younge, who doesn’t always play by the rules, wants to be the next Member of Parliament for his borough. His political backer will support him if Younge can finance the campaign himself. He suggests Younge find a wealthy wife to support his political plans. Marrying a Ravencroft would all but guarantee not only his backer’s continued support but provide the steady stream of money needed to claim his place amongst the gentry. He calls on Lady Anna for assistance with a campaign event and has an ulterior motive.

Return to the Ladies of Sommer By the Sea

    1. The Lady and the Barrister – 99 cents & in Kindle Unlimited

    1. The Lady and the Earl – pre-order now Releases June 1, 2023

    1. The Lady and the Rogue- Release date: August 9, 2023

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Enjoy this peek inside:

“Lady Anna. Lord Castleton. Welcome to the Tea Room.” Tanya took off her apron and set off a small cloud of flour as she put the pinnie down on the counter.

Anna glanced around the dining room. An older couple sat at the only other occupied table.

Castleton helped her into her chair as Tanya made her way to the front of the tearoom. He turned to her with his irresistibly devastating grin.

Anna busied herself by removing her gloves and putting them into her reticule, then placing it on her lap all to avoid his gaze. When she could no longer stall, she raised her head and found him sitting across from her and still staring.

What should she say? It was as if she didn’t know this man when they had been friends most of their lives. Well, she certainly didn’t know him as a military man, a barrister, a duke, and especially not as someone courting her. All she knew was the boy with whom she grew up and in a moment of panic, she wanted to leave.

“I didn’t intend to embarrass you. I can’t help the way I look at you.” His elbow was on the table with his chin in his hand. “One glance and I find myself smiling.”

He removed his hand and struck a more proper attitude, opened his serviette, and draped it on his lap.

Was he playing his part? She glanced at the couple at the other table and concluded he was courting her for their sake. Perhaps she could play the game as well.

“You flatter me, Fraser,” she gracefully placed her hand to her throat. “Or should I say you flatter yourself if you think I’m embarrassed.” She sat up straighter and looked down her nose following propriety. For two Seasons she observed and learned as girls struck that position.

“Oh?” He dared to struggle to hide his chuckle.

“Ginger biscuits, really, Fraser. I would have thought you’d had your fill as a boy and moved on to other more tempting morsels.”

He leaned closer toward her. His eyes were even more passionate than they had been moments before. He took her hand and her breath caught.

“Oh, but I am moved by a more temping… morsel. Much more tempting. Would you like me to elaborate?” With that he raised her hand to his lips.

Copyright © 2023 Timeless Scribes Publishing LLC

About Author Ruth A. Casie

RUTH A. CASIE is a USA Today bestselling author of historical swashbuckling action-adventures and contemporary romance with enough action to keep you turning pages. Her stories feature strong women and the men who deserve them, endearing flaws and all. She lives in New Jersey with her hero, three empty bedrooms and a growing number of incomplete counted cross-stitch projects. Before she found her voice, she was a speech therapist (pun intended), client liaison for a corrugated manufacturer, and vice president at an international bank where she was a product/marketing manager, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now-writing romance. She hopes her stories become your favorite adventures.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Newsletter

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Enter to win a $25.00 Amazon eCard. Giveaway ends April 19, 2023. May the odds be forever in your favor.


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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for the Cutter Kauai Series organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Edward M. Hochsmann will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Dagger Quest

by Edward M. Hochsmann

Genre: Action / Adventure / Contemporary

Synopsis

An aging Coast Guard patrol boat is all that stands between the world and nuclear annihilation!

The world is on the brink of war, with NATO mobilizing to counter a Russian threat to Poland and Lithuania and leaders openly discussing war options. In the midst of the crisis, a Russian bomber collides with a U.S. fighter off Florida causing the accidental launch of a nuclear-tipped hypersonic missile.

A Coast Guard cutter on a routine patrol finds a drug-laden sailboat smashed and adrift north of the Florida Keys. The boat’s damage is from a near miss by the Russian missile which has not harmlessly flown deep into the Gulf of Mexico as initially thought, but crashed somewhere in the Keys.

The Coast Guard crew is in a race against a vicious and powerful international crime syndicate to find and recover the Russian nuke before its discovery can trigger a nuclear war.

Exploring the friendship and teamwork of a typical ship’s crew, in the face of unexpected and hazardous challenges, Dagger Quest provides a fast-paced, taut story – excellent fare for both sea adventure and military thriller fans.

Enjoy this peek inside:

Ben’s first encounter with the 252 Syndicate ends in a high-speed chase through Key West, Florida:

Ben slowed and veered right onto Flagler with a screaming of tires and modest fishtailing as he straightened on the new path. Their pursuers also swung in behind them from Roosevelt a few seconds later.

“Floor it!  We’ll be hanging a right on Tenth in ten blocks, same tactic. Keep hitting that horn!”

Ben stayed on the horn, dodging through traffic at speeds approaching fifty miles per hour.

“Counting down,” Simmons said, “Fourteenth, Thirteenth, twelfth, Eleventh, slow down and prepare to hang a right, NOW!”

Ben executed another tire-squealing turn and straightened out, heading north on Tenth, gunning the engine and leaning on the horn.

“Stand by to hit the brakes!” Simmons shouted. “Steady, steady, NOW, hit the brakes!”

Ben stood on the brake pedal, tires shrieked, and the anti-lock braking chattered. After skidding to a stop in the middle of the street next to a large lagoon, Simmons shouted, “Get down!” He opened both doors on his side of the car, using the rear door for cover.

Ben dropped behind the seat as their pursuer began screeching to a stop. Suddenly, there was a tremendous crash with the sound of tearing metal and followed by a large splash. Simmons shut the doors and said in a normal tone, “OK, let’s roll. Back to the base, nice and easy.”

Ben shot up and saw several figures in combat gear with guns drawn running forward from an SUV stopped in the middle of Tenth Street. The car chasing them was coming to rest upside down in the lagoon. “WHAT—THE—HELL!” he shouted at Simmons.

“Come on, friend, we need to move it. It’s handled. We’re clear now, so stay law-abiding all the way, please.”

Ben stared at him for a few seconds, then pressed the accelerator. The engine raced briefly, and then, with shaking hands, Ben shifted into Drive.

“See, you’re a natural,” Simmons said with a smile. “You didn’t even realize you shifted into Park.”

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Caribbean Counterstrike

Synopsis

Mission: Five days to destroy the enemy in the Caribbean before a catastrophic weapon is unleashed—but all he can think about is the woman he left behind…

The deadliest nerve gas ever made has fallen into the hands of a murderous Caribbean drug cult. The criminal 252 Syndicate has the gas in a secret lab on an oil rig servicing ship, but the ship has been taken for ransom by the Salinas Cartel in a violent drug war. The U.S. can’t use airstrikes and calls on Coast Guard Officer Ben Wyporek to lead his crew through a risky covert raid on the Salinas cult’s fortified island base. He accepts the assignment, but remembers a previous lethal encounter with the 252s and struggles to say goodbye to the love of his life, Victoria Carpenter.

Ben and his crew aboard the stealth-equipped Cutter Kauai must sneak into the harbor and tow the ship away. But if Kauai is detected and defeated, death by gas or at the hands of vicious adversaries will follow. Now, every decision Ben makes will determine the fate of his entire crew—and the chances of reuniting with Victoria.

This second book of the series builds on the friendships and teamwork of Kauai’s crew, this time in the face of several challenging missions and one potentially lethal encounter. It is a worthy sequel to Dagger Quest that sea adventure and military thriller fans will enjoy.

Enjoy this peek inside:

An amusing incident occurs during a test and evaluation session at the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center:

They had repeated the cycle enough times to get a reasonably rich dataset when something went awry. A defect in one canister’s fins created a “wobble” in flight that caused it to fall behind its companions. When the dispersing charge fired, it was just forward of the speeding RHIB and doused it and its occupants with two-and-a-half gallons of bright blue paint. Lee closed the throttle slowly to bring the boat to a smooth stop, took off her paint-coated sunglasses, and said, “Everybody OK? Give me a thumbs up!”

After getting a thumbs-up from both passengers, Lee shook off her hands, put them on her hips, and glared at DeChamps.

“I think some of our projectiles might need adjustment,” the engineer said, squinting up at Lee while holding his paint-fouled glasses.

“Ya think?” Lee replied.

“Kauai-One, Kauai, report!” her radio barked.

“Kauai, Kauai-One, direct hit by blue paint, no damage or casualties,” Lee replied.

“Kauai-One, Kauai, roger, cancel operation and return to ship.”

“Kauai, Kauai-One, WILCO, out.” Lee took a deep breath and turned to Connally. “Sean, carefully help Mr. DeChamps with his glasses.” She swished her sunglasses clean in the water beside the RHIB, then sat back down at the helm. Once Connally had helped DeChamps with his glasses and both were seated again, Lee opened the throttle and headed back to the patrol boat. I’ll bet the cameras got an awesome shot of this. I’m SO looking forward to seeing it again, and again, and AGAIN!

While operating the boat crane, Jenkins left the RHIB at the deck rail after the crew climbed out so the paint could be hosed off before returning to its cradle. The XO met them there with an armful of sodas—he knew they would be dried out after a couple of hours in the sun. He was always doing thoughtful things like this, unlike any other officer Lee had ever served with, and it was the thing she liked most about him.

“So, Petty Officer Lee,” he said with a perfectly straight face as he handed her a can of Coke. “I think we need to get you some vacation time. You’re looking mighty blue.”

Ha, ha, ha! So, it starts already! Lee paused after taking the Coke and replied, “Thanks, sir. You know, XO, you’re wasting your talents here on the bounding main. You should run a comedy podcast!”

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Bravely and Faithfully

Synopsis

A New Captain’s First Patrol Turns into a Fight for Their Lives

Young Coast Guard Lieutenant Haley Reardon has not even gotten her feet on the ground on her new patrol boat command when she finds herself and her crew supporting a dangerous covert mission. They must insert and retrieve a Defense Intelligence Agency operations team trying to seize a transnational criminal syndicate boss from a small Caribbean island controlled by a front company of the Chinese government and protected by a superior military force.

A honeymoon period would be lovely, but, as always, the world gets a vote.

Can Haley avoid leaving the DIA team to their fate, when attempting to rescue them could destroy her crew and boat and lead to war?

This third installment of the series conveys the humor, friendships, and teamwork of Kauai’s crew from the previous books, with a new series of exciting actions from search and rescue to combat. The crew and their new skipper must come together for the toughest mission they have ever faced.

Enjoy this peek inside:

 Kauai is fleeing Ile Ste. Michel, with a powerful Chinese Navy gunboat in hot pursuit:

Another burst landed and detonated off the starboard side, and Hopkins ordered a course change to the right. Haley knew their luck would not hold for long—as soon as the gunboat captain realized what they were doing, he would go to rapid-fire. She selected UHF and keyed her microphone. “Starfish One Seven, Orchid Actual. Where’s that help? Over.”

“Orchid, Starfish One Seven. I’m on with a flight of F-16s from the 93rd. They’re three minutes out, over.”

“One Seven, Orchid Actual, roger, tell them to step on it! Out.”

Hopkins had just altered course to the left again, and the game went on for two more salvos. Then, as Haley feared, the Chinese captain tried a long burst. The twelve shells missed, falling on both sides. Two were close enough to pepper Kauai with shrapnel, sharp pings ringing through the Bridge like hail on a tin roof.

Their luck ran out on the next burst: one shell exploded on the left side of the mast, knocking out the EO camera and showering the Flying Bridge with shrapnel. Another struck the special operations boat and started a small fire. The fire itself was not an immediate danger to the ship, but it provided a beacon that brought hell down on them. Shells were bursting on the rear of the superstructure and in the water around Kauai. The bridge crew huddled behind what cover they could find as the windows in the rear doors shattered and debris scattered around them. As they kneeled together between the command chair and the FC3 console, Haley looked into Ben’s face and, seeing the same fear she had, reached out and gripped his hand.

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About Author Edward Hochsmann

Edward Hochsmann is the pen name of a retired U. S. Coast Guard search and rescue and law enforcement professional. The veteran mariner, aviator, college professor, and defense analyst has added “author” to his list of experiences. Ed likes reading, police procedurals, contemporary music on the road, and classical music in the office. After a career traveling from Australia in the west to Italy and Germany in the east, Ed has settled into a quiet life in the Florida Panhandle to focus on writing (and not shoveling snow!)

Ed has two novels published right now (plus one launching in August 2022) in the Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series about a Coast Guard patrol boat assigned to “special” missions. Dagger Quest takes place in the Florida Keys and involves an aging Coast Guard patrol boat dragooned into a search for a lost Russian nuclear weapon in a time of international crisis. The second, Caribbean Counterstrike, features the same patrol boat and crew, now with equipment and training upgrades, sent to recover a deadly nerve gas from a murderous Caribbean drug cartel. Bravely and Faithfully has Kauai, under a new captain supporting a covert raid on a Caribbean island held by the Chinese.

Ed’s second series, C6S: Patrol Force deals with a combined defense establishment and constabulary for a galactic economic empire called the Confederation of the Six Systems (C6S). Ed has published two novellas and a novel-length collection late last year.

 

Stay connected with Ed: Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Bookbub

Purchase Dagger Quest on Amazon / Purchase Caribbean Counterstrike on Amazon

 

 

 

Purchase on Kobo: Dagger Quest / Caribbean Counterstrike / Bravely and Faithfully

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Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.