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Everything Began to Click
C.K. Green Author Interview
Damaged follows Kiera as she is struggling to deal with her painful past and her emotions for a love from her past. What was the inspiration for the setup to this emotional novel?
I never wanted to be a writer. It honestly never crossed my mind. This novel developed because I had a scenario that kept repeating in my head over and over again. One day I figured I would write it down and maybe it would stop. Once I started writing everything began to click together. Kiera is a lot like me. She is very self conscious about the way she looks. She suffers from severe anxiety and PTSD. These are elements that hit close to home with me and my family.
Damaged is a genre-crossing novel with elements of a romance, mystery, and thriller as well. Did you start writing with this in mind, or did this happen organically as you were writing?
This happened organically as I wrote. I actually wrote the scene at the club first and branched out from there. I love books that keep you on the edge of your seat. I’m one of those readers that will put a novel down unless it catches my attention and holds it. I tried to soup that into this novel.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
I loved writing about Kiera, but Anna has been my favorite. She’s sassy, independent and knows exactly what she wants.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be published?
I’m currently writing Anna’s story. I had to take a break as I entered into the US Army as an Officer. I’m back at it now and hope to have it out before the end of the year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Damaged (The Damaged Series Book 1) by [Green, C. K.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tOZo5nR7L.jpg)
Ethan can’t forget the day he’d found her, beaten and bloody on the side of the road, barely alive. That one unsolved case changed Ethan’s life as a detective.
Kiera never told anyone what had happened to her the night she’d gone missing. In the aftermath of the attack, she flees town, leaving everything behind. Over time, she manages to build a new life for herself, keeping the painful memories locked in the deep recesses of her mind. But a chance encounter releases them with a vengeance, along with an attraction she never expected to have.
When her past threatens her future, will Kiera be able to trust Ethan to help her once more? Will Ethan still want her after he learns the truth?
The Rigel Affair Book Trailer
THE RIGEL AFFAIR is a novel based on real events and the life of Navy Seal Charlie Kincaid. Part Cherokee, born into Southern poverty, Charlie trained as a diver and became the leader of the war’s first underwater demolition team. His men experienced their first test, moments after the strike on Pearl Harbor, rescuing twenty-eight U. S. sailors trapped in the sinking USS California. Their missions sent them to New Zealand, Australia, and a dozen Pacific Islands, into the most dangerous combat areas on that side of the world. They dove and carried out clandestine missions under horrific weather and health conditions while constantly facing attacks by Japanese troops, bombers, and submarines.
But Charlie’s life was not all hardship. Even as the bloody war ground on in Europe and the Pacific, he fell in love. Her name was Mattie, and she lived in New Zealand. Their love story offers a tender counterpoint to gritty battle scenes throughout the novel. The book is framed around actual love letters sent by the couple, newspaper accounts from 1941-44, material from various archives, and documented events involving Charlie’s ship, the USS Rigel. We’ve also interviewed surviving shipmates.
Honor Among Outcasts
![Honor Among Outcasts (DarkHorse Trilogy Book 2) by [Protzel, Ed]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61bPtY8HKRL.jpg)
The Civil War was filled with pain, suffering, and too much death for both the North and the South. The often-untold stories of suffering and valor are those of the slaves and former slaves. Out in Missouri and Kansas some of the most brutal fighting occurred, not from the armies, but from guerrilla warfare. Honor Among Outcasts continues the story of the Dark Horse inhabitants that have joined the Union Army as soldiers in the Missouri State Militia Ninth Calvary. This is a story of how a group of former slaves fight for their freedom along with their half Indian partner. They face war, racism, and the loss of family and friends, and a multilevel conspiracy; but through it all, their spirit and honor never waver.
Ed Protzel uses historical fiction to bring light to things that went on during the Civil War. While the story of Durk and Antoinette is fabricated there is truth underlying their situation. Generals in the war often didn’t agree with the side they were on; but cared more for their political status than the men they sent off to die. Colored soldiers were especially expendable and were not given adequate supplies and provisions to fulfill their missions, yet few cared. Protzel does an amazing job showing the fear for each decision and action that the soldiers in the Dark Horse regiment had to make. It was never a simple decision of what makes the most sense, it was always about, what will keep us alive the longest while maintain honor. Paralleling their story, is the one of the women from the Dark Horse plantation. These women could not join the army, so they had no protection when all their papers are lost. This was a common issue among freed slaves. You could not go anywhere without your documentation or you were at risk of being put in jail or hung. This fear is so prevalent in the writing.
Reading about the harsh conditions in Missouri that the soldiers lived in is hard, starvation, lack of medical care, equipment shortages in the way of horses and weapons. Soldiers being sent out with little more than their bare hands to fight off guerrilla attacks. I know growing up and learning history I never heard about the guerrilla warfare and the complete brutality of it all. It didn’t matter who you supported, they were merciless and only cared about collecting the spoils of war. Killing meant nothing to these mercenaries. Double agent spy’s playing to whatever side they could is not a far-fetched idea and I’m sure it happened more often than even Protzel makes mention of. Lives and families torn apart and those left alive must suffer from it all.
Reading Honor Among Outcasts, I can see where Ed Protzel got the title. Everything is stacked against the Dark Horse group, men and women, but through it all they retain their honor. They refuse to take the easy way out of things to save their own lives. As I read this book I wanted to see the happy ending, I wanted everything to be okay, but true to real life, that isn’t always the case, not everyone will live, not everyone has a happily ever after. There is still another book in this series and I look forward to reading it to see what happens with the remaining Dark Horse members’, just maybe they will find peace.
Pages: 269 | ASIN: B077YRFB9J
We are Living in Crucial, Transitional Times
The Decline of Democratic Society in the New Age explores the current state of politics, economics, and society. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The idea to write this book came to me in September of 2016. Throughout that month I grew more and more amazed with what I was seeing on television every time I turned it on. Angry people protesting the candidacy of Donald Trump everywhere, even in Toronto where I was living. The intensity of the emotions displayed made an impact on me. I never imagined this many people cared this much about politics. Although I had been working on other things at the time it seemed to me that my first book should be about the politics of this era, so I dropped everything and started writing this book that very month.
The book delves deep into the failures of the US government since 2007 and the international effects of these failures. Why did you choose this year as the starting point?
The year 2007 was not the year the policy failures began, but it was the year the markets began to fail in alarming fashion, day after day. Economics are the lynchpin for all the political and historical insight that pours forth in this book. The book is not academic in nature and contains no jargon. It is for the general reader, but a relevant discussion of economic conduct on the part of government is essential when discussing the state of democratic society today. Democracy itself is still in tact, but societies (people) living under democratic systems are very much in peril due to what is going on economically.
What is one common misconception you find people have about today’s politics?
The main misconception people have about politics today is that it is driven by political concerns. It is not. I try to make it clear in the book that a lot of what goes on is about preserving power and wealth in the U.S. It is not about country or race or society anymore. Everything is motivated by the need to protect enormous wealth and the power it confers. Nothing else matters.
What do you hope readers take away from your book? Is there action that a single citizen can take to rectify our situation?
What I hope people take away from this book is what I state in the very first paragraph of the book. We are living in crucial, transitional times. The western world is not what it once was. Manouvres are being made to preserve economic, class-based power and democracy is very much in danger. What you can do right now is not very much. The source of massive stimulus into the NYSE is now the European Central Bank. They need to move it around every few years to prevent political consequences that might bring an end to it. With so much money coming from Europe, of course, the Europeans now have tremendous influence over the American economy. Since ECB stimulus began, in 2016, the American dollar has fallen in value relative to the Euro by 20%. It was equal to the Euro at the start of 2016. Now one USD is worth .8 Euros. What can somebody do? When the stimulus comes around to the U.S. again, and it will, you must demand, if the American economy is still in tact by then, that there be no taxpayer money injected into the pockets of rich investors and institutions. If they put you off, then I am afraid you will have to become more insistent.
Do you plan on writing other books?
I have about another five books in me which I do plan to write if the marketplace allows me.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
![The Decline of Democratic Society in the New Age by [Soriano, Giovanni]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Tx23d7aNL.jpg)
A deeply intellectual history of the present,The Decline of Democratic Society in the New Age outlines the historical events that have led the world into its current state of political, economic, psychological, societal, and biological demise. By identifying and discussing tyranny in its modern forms, solutions are made evident or provided throughout the text. Abounding with original ideas in every one of its thirty chapters, the book is a model of revolutionary thought and philosophical totality. It constitutes no less than a modern-day version of Plato’s Republic for the new century. Beyond this, the discourse possesses an unceasing intensity of tone found only in the purest of political tracts. Without doubt an intellectual, political, and historical necessity in this confused and disturbing period.
Cowboys and spies?
Jamie Dodson Author Interview
In the latest Nick Grant adventure story the Japanese plot to steal the famous Hughes H-1 racer. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting novel?
Interesting, during the World War II, Howard Hughes got the opportunity to examine a captured Japanese A-6M Zero. He recognized several innovations he had incorporated into the H-1. Many years later, he told a story about a 1936 break in at his Culver City airport. The culprits ransacked the H-1 hangar and several blue prints were missing. The Japanese were never implicated. I took those snippets of story and wrote Nick Grant into the action.
The supporting characters in this novel, I felt, were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write?
I enjoy writing the supporting characters as much as I do writing Nick. In each novel, I have introduced news characters – some good – some evil. In Black Dragons Attack my hands down favorite is Brian O’Malley. Without exception, the advance copy readers loved him. Those same early readers asked that I include Brian in future Nick Grant Adventures. Brian is a good hearted cowpoke who has a pivotal role in the story line. Cowboys and spies? An interesting combination that I hope my reader’s enjoy as much as I did crafting the story.
The Black Dragons are working for the Japanese Intelligence Service who are conspiring with the Third Reich in California. How did you develop this twist? Anything pulled from real life?
As a young military intelligence officer, the Army assigned me to the US Pacific Command, Oahu, Hawaii. Several of the old hands told me about their experiences before and during WW II. One retiring Army Counter Intelligence Agent spoke about a concerted espionage effort between the Japanese and Germans. A married couple, who were in fact German Spies, provided critical information to the Japanese prior to the December 7th, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Another spoke about and effort to steal US Communications codes. A third spoke about a effort in California to infiltrate US aircraft manufactures to steal advanced US technology. Much like the Chinese are doing to us today.
I understand that real people inspired this story. Who were those people and how did they impact you?
Once I saw bestselling author, Homer Hickam, of October Skies fame, wearing a T-Shirt emblazoned with the following: BE CARFEFULL – YOU MIGHT WIND UP IN MY NEXT NOVEL. I build my characters around people that I have known in my life. Some are blends of different individuals others are as I remember them but with cover names. As a career foreign intelligence officer I have known many people that would stretch the reader’s belief. One stands out in my mind, the senior intelligence officer of the Army’s Paratrooper Division, the 82d Airborne. Then Lieutenant Colonel Nick Grant – now Brigadier General (Retired) Grant was a huge influence on me. During down time on maneuvers he told me about his youth and burning desire to become a pilot. Like my character, Nick Grant actual comes from humble beginnings. He worked hard to achieve many things in his successful career. I modeled my Nick after General Grant’s steely eyed nerve, technical expertise, and strong desire to take the hard right instead of the easy wrong.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Book IV. The Black Dragons are back! After their last run in, Nick Grant believes his nemesis, Toshio Miyazaki, is dead. Determined to leave the spy games behind, Nick starts a new life as a Naval Aviation Cadet. During training, famous aviator and movie producer, Howard Hughes, lures Midshipman Grant into a mock dogfight. Afterwards Hughes offers Nick a pilot job. Nick’s college dreams stand in the way, and he turns Hughes down. However, their paths cross again in an unexpected way.
In 1936 the Black Dragons, working for the Japanese Intelligence Service, remain active in California and have a new partner, the Third Reich! Agents from both countries team up in their most audacious plan yet—steal the Hughes H-1 racer. Their plan—use the cutting edge technology to develop the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft.
The Japanese plan goes awry when US Naval Counterintelligence becomes aware of their activities. Commander Boltz assigns Nick and Senior Chief Ellis to guard the airfield until the FBI can take over. Together, they foil the Black Dragons’ attempt to steal the H-1 plans but the Japanese regroup with an even more sinister plan. They grab a hostage and demand that Nick deliver the H-1 technical plans and the Navy’s Top Secret Pacific War Plans.
When the Black Dragons attack, it’s up to Nick and friends to turn the tables, retrieve the stolen goods and a fabled katana. Join Nick Grant, Nancy Tanaka, and Leilani Porta in their latest adventure, Black Dragons Attack!
Srepska
Explosions and mayhem make up the introduction to Lucas Sterling’s debut novel, Srepska, immediately throwing the reader into the after effects of a massive cyber attack in Kenya. Personal, business, and federal accounts have been digitally looted leading to a state of emergency. Fearing repeat on a larger scale, Agent Frederic Ulrich is tasked with seeking out those responsible, though the feared group ‘Srepska’ is immediately suspect. The scant bread crumb trail points to the U.S. as the next target, but a possible mole leaves Agent Ulrich unsure of friend or foe. With the aid of Lars Christopherson, he must find a way to inform and prevent the next attack.
Srepska is definitely deserving of it’s place in the action genre. Lucas Sterling brings to the table an adrenaline packed story that is made all the more intense by it’s relatability. Set in modern day, the Information Age as we like to call it, Srepska is a story you could very well see taking place in our own reality, the focus being a cyber attack. The suspense is therefore intensified given the fact that such attacks in the long scheme of things are still fairly new, meaning effective defenses are still being regularly updated and changed. This is felt throughout the book by many of the characters, with concern on how to combat such a threat that initially seems faceless.
We follow Frederic Ulrich and Lars Christopherson through the story as they team up to put a stop to things. Sterling presents us with two characters very strong in their trade. We are treated to an inside look to their jobs, but the characters themselves lack some dimension. This could be due to how fast paced the story is, moving from action to suspense and back again in quick succession, leaving little room for character development.
Following the bread crumb trail of clues is exciting given how so many countries have been after this group for so long. Things just seemed to fall in to place too easily in some respects. And I felt that there were some sections where settings were over explained, when all I wanted to do was to get back to what this novel does best, the action!
All in all, Lucas Sterling’s Srepska is quite the page turner. The fast pacing keeps the reader engaged and the highly relatable and believable content adds to the feeling of suspense, leaving the reader all the more eager to see the success of the main characters in their goals. A very exciting read!
Pages: 239 | ASIN: B075V8C8HL
Black Dragons Attack: A Nick Grant Adventure
Black Dragons Attack, the fourth installment in the Nick Grant Adventures series outdoes the high bar set by the previous adventures. This enthralling pre-World War II story features a superb cameo by American aviation hero Howard Hughes! Readers are transported to the nostalgic war era with the mind-blowing narrative by author Jamie Dodson. Nick Grant starts afresh as a Naval Aviation Cadet that leads to a chance encounter with Howard Hughes that changes the course of his life. Join Nick as he thwarts the Japanese plot to steal the famous Hughes H-1 racer along with his friends Nancy Tanaka and Leilani Porta for some edge of your seat entertainment.
Jamie Dodson has always delivered riveting story lines, perfect character development, amazing locales, and ultimately an exceptional climax – in short, each of Nick Grant’s adventures, be it Flying Boats & Spies, China Clipper, or Mission Shanghai or the latest offering Black Dragons Attack never fail to impress readers.
Set in 1936, Black Dragons Attack continues the Nick Grant saga as he believes his arch nemesis Toshio Miyazaki, is dead and starts afresh as a Cadet in the Naval Aviation Academy. It takes no less than a chance run in with the genius billionaire aviator and movie producer, Howard Hughes to lure Nick back into another deadly spy game.
The Black Dragons, working for the Japanese Intelligence Service, turn out to be secretly active and conspiring with a new partner, the Third Reich in California! As the Japanese hatch an elaborate plan to steal the Hughes H-1 racer to reverse engineer and build something even more advanced, US Naval Counterintelligence uncovers their activities. Nick is tasked with foiling the plans of the Japanese with the help of Nancy Tanaka and Leilani Porta.
As much as Nick impresses with his heroic show of patriotism and daredevilry, the Hughes H-1 steals the show with its sheer technological prowess and revolutionary functionalities that are years ahead of anything that existed in that era, precisely why the fascist regimes of Imperial Japanese and Nazis were so obsessed with it.
The setting of pre-world war II provides a poignant background wherein Jamie Dodson successfully manages to capture the mindset of people in a war torn country. Howard Hughes, albeit in a sort of guest appearance, manages to shine and awe the reader with his larger than life personality. The character sketches of Nancy, Leilani and Toshio are spot on and do justice to their role in the plot.
Overall, Black Dragons Attack, the fourth book in the Nick Grant adventure series is a pleasure to read.
Pages: 244 | ASIN: 1938667549
LITERARY TITAN 