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The Enigma Heirs Champions

Charles Breakfield & Rox Burkey Author Interview

Enigma Tracer follows the R-Group as they try to stop a master thief from creating chaos and destruction in the Caribbean islands’ manufacturing infrastructure before time runs out. What inspired you to start a new series in the same world as your previous series?

The Enigma Series covered three generations of the R-Group, referencing their beginnings in World War II. We recently detailed the harrowing events in the novella prequel Out of Poland. Technology threats today target the very old and the younger population worldwide. We wanted the leaders of the R-Group and sister organization, CATS, to be the newest generation. 

Gracie and her twin, Juan Junior or JJ, were the first of the fourth generation of the R-Group family businesses. Their education, in many ways, was traditional homeschooling with extensive usage of modern digital problem-solving acumen. They still strive to remain on the moral high ground and help humanity, but their expertise with the technical tools available is second to none.

We felt it was time to change so the next generation could become the adults in charge. Your children can only train for so long before they need to get tested for real-life problems. We believe the Enigma Heirs champions will find new ways to combat the criminals from the Darknet and those evil people lurking in the shadows with innovative solutions to cyber problems.

The book deals with themes of greed, power, and corruption. What message do you hope readers take away from the story?

Thank you for pulling these elements. When one profiles someone who steals, controls, or even kills other humans, one or all of these themes is at the heart when you peel back the layers. Some people have evil mindsets. Brilliant geniuses without balance believe that it’s their way or no way. They will pick one of the elements, such as power, to accumulate vast sums of money and get others to do the work for them.

The unfortunate truth about our digital universe is the cyber bad guys are always in the lead. It takes courage to defy evil from the Darknet. We want our storytelling taken to heart for the subtle lessons. If the cyber world is to remain in balance, the cyber good guys must combat the cyber trash to restore order from chaos.

That said, we want readers to remain vigilant against the deal that sounds too good to be true or the promise they want to hear rather than being suspicious. Falling for these hoaxes or marketing manipulation by someone with a smooth line has a poor ending. Please don’t jump on the bandwagon with everything until you check it out thoroughly. Our digital world requires individuals to protect themselves. We can help one another and keep our family and friends from making unrecoverable mistakes.

The technology aspect of the book is quite detailed and complex. How did you strike a balance between making it accessible to readers while still being accurate and engaging?

Breakfield and Burkey work in technology. We’ve watched our technical evolution progress over time in both capabilities and complexities. We like taking tangible aspects of technology and putting them into everyday scenarios people can understand. In Enigma Tracer, we use a variety of drones ranging from miniature ones in the earrings Gracie wears to the ones Bailey places in the garden and the others Jeff helps Keith use to distract the guards in the ship’s hold. Drones have a variety of capabilities for pictures, audio transmission, movement, and more. Everyone likes toys, especially adults.

You have a massive part of our secret. We like to tell a great story in a realistic setting, with relatable characters, caring relationships, fun, and a bit of humor. We believe this is an engaging recipe. We change all the elements when we write each book. But we are careful and diligent about not using a single formula repeatedly. And just so the readers know, we do NOT use A.I. chatbots to assemble our stories. Breakfield and Burkey are the writers and researchers of our books.

What can readers expect in book two in the Enigma Heirs Thriller series?

Book two, Enigma Forced, brings back a greedy enemy without regard for people. He and others like him operate in many locations worldwide, forcing people to do things they would never do by choice. Seduction and trafficking are the criminal tools of these cyber-thugs. The web of deception for these operations is much like a Hydra. Cut off one head three more grow in its place. The applied technologies needed to locate the poisonous, heartless villain will take all the resources at the disposal of the R-Group and CATS. The opening chapters is at the end of Enigma Tracer, let us know your thoughts.

\Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Website | RoxBurkey.com

The clock is ticking … can Gracie uncover the truth?
Phillip Pliant is the wealthy opportunist plastics dealer, and CEO of Pliant Industries. He’s also a master thief—creating a pervasive threat to the manufacturing infrastructure in the Caribbean islands markets. With the cartel as his stealth client, the naïve city leaders have been seduced, enabling the production of more than 3-dimentional building materials.

And set the stage for massive chaos and destruction.

Pliant has locked up contracts, assets, and control of any future expansion. His contacts and clients salivate over their probable financial reward—the expected profits are monstrous.

Is the R-Group, now led by Gracie and the family heirs, strong enough to win against this predator? Can JJ’s CATS (Cyber Assassin Technology Services) act on the root-cause analysis in time?Will the R-Group and CATS sabotage Pliant’s plan before it’s too late?
Can Jeff and Keith use their covert skills to put the bad guys away for good?
Will Gracie be able to squash Pliant and the cartels?
Can the chain of islands survive the underhanded tactics and threats?

Gracie never considered their lives would hang in the balance between winning and losing. Will the devious plot be uncovered in time? The clock is ticking. Five … four … three …

Enigma Tracer

Enigma Tracer kicks off a new and exciting series by Breakfield and Burkey. Gracie, the heir apparent to R-Group, has taken up a case brought to her by her former college roommate, Bailey Smith. Gracie and Bailey, along with their current beaus, Jeff and Keith, go undercover to embark upon a cruise to gather intel on Philip Pliant, the predatory CEO of Pliant Industries. Using their wits and charm, along with a captivating cast of supporting characters from the Cyber Assassin Technology Services (CATS), the foursome engages in a treacherous cat-and-mouse investigation.

Authors Breakfield and Burkey do a fantastic job laying the groundwork in the opening chapters, establishing the characters and their backgrounds. Gracie and Bailey are quite likable, and their chemistry is palpable. I appreciate that they’re not two Mary Sues, as Gracie has impulse control and anger issues, and Bailey seems to struggle with alcohol. Jeff and Keith are well-fleshed out as capable companions who are also a little jealous of their better halves’ undercover positions.

Once the story gets going, Enigma Tracer is an exciting read. The dialogue between characters does a lot of heavy lifting for the exposition. The operatives discuss their dates and socialize while on their actual mission. This adds a fun layer to the story and shows that the next generation of R-Group is still young and inexperienced.

Enigma Tracer is highly recommended to fans of technothrillers, and fast-moving plots, and is a must-read for longtime fans of the authors. Dramatic, high-tech action fills the pages of this gripping story. I highly recommend readers experience the sharp writing and enthralling plot that Breakfield and Burkey bring to their series.

Pages : 232 | ASIN : B0BRD6BWSG

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Wars Are Ugly, Bloody, And Vicious

Rox Burkey
Rox Burkey Author Interview

Out of Poland is a historical thriller following a group of Polish citizens who band together to fight Hitler’s forces. What was the inspiration for the idea behind your story?

We have long held that the three founders of the Enigma Series escaped Poland in 1939 during the German invasion. These heroes stole a copy of the Enigma Machine and put it on the last British plane out of the country. But they were shrewd enough to make a copy of it. Taking refuge in Switzerland the three broke the code and started their information brokering business to help victims of WWII recover and protect their wealth under the cover of the R-Group. Their children and grandchildren make up the cyber heroes of the Enigma Series.

We wanted to tell the harrowing tale of how they accomplished their deceptions and the risks are taken. Heroes born of the circumstances, especially under fire, sacrificing for what is morally right, for us, is a compelling story. We wanted to bring the realism of the war to our readers. We feel we accomplished this in our novella. We also created a screenplay which we have submitted for consideration with a few groups.

Was writing a historical fiction story a challenge or a nice change from writing technology thrillers?

Writing historical fiction, much like our novels in the series, requires accurate details. Breakfield has studied World War II for years. He has read hundreds of books of the battles, places, and people from English, American, German, and Russian authors. The details of the war in this novella are accurate, it is the circumstances of our heroes that are embellished to protect the unsung heroes of the travesty of overrunning Poland. Hitler was driven and we are grateful he was stopped.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

We wanted to convey the struggles of the people faced by war from a maniac who demanded harsh domination. Wars are ugly, bloody, and vicious filled with victims from all economic strata. We also highlight the racial prejudices that the invaders brought with them. No one is immune to the evils of war. Our German military is portrayed as a machine overrunning a proud country with passionate people.

We wanted to focus on the trials of the Polish people and the lengths they went to keep their beliefs alive. Without a properly equipped army or the support of the allies, escape was their best option. Illustrating that was key as was the part Russia played in the loss of Poland.

This is a novella-length story. Was that intentional or incidental to telling the story you wanted to tell?

The length of this story, like all our stories was a result of what we wanted to convey to readers. We are storytellers who are passionate about telling a great story. The drama, passion, tragedy, sorrow, triumph, and hope captured in our stories dictate the length. We believe this is a fabulous foundational story that created the basis of our current day technology thrillers of the Enigma Series. That focus is realized for us in this story. We want readers to gain that insight into our award-winning R-Group. We invite your readers to view the book trailer https://youtu.be/VnQOxg1rMgU of this story.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website (check out the freebies)

Out of Poland: Novella by [Charles Breakfield, Rox Burkey]

Beneath the storm clouds of a deadly war, three men are poised to unlock the secrets to redeem the world.

The setting is Poland 1939, Germans are marching toward Warsaw running their armor, and devastating swarms of armed soldiers, along with their cavalry. Fighting against the Nazi military machine is a death wish realized all too clearly.

The path of the invaders is paved with death, destructions, pillage, and woman brutalized at the hands of soldiers with no honor. As much as the citizens of Poland pray for a different outcome, everything they have known, loved, and grown up with is devastated.

Three young men are tasked with finding and extracting the German military communications device, Baby, that is kept under heavy guard. Polish patriots die to aid the three in getting the information and then fleeing with the prize. The race is on as the Germans try to match wits with the clever patriots who risk detection at every turn.

The Ambassador Ferdek Watcowski, insists that his son Ferdek along with Wolfgang and Tavius, take their families and flee while there is still time to reach a border. The goal of their journey is to escape with Baby intact.

Poland’s military is so outclassed by Hitler’s forces that survival is key to fighting another day. Facing great peril and odds against their survival, the men resolve to make a difference so that those who died helping them would not have sacrificed in vain. They vow to undertake a lifetime of fighting tyranny.

Successful survivors must look ahead.

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Out of Poland: Novella

Out of Poland: Novella by [Charles Breakfield, Rox Burkey]

Out of Poland, by Charles Breakfield and Roxanne Burkey, is the action-packed story of a group of Polish citizens who band together to fight against Hitler and the German army. In this historical thriller an ambassador, soldiers, and a family of Gypsies all come together to save Poland.

Ferdek Watcowski is the Polish ambassador and father of the main character, Ferdek. Younger Ferdek, a former lieutenant in the Polish military, devises a plan to undermine the German forces. Two of his comrades, along with a family of gypsies, travel to Gdansk to obtain a device known as “Baby”. I feel giving this device such a soft name allows for the authors to put the reader at ease, as well as introduces humor in calling a dangerous device “baby”. The plot of the story propels forward as these characters risk their lives to obtain a device that could change the war rising in Poland, and possibly save their country from the grasp of the Germans.

Breakfield and Burkey have a writing style that is simple yet intriguing. They move the plot along quickly and engage the reader throughout the entire story. The action throughout the story, as well as the suspense, leaves the reader at the edge of their seat. Throughout the entire story, you are wondering if these characters will make it out alive and achieve their goal of saving Poland.

This story is short but still captivating, but I would have loved to delve deeper into the characters and their backstories as they were so compelling, and what’s given leaves me wanting more. The heart the characters have for their country, along with their fighting spirit leaves you rooting for them, and relating to them, throughout their suspenseful journey.

Out of Poland is a fast paced historical thriller that is relentlessly moving forward and accurately portrays a perilous time in history. The authors skill with words is on full display. Any reader who enjoys historical fiction that gets the details right, and a story that knows how to setup compelling characters, will have plenty to enjoy in this gripping novel by Breakfield and Burkey.

Pages: 102 | ASIN: B096WQ77C8

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