Blog Archives
The Greater Criminal
The Right Side of Wrong follows two FBI Special Agents working on a crime with ties to a multi-billion-dollar case of corporate espionage, who find themselves on a high-stakes adventure in the Bahamas. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My last two novels, Pedaling West and Survive the Day, featured characters Special Agents Marina Butnari and Doug Hill in the Crime Thriller genre. My third novel, The Other Side of Good, also a crime-thriller, didn’t include Butnari and Hill, but I hoped I might creatively connect that book to the crime-thriller series with The Right Side of Wrong. The similar titles for the two books suggest a relationship between them, and I incorporated characters from The Other Side of Good to join Butnari and Hill in the new book.
How did you develop the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?
Given the history of one of the main characters of the book, Teddy Jay, the “central crime” for the story needed to be something different from the one I employed in other novels (Human Trafficking). My goal was to invite readers to consider a completely different type of crime from the traditional underworld ones … with characters just as evil. Between the lines, I hoped to challenge readers to determine which of the antagonists represented the greater criminal: the hired assassin, the senior executive who hired him, or the CEO of the major company who allowed the main crime to occur. As the story unfolded, the characters started “writing themselves.”
This sets up the novel to deliver some very entertaining scenes. What scene was the most fun to write?
As a former pilot, I enjoyed writing the chapter about the flight from Cincinnati to the Bahamas. I also liked writing the short section about the “redemption” of one of the early villains (Jack Walker/Harold Stinson/Mas).
Where does the next book in the series take the characters?
Good question…and I’m not sure. While I’ve enjoyed some critical success with the “crime-thriller” genre, the byline for my website is Stories with Heart. I manage to insert heart into the crime stories, but I’d like to use some of the interesting characters of past books in a story not centered around crime or enforcement. The travel log aspects of Pedaling West were popular with many readers of that novel, and I’m considering a follow-up…like Pedaling East.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
An intruder caught trespassing on a Caribbean banana plantation leads to an emergency call to a high-ranking FBI official. Within hours, Reno-based special agents, Marina Butnari and Doug Hill, are assigned a top-secret mission originating in the Bahamas.
Yet this is no simple attempted burglary. The crime ties to a multi-billion-dollar case of corporate espionage, and the intended victim is a mysterious agency resource with an identity known to few.
From shark-infested waters to criminal-infested boardrooms, the agents take a roller-coaster ride through the depravities created by greed. They discover that in this imperfect life, sometimes the best you can do is stay on ‘The Right Side of Wrong.’
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a crime fiction adventure featuring beloved characters from some of the other multiple award-winning books by E. A. Coe.
Ambitions, Emotions, and Flaws
Survive the Day follows a top-secret FBI task force who are on the trail of an international criminal organization that they suspect is dealing in human trafficking. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As I began my first “Crime Thriller,” The Other Side of Good, a friend suggested I read the book Filthy Rich, co-written by James Patterson. This non-fictional novel about the American pedophile and sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein opened my eyes to the existence of human trafficking in our country and provided me the lowest of all levels for vile criminals. Research indicated traffickers targeted asylum-seeking immigrants at the United States’ southern border, making the first chapters of Survive the Day credible.
I felt that the action scenes were expertly crafted. I find that this is an area that can be overdone in novels. How did you approach this subject to make sure it flowed evenly?
Lots of research. My action-oriented experience in life comes from the military, not enforcement, so I have to source the expertise of friends with police backgrounds for the crime thriller novels I write. Too often contemporary literature and popular movies present enforcement officials who combat crime as comic-book-style “action heroes” who possess superhuman capabilities. I prefer to create more realistic characters with whom normal people can relate. Our heroes in life might be equipped with specialized training to perform unique skills, but they usually share the same ambitions, emotions, and flaws as the rest of us.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
Quite honestly, retirement from full-time employment. While I’ve enjoyed writing since the fifth grade, the relentless demands of family and career consumed most of my available time before retirement. Anybody can put words on paper, but to write well takes time and effort.
What do you have in store for Special Agents Butnari and Hill in the future?
The two agents make good partners, and their next unusual assignment takes them to the Bahamas to assist a mysterious undercover enforcement resource in a case involving high-level corporate espionage. Readers of past E. A. Coe novels will enjoy the return of one of the most popular characters from The Other Side of Good, and Pastor Tom Burns makes a cameo appearance to continue his streak as the only common character in all six of my novels.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
WINNER: Firebird Book Awards – 1st Place (x2) – Crime Fiction + Thriller
WINNER: Literary Titan Book Awards – Gold Medal
FBI Special Agents Butnari and Hill join a task force charged with stemming human trafficking. They engage in a desperate battle with the criminals dominating the illegal trade, stalled by deceptions created by the mysterious genius who directs the well-organized syndicate, and hampered by compartmentalized intelligence within their enforcement group.
Not all is as it seems—on their side of the law… or the other. Random events and unrelated clues connect, leading to an inevitable showdown.
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS a crime fiction adventure that features characters introduced in the multiple award-winning “Pedaling West” by E. A. Coe.
The Road Not Taken
The Road Not Taken is a novel written by E. A. Coe that tells the story of Ty and Seeney’s romance. The book opens with Ty, a US Marines pilot, attending his high school reunion and bumping into Siena, the once-popular girl and a recently divorced bookkeeper. Ty had always had a crush on her but had never pursued it. Together again, Ty and Siena realize that they both have always had feelings for each other and finally decide to give it a go after ten years apart. Ty and Siena’s love story follows where they have to overcome several realistic conflicts; navigating a long-distance relationship, interruptions from their careers, and problems with ex-lovers. Seeing their relationship develop despite these hurdles was incredibly satisfying and heart-warming. Overall, it’s a feel-good romance that will charm any who read it.
I loved the book’s setting the most and how the character’s played into it. It’s predominately set in West Virginia, including a quaint village called Woodstock, a real place that the author resides in. The descriptions were extraordinarily vivid but familiar, making the story feel comforting and nostalgic. Woodstock was the perfect “small rural town” trope- friendly locals, great eateries, and cute mountain trails. These parts were a pleasure to experience.
The author’s writing style is detail-oriented, which paints interesting characters and sceneries. However, I felt that it contains large stretches of exposition at the start of the book and a few points throughout. This exposition does make the story more realistic. An example of the detailed style that E.A. Coe uses is an explanation of a local water spring that a character drives past causally. The author gives readers its complete history of over 200 years. I did enjoy the detail of the main character’s backgrounds. It allowed me to really get to know them and develop a connection. They felt more evocative, and their hardships were more relatable.
The Road Not Taken is a lovely feel-good romance with a rich set of characters, action, and adventure, in a contemporary setting.
Pages: 285 | ASIN : B086K44WBQ
The Other Side of Good
The Other Side of Good by E.A. Coe raises a profound and existential question we’ve all pondered at some point: is it possible to be both ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ or is it one or the other? This captivating police thriller explores the idea that the kind of person one is may not be so black and white and takes readers on an exciting and thought-provoking journey of the gray area in between right and wrong.
Author Coe introduces an exciting combination of characters based in Cincinnati intertwined in each other’s lives with intriguing complexity. First, we meet police Commander Denton Jones, who reconnected with childhood friend turned high-powered drug cartel leader, Theo Jackson.
Both men experienced childhood trauma together, leading them to turn to different sides of the law. However, they now find themselves fighting for the same cause-to take down an alarmingly powerful human trafficking ring. We follow the men through a fast-paced mission, full of unexpected twists and turns and unusual alliances. Add in police and government corruption, shocking acts from a Pastor, and international gang activity, and Coe gives us a page-turning tale we find ourselves entranced in.
This riveting crime novel gives readers a look into the horrible realities of human trafficking. It plays with the notion of a gray area between good and evil. Coe encourages readers to open their minds and explore if our intrinsic beliefs about those we see as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are really as cut and dry as we have thought. This suspenseful novel has a large cast of characters that the reader will need to pay attention to learn who is part of what faction. Once readers understand who the key players are, readers won’t be able to help but root for the ‘bad guys’ and the ‘good.’
The Other Side of Good is a gripping and intensive police crime mystery novel. The action and suspense will keep readers on edge till the last page.
Pages: 356 | ASIN : B09M96X57D
LITERARY TITAN 