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The Relentless Lure of Greed and Power
Polar Deception follows a man living in a time of environmental collapse and geopolitical fractures who steals rare crystals from a remote research center and murders his colleagues to secure himself a lucrative deal. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It’s interesting that you characterize the story as following Carlos, the antagonist. Carlos represents all that is wrong with the world—the relentless lure of greed and power. While he doesn’t steal the crystals, he hides them to double‑cross his prospective buyer, China. That act underscores his manipulative nature and the destructive choices people in power often make. History and current events remind us that unchecked ambition and exploitation lead to suffering for the many and lasting damage to our only home in the universe. Diana’s struggle against Carlos is symbolic of humanity’s broader fight to resist those forces.
For me, the heart of Polar Deception is Diana’s story—a smart, adventurous woman who has endured profound personal tragedy, from a difficult childhood to the loss of both her mother and husband within just a few years. Her journey is about resilience and finding the courage to stand up to someone like Carlos.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I especially enjoyed writing Angie. She’s a lively, fun companion for Diana, yet she carries her own inner demons that I hope to explore more fully in the next book.
Carlos, on the other hand, was the most difficult. I envisioned him as a narcissistic sociopath, but early (and even recent) feedback suggested he came across as cartoonishly evil. To balance that, I gave him a more nuanced background shaped by personal tragedies, and even a faint conscience—he avoids harming those he believes “don’t deserve it.” Writing such characters is tricky: while narcissistic sociopaths exist in real life, their behavior can feel unbelievable in fiction. Still, if we are to understand and deal with such sociopaths in reality, at the very least we must be able to acknowledge that they have a role to play in fiction.
I felt there was a clear warning in these pages about the direction Earth is headed. What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The central theme is the butterfly effect—how a single action, whether natural or human, can ripple across the globe for good or ill. The Russian earthquake is one example, echoing the real-life 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami that impacted Antarctica. It’s a reminder that it only takes one event in one corner of the world to reverberate thousands of miles away in mere hours
Another theme is the outsized influence of individuals. History shows us how one person—Hitler being a stark example—can alter humanity’s course through threats or promises of power. Carlos embodies this danger, justifying his actions as serving the “greater good.” But Diana ultimately strips that power from him, at least for now, preserving the fragile balance.
What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
Without giving too much away, the next book begins with a global event that sends Diana and Angie to Greenland, where a crisis is brewing. Book 2 is set in 2053 and will explore sustainable alternatives to today’s technology—solutions that are based on existing innovations but not considered economically feasible. The series as a whole will continue to examine how humanity’s choices, both large and small, shape our shared future.
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And Thwaites—the infamous Doomsday Glacier in Antarctica—has collapsed. Submerged coastlines and yesterday’s technologies are the new normal. But deep within Antarctica’s mountains, revolutionary magnetic crystals hold the key to resurrecting the modern era. There’s just one problem—with Thwaites gone, mining will unleash a catastrophic chain reaction, shattering Antarctica’s ice, and reshaping Earth’s future forever.
Dr. Carlos Perez doesn’t care. Prestige and profit are all that matter. After collecting crystal samples at a Chilean research station, he murders three colleagues under orders from his Chinese buyer—then hides the samples until he can cut a new deal. To avoid detection, he returns to the facility aboard a pleasure cruise.
Also aboard is Diana Harris, a recently widowed sustainability advocate with a background in geology, traveling with her spirited best friend, Angie. Diana hopes for healing—but after she stumbles upon a mysterious red crystal and a trail of hidden agendas, she’s pulled into a deadly conspiracy. The CIA is watching. China is listening. And Carlos is ready to kill again.
When Diana and the other campers are left stranded in the icy wilderness, the countdown begins. A rare cyclone is closing in. The truth is cracking through the ice. And Diana must summon her strength to stop a man-made disaster that could redefine civilization.
The truth lies beneath the fracturing ice.
And if it surfaces—nations will kill to control it.
Polar Deception
Polar Deception is a tense eco-thriller set in a future shaped by environmental collapse, geopolitical fractures, and the discovery of powerful red crystals hidden beneath the Antarctic ice. The story weaves together the ruthless ambitions of Dr. Carlos Perez, the quiet moral struggle of Dr. Omar Hasson, the grief-stricken journey of Diana Harris, and the covert operations of CIA agents racing to keep the crystals from falling into the wrong hands. What begins as a scientific mystery quickly turns into a globe-spanning battle over technology, survival, and the fragile state of a warming world.
This book never quite let me catch my breath. The writing hit me with sharp images and simple but striking language, and I found myself leaning in, eager for the next twist. I liked how the tension inside the Antarctic station simmered from the first pages. Perez’s obsession unsettled me, and the cold brutality of his choices made my stomach tighten. Then the narrative shifted to Diana, and the tone softened. Her grief carried real weight. I felt that heaviness in her cramped apartment, in the unopened boxes, in the way she talked to her dog like he was holding her together. That contrast between danger and vulnerability gave the whole story a pulse that grabbed me.
There were moments when the ideas themselves hit harder than the plot. The book dives into rare earth scarcity, global power struggles, broken technology, and the desperation that follows. I found myself thinking about how easily science can become a bargaining chip when the world gets shaky. Some scenes made me angry as characters manipulated research for profit or control. Other scenes made me hopeful when people showed loyalty and courage despite everything falling apart around them. I liked how the author slipped in social commentary without making it feel preachy. It felt real. Messy. Relatable.
The story delivered high stakes, a fast pace, and characters who stayed in my head. I’d recommend Polar Deception to readers who enjoy eco-thrillers, survival stories, and science-driven mysteries. It felt like a blend of the high-stakes environmental urgency of The Day After Tomorrow and the globe-spanning intrigue of The Da Vinci Code while carrying the character-driven emotional weight you’d find in The Martian.
Pages: 506 | ASIN : B0FRB6XPYV
LITERARY TITAN 