Enemies in the West Wing
The President of the United States Has Gone Rogue!With the Nation in grave peril, seven resolute patriots, "The DC Seven", find that saving the Nation is much more difficult and tragic than they had ever realized.How will they avoid the danger to themselves and their families and restore the democracy?
Adriana Books, The Complete Blog, 2020-2021, Vol 1
Adriana Books: The Complete Blog, 2010-2021, Volumes 1 & 2, contain all of the posts to the blog on Adriana Books, written by Dwight Cathcart. They are prompted by the huge changes in the lives of LGBTQ people during this recent decade and by the question of the future. The essays are short, easily accessible, pointed and penetrating on topics that confront LGBTQ people today. From the question of coming out to the issue of teen-age suicides among LGBTQ youth and, of course, to the achievement of marriage equality and its effect on all of us, these essays discuss tactics and strategy-all from the perspective of a queer man right at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It never forgets the history of LGBTQ people or the LGBTQ people who were damaged and are continuing to be damaged by the action of the bigoted and the ignorant.
Anthem
Ayn Rand published her book, Anthem, in 1946. In the included foreword she provided, she bemoaned "people who accept collectivism by moral default" despite there being ample evidence of the bloody consequences of that approach. "Those who refuse to see it now are neither blind nor innocent." Sadly, though some seventy years have passed, that evidence has only accumulated and compounded, heaping body upon body, bones upon bones, mass graves over other mass graves. And yet, even now, 'collective' ideologies are still accepted as the 'moral default.' Ayn Rand's prescient book, Anthem, was a warning. But it was a warning unheeded, leaving us to wonder if there is any genocidal calamity that could take place that could shake the foundations of the inclination towards collectivism that we remain awash in.
It Could Happen Here -
Eric King the CEO of International Surveillance, Security and Construction, ISSAC, received a call from Wilbur Barron, the president of the United States, requesting that he attend a meeting at the National Golf Club. Barron was vague but hinted that he needed King's business expertise in planning an election year strategy. King wasn't surprised by the call. The president always sought advice from friends outside of his staff. Barron didn't mention it openly, but those who worked for him knew he had a basic distrust of people who were attached to the system and worked for government paychecks. He wanted input from people whose wealth freed them from having to worry about their next government stipend and leaned on his rich friends for all sorts of tasks and advice. He vested some with cabinet level decision making powers without ever having to run them before congress for confirmation. Cabinet members and the presidential staff knew the president's friends could overturn their decisions with a phone call and of all the members of the president's kitchen cabinet, King was the most heavily relied on. He undertook jobs for Barron that were unadvertised, sometimes shady, and he was secretive enough never to let the press know what he was doing.
2100
James Lawson, a business entrepreneur from our times, has grown up with the belief that the main purpose of life is to maximise wealth. He only accepts that climate change is real when he realises he can make money out of dealing with it.Struck down by a near-fatal brain tumour, he is put into hibernation until a treatment can be found for his condition.Revived in the year 2100, he finds himself living in a very different world from the one that we are used to. Even the social mores are different.During his long sleep, the world economic order collapsed. People have banded together to organise themselves into communities. For them, beyond providing for the basic necessities, the accumulation of wealth has been replaced by quality-of-life issues, such as being part of their community and taking care of a planet ravaged by climate change.Can James adjust to this new way of life? Can he still put his entrepreneurial skills to good use? Can he find love, and track down what has happened to the people in his past?Can the people of 2100, who blame the people of our time for causing global warming, learn to accept this man?And where, amongst a people whose cuisine is plain but wholesome, can he get a decent Big Mac and french fries?
The Editor
As long as you play chess, you depend on moves directed at your opponent. This changes when you start thinking about the game itself rather than the movements. _____________________________________________________________ Ernst J羹nger's Commentary on Friedrich Georg's 70th Birthday
Beyond the Banana Hills
In this spellbinding novel, a recently reinstated attorney, working for a famous litigator travel to Colombia in search of an elusive US expat who may have witnessed massacres committed my paramilitaries hired by a famous corporation. When their paths cross, a dark secret is revealed, and both of their life trajectories are forever changed.
Faust in Love
The idea is that by electing Donald Trump, a certain segment of the population "sold its soul" for political power. However, this contract was made with the backdrop of structural problems in our society where people no longer agree about what America's key values should be.
The God Conspiracy
The deadliest terror attacks in American history are triggered by a mysterious e-mail from "God," and the government blames a fanatical group of apocalyptic Christians.FBI Special Agent Joe Unes reluctantly teams with reclusive Internet broadcaster Barney Ison to expose the plot -- and discovers that he's not contending with flesh and blood.
Road Not Taken? - Imperium in Imperio & the Hindered Hand
In "ROAD NOT TAKEN? - Imperium in Imperio & The Hindered Hand," Sutton E. Griggs deftly intertwines social commentary with narrative innovation, exploring themes of racial identity, leadership, and self-determination in the early 20th century. Griggs employs a robust literary style that melds realism with elements of speculative fiction, crafting a dual narrative that probes the complexities of African American experiences during a time of profound sociopolitical upheaval. The intertextual dialogue established between these two works serves as a poignant reflection on the diverging paths of racial uplift and societal resistance, pushing readers to reckon with the implications of choice and agency within a constrained societal framework. Sutton E. Griggs, an influential African American author and activist, drew inspiration from his personal experiences and the historical context of post-Reconstruction America. Griggs's commitment to civil rights and his academic background as a well-educated preacher shaped his perspective, empowering him to articulate the struggles and aspirations of Black Americans. His literary contributions are often overshadowed by contemporaries, yet they remain significant in the canon of African American literature, capturing the zeitgeist of a tumultuous era. Highly recommended for scholars, students, and general readers alike, "ROAD NOT TAKEN?" invites thoughtful examination of Griggs's profound insights into race and identity. This collection not only enriches our understanding of the literary landscape but also serves as a vital reminder of the historical struggles that continue to resonate in contemporary discussions of race and social justice.
Own Little Worlds
Patchen-Award Winning Novel!Four days before the presidential election, a bomb explodes on a Japanese cargo ship in the Port of Jacksonville, incinerating four American workers. Retired editor Trammell is on the story, just as soon as he gets in his nap. Laid-off reporter Lucy Neale has his back, searching for a fugitive computer expert falsely accused of planting the bomb. Did the sitting Democratic president, Oscar winner Cassandra Holland, order it? Or is the GOP challenger, professional wrestler Daniel "The Hammer" Hammerschmidt, behind it? Or is everyone just being played by dirty trickster Dick Maestro?In OWN LITTLE WORLDS, ex-journalist Cal Massey takes us on a fierce, funny, fast-paced ride through post-Trump America, in the company of characters both marvelous and mean, caught in the swirl of ever-shifting truth and a democracy crumbling under the weight of its own hate.Welcome to a tragedy you can dance to.Fiction.
All We Are Saying
Paying homage to the sixties peace movement this short fast-paced novel, set between the years 2012 and 2033, centers around a young girl's memory when she was friends with the Clarke family. Mr. Clarke, a successful politician, becomes President in 2028, however, his personal life proves tragically wrong. On re-election night 2032, fate intervenes. President Clarke struggles to adjust as the world hurtles into the decision to choose peace over violence. Was it in the wind, a desperate need, or just time?
The Manifold Destiny of Eddie Vegas
Two young men are caught in the crosshairs of shady government operations, mafias, and billionaires. A multi-generational family drama unfolds into an observation of violence in American History: from the Oregon Trail, to the nuclear age, the Vietnam War, and a post-9/11 world.
Deadly Election
A mysterious suicide in a military prison.a president whose thirst for alcohol may overwhelm his thirst for power.a White House advisor who takes matters into his own hands. With the country's future in the balance, a Supreme Court justice, a young congressional aide and a grieving mother are swept into a fight for their ideals-and their lives. As timely as tomorrow's headlines, Deadly Election is a searing tale of intrigue, courage, and the lust for power.
Black List
#1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad Thor returns with his most explosive thriller ever. Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it--only the President and a secret team of advisors. Once your name is on the list, it doesn't come off...until you're dead. Someone has just added counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath's name. Somehow Harvath must evade the teams dispatched to kill him long enough to untangle who has targeted him and why they want him out of the way. Somehow, somewhere, someone can put all the pieces together. The only question is, will Harvath get to that person before the United States suffers the most withering terrorist attack ever conceived?
Gwenllian
1275... a cry for help from a woman who is kidnapped at sea. 2016. Dutch archivist Fenna van Wijk is helping architect Ned Thompson sifting through a stack of ancient papers kept in an untouched archive in an old English manor house in Lincolnshire. Among manuscripts dealing with the holy Gilbert of Sempringham, they discover a letter from 1275, written by Eleanor de Montfort, the young bride to be of Welsh prince Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. During their research, Fenna stumbles upon Eleanor's only child: Gwenllian. The English king Edward I had his enemy's infant locked away for ever in a cloister in... Sempringham. When Fenna and Ned try to understand this harsh decision, they find more than they bargained for.
Cold Island
Britain is divided, and Mara is on the wrong side1989, the Berlin Wall opens. The upheavals in her homeland are an opportunity for Mara--free to travel, she comes to Britain, falls in love and never leaves.2016, the UK votes to leave the European Union, and once again, Mara is at the centre of a changing world.She's built her life in Britain: a wife, a career and a cottage in the countryside. But now Mara worries she'll be forced to return to a Germany she no longer knows.Faced with bureaucratic inflexibility and administrative failures, Mara needs to prove her right to remain. But do the events of her first years in Britain hold the key to whether she will be allowed to stay?Cold Island explores the personal cost of Brexit
Run and Hide
"Pankaj Mishra transforms a visceral, intimate story of one man's humble origins into a kaleidoscopic portrait of a society bedazzled by power and wealth--what it means on a human level, and what it costs. Run and Hide is a spectacular, illuminating work of fiction." --Jennifer Egan, author of Manhattan Beach Growing up in a small railway town, Arun always dreamed of escape. His acceptance to the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, enabled through great sacrifice by his low-caste parents, is seemingly his golden ticket out of a life plagued by everyday cruelties and deprivations. At the predominantly male campus, he meets two students from similar backgrounds. Unlike Arun--scarred by his childhood, and an uneasy interloper among go-getters--they possess the sheer will and confidence to break through merciless social barriers. The alumni of IIT eventually go on to become the financial wizards of their generation, working hard and playing hard from East Hampton to Tuscany--the beneficiaries of unprecedented financial and sexual freedom. But while his friends play out Gatsby-style fantasies, Arun fails to leverage his elite education for social capital. He decides to pursue the writerly life, retreating to a small village in the Himalayas with his aging mother. Arun's modest idyll is one day disrupted by the arrival of a young woman named Alia, who is writing an expos矇 of his former classmates. Alia, beautiful and sophisticated, draws Arun back to the prospering world where he must be someone else if he is to belong. When he is implicated in a terrible act of violence committed by his closest friend from IIT, Arun will have to reckon with the person he has become. Run and Hide is Pankaj Mishra's powerful story of achieving material progress at great moral and emotional cost. It is also the story of a changing country and global order, and the inequities of class and gender that map onto our most intimate relationships.
Gods of Ruin
The gods will fall when the people rise.Com DeGroot is an outsider politician who tells it like it is. But as he makes his way up the power structure of the U.S. Senate, he is forced to choose between his promising career and the promise he made to defend the Constitution. Just as Com is poised to make a name for himself in the cut-throat climate of D.C. party politics, he is presented with an opportunity to save the charter city of Ur, Texas from a suspicious partisan plot aimed at taking over the rare free-market hold-out. The only catch is, in order to save Ur, he has to go up against the most powerful men on Capitol Hill and risk all he has accomplished in his young career.With the help of astute libertarian and elusive old flame Cate Heatherton, Com engages in a dangerous fight to save Ur from what they discover is a shadowy corporate-government conspiracy that will stop at nothing to get its way."Gods of Ruin" thrusts the reader into the quick-deal, high-stakes game of national policymaking, and uncovers the secret underbelly of a government where morality and the rule of law are quaint sidelights to all-engrossing corruption and power-broking. Set a decade in the future, this thriller serves as a stark reminder of what can happen when liberty is overlooked in pursuit of security, and offers a glimpse at the potential solution.
Terror Strikes
Marten's phone rattled across the desk at his bedside. Reaching over in the dark, he picked it up and cradled it and its dim light penetrated the dark. A text relayed in from the nearby phone network tower.Marten's interest was heightened, and he wiped his hands across his eyes in order to better focus. Two words appeared: Go Go's. He need not review the source; this could only be from one person-Nicolas. When a journalist sets out to write a book about terrorism, he learns more than he bargained for.Will his sacrifices be worth it?Will anyone pay attention?Can America be saved?Yes, about terrorism but not book about death, but life and living.Life, over Death. Hope, over Fear. Faith, over Despair. Love, over Hate. Good, over Evil. Individualism, over Collectivism. Freedom, over Tyranny. Family, and Friends. LIFE!
The First Robot President
Fourth Edition of Robert Carlyle Taylor's Award-Winning Debut NovelThe First Robot President combines science fiction with political satire, making fun of Democrats and Republicans in equal measure. The novel centers around Thomas Jenkins, a lobbyist, and his robot wife whose political ambitions land her on the Green Party's 2520 Presidential ticket.Winner, Science Fiction, 2022 Independent Press AwardGold Prize, Humor, 2021 Reader Views Reviewer's Choice AwardsDistinguished Favorite, Science Fiction, 2021 New York City Big Book AwardSilver Prize, Audiobook-Fiction, 2022 Independent Book Publishing Association's Benjamin Franklin AwardsSilver Prize, 2020-2021 Nautilus AwardsFinalist, 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards"... an atmospheric and entertaining roller-coaster ride with high stakes. Plenty of twists and a satisfying finale make it an engrossing read." BookView Review"... a sparkling satire ... a political comedy the reader can enjoy whatever their partisan affiliation." Cecelia Hopkins for Readers' Favorite"A novel that makes you think and laugh ... Taylor does an amazing job at keeping the reader hooked through this political satire..." Fay Gibb, Goodreads"... a perfect combination of science fiction and politics." Paige Loveitt for Reader Views"...In Taylor's futuristic world, the rich, as ever, enjoy every privilege and the poor struggle to make ends meet ... The pacing is smooth and plotting tight. Esmeralda's quest rockets the plot along toward an unexpected yet satisfying conclusion. ..Taylor weaves in a political satire with much food for thought on environmental concerns, poverty, and war. Lighthearted and fun, the novel makes for a page-turning read." The Prairies Book Review"...an entertaining science fiction satire made fascinating because of its behind-the-scenes looks at the bruising world of modern politics." Foreword Clarion Reviews"The First Robot President's dialogue, which composes much of the text, is riveting and realistic ...Robert Carlyle Taylor's skill in writing dialogue and exploring the ethics of having a robot as president make this novel an intriguing dive into pertinent topics." IndieReader"... From the very beginning, the story pulls you in. The world-building and character development make you feel part of the world. The plot itself was eye-opening...It's definitely a ride to a more realistic future of our society." Gisela, Goodreads
The Last Man
The Last Man Mary Shelley, most famous for "Frankenstein" also wrote several other novels and short stories. "The Last Man" was her second best-seller, written about ten years after the publication of "Frankenstein". The Last Man is an apocalyptic science fiction novel about tragic love and a future world that has been ravaged by a plague. It reflects Shelley's fears about civilization and the shortcomings of human behavior. Lionel Verney, the narrator and last survivor of a twenty-first century plague, recounts how he discovers a manuscript written in 2100. But aside from the novel being delightful and arguably obscure entertainment for the Romantic literature aficionado, it is the foundation of English Sci-Fi from H.G. Wells to Arthur C. Clarke, not to mention such works as "The Stand" by Stephen King and "I am Legend" by Richard Matheson.
Shades of Blue
"It's not socialism, if it's what the people want", said The President-Elect to endless cheers. "That makes it populism..."
Shades of Blue
"It's not socialism, if it's what the people want", said The President-Elect to endless cheers. "That makes it populism..."
The Road From Calumny
Becky Breck arrived in Hollywood at 17 with $650 in her pocket, and instantly won the lead role on a hit teen show. Now, nine years later and recognized as one of the most brilliant acting talents of her generation, Becky is poised for movie stardom - vying for the lead in a blockbuster anti-American political film based on a "true story" hailed by Hollywood and the mainstream media. But as the pressure on her builds, Becky falters, and betrays her deepest principles. Reeling from her failure and shame, she spins out of control and flees Hollywood.In an addled cross-country journey to reconcile with her damaged past, Becky stumbles into an alliance with a mysterious young man on his own mission of vindication. Mitch offers Becky a once-unimaginable opportunity: to return to Hollywood on her own terms by exposing a slanderous lie at the heart of the blockbuster movie she'd abandoned. Great personal and professional risks are involved, and success will require an extraordinary leap of faith. Becky's ultimate choices will lead to redemption, but also to heartbreak. Moving from the center of the film world to the small-town South, and back, The Road From Calumny is a story of life-changing friendships and of one fateful love.
2034
An instant New York Times Bestseller! "Consider this another vaccine against disaster. Fortunately, this dose won't cause a temporary fever--and it happens to be a rippingly good read." --Wired "This crisply written and well-paced book reads like an all-caps warning for a world shackled to the machines we carry in our pockets and place on our laps . . ." --The Washington Post From two former military officers and award-winning authors, a chillingly authentic geopolitical thriller that imagines a naval clash between the US and China in the South China Sea in 2034--and the path from there to a nightmarish global conflagration. On March 12, 2034, US Navy Commodore Sarah Hunt is on the bridge of her flagship, the guided missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones, conducting a routine freedom of navigation patrol in the South China Sea when her ship detects an unflagged trawler in clear distress, smoke billowing from its bridge. On that same day, US Marine aviator Major Chris "Wedge" Mitchell is flying an F35E Lightning over the Strait of Hormuz, testing a new stealth technology as he flirts with Iranian airspace. By the end of that day, Wedge will be an Iranian prisoner, and Sarah Hunt's destroyer will lie at the bottom of the sea, sunk by the Chinese Navy. Iran and China have clearly coordinated their moves, which involve the use of powerful new forms of cyber weaponry that render US ships and planes defenseless. In a single day, America's faith in its military's strategic pre-eminence is in tatters. A new, terrifying era is at hand. So begins a disturbingly plausible work of speculative fiction, co-authored by an award-winning novelist and decorated Marine veteran and the former commander of NATO, a legendary admiral who has spent much of his career strategically outmaneuvering America's most tenacious adversaries. Written with a powerful blend of geopolitical sophistication and human empathy, 2034 takes us inside the minds of a global cast of characters--Americans, Chinese, Iranians, Russians, Indians--as a series of arrogant miscalculations on all sides leads the world into an intensifying international storm. In the end, China and the United States will have paid a staggering cost, one that forever alters the global balance of power. Everything in 2034 is an imaginative extrapolation from present-day facts on the ground combined with the authors' years working at the highest and most classified levels of national security. Sometimes it takes a brilliant work of fiction to illuminate the most dire of warnings: 2034 is all too close at hand, and this cautionary tale presents the reader a dark yet possible future that we must do all we can to avoid.
Home Within a Landscape
With all disagreements and calamities pushing us apart from each other, it seems unachievable to turn things around. If only we could glimpse what this momentous turn might look like. Maybe it will encourage us enough to pool all our strength and just do it. We might realize that some of our immediate neighbors, the unapproachable tycoons and celebrities, the most influential politicians, our devoted teachers, war veterans, even foreign monarchs, and the Pope are also striving for this turn. And all it takes is one decisive move. So, let us see how it could unfold and what treasures we will begin uncovering along the way. The United States takes it upon itself to untangle the country from the deadly grip of unresolvable world affairs. It starts the practical healing by building a reasonable future and placing its bet on reasonable people in all walks of life. Watch a private prison guard teaching an intellectual gay woman from Boston target shooting at a local range; meet a gifted biology student from North Korea giving an unorthodox analysis of Hamlet; or read a personal rendering of the Exodus, and the American history of slavery, in the diary of a suicidal IT specialist. You will see how much more rich in thoughts our souls are, far richer than we expect them to be. After all, if St. Francis could establish peace between villagers and a wolf, nothing is out of our reach in our Home within a Landscape.
Backlash
"Raw emotion, nonstop action, and relentless pacing makes Backlash another one-night read from Brad Thor." --The Real Book Spy #1 New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author Brad Thor is back with his most gripping thriller yet! In ancient texts, there are stories about men who struck from the shadows, seemingly beyond the reach of death itself. These men were considered part angel, part demon. Their loyalty was to their families, their friends, and their kings. You crossed these men at your peril. And once crossed, there was no crossing back. They were fearless; men of honor who have been known throughout history by different names: Spartan, Viking, Samurai. Today, men like these still strike from the shadows. They are highly prized intelligence agents, military operatives, and assassins. One man is all three. Two days ago, that man was crossed--badly. Now, far from home and surrounded by his enemy, Scot Harvath must battle his way out. In the most explosive novel Brad Thor has ever written, page after captivating page of action, intrigue, loyalty, and betrayal will keep you hooked until the very last sentence.
Signs
Signs (Chinha), written in 1946, was Manik Bandyopadhyay's fifteenth novel, and is something of a hidden gem of Bengali literature.The novel is set in the mass uprisings that Calcutta witnessed in protest against the trial and sentencing of Captain Rashid Ali of the Indian National Army. These outbursts of popular anger were initiated by students, and involved large sections of the working people.The author weaves together a number of episodes, meetings and partings happening simultaneously at different locations through a kind of narrative 'montage'. The narration represents this revolutionary moment witnessed through the eyes of myriads of people who make it, whether by participating in it or by being caught up in it, by remaining on the margin or by trying to use it to their own purpose, or even by resisting it. It is a rare attempt to catch the internal dynamics of the action by focussing on the fast-changing relationships among its speaking, thinking, acting human agents, when the singular motive force of the objective situation is manifested in the multiplicity of responses.Signs was such a departure from the writing of the time that the author noted, 'It is written in a new technique. I do not know whether it should be called a novel.' Manik Bandyopadhyay failed to interest his publisher into issuing a second print during his lifetime. It was published again after his death.This is the first English translation of this modernist masterpiece, introduced and annotated by scholar and activist Malini Bhattacharya.
Term Limits
Politics and riveting suspense collide in this white-knuckled thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of American Assassin--now a major motion picture. In one bloody night, three of Washington's most powerful politicians are executed with surgical precision. Their assassins then deliver a shocking ultimatum to the American government: set aside partisan politics and restore power to the people. No one, they warn, is out of their reach--not even the president. A joint FBI-CIA task force reveals the killers are elite military commandos, but no one knows exactly who they are or when they will strike next. Only Michael O'Rourke, a former US Marine and freshman congressman, holds a clue to the violence: a haunting incident in his own past with explosive implications for his country's future...
Twenty Four Thousand
This is volume 8 (the last) of Dent's roman fleuve The Caxton Langs.
Bewilderment
The astrobiologist Theo Byrne searches for life throughout the cosmos while single-handedly raising his unusual nine-year-old, Robin, following the death of his wife. Robin is a warm, kind boy who spends hours painting elaborate pictures of endangered animals. He's also about to be expelled from third grade for smashing his friend in the face. As his son grows more troubled, Theo hopes to keep him off psychoactive drugs. He learns of an experimental neurofeedback treatment to bolster Robin's emotional control, one that involves training the boy on the recorded patterns of his mother's brain...With its soaring descriptions of the natural world, its tantalizing vision of life beyond, and its account of a father and son's ferocious love, Bewilderment marks Richard Powers's most intimate and moving novel. At its heart lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?
Executive Deceit
On the eve of his U.S. Presidential election and campaign kick-off, Georgia Republican Governor, Devin Lake is involved in an accident, killing four young college student's. The local Sheriff conspires with the Governor to blame the killings on a local criminal but neither thought this man of crime was smart enough to write it all down in a letter which was now in the hands of his wife. The race is on to find the letter before Devin Lake becomes the next U.S. President.
And the Walls Came Tumbling Down
A troubled brother takes on his deceased twin's identity and with it finds political power, love, redemption, and blackmail.Jack and Joe are identical twins. Only their father could tell them apart. As time passed, the twins' paths diverged, and the divergence accelerated when Jack received an academic scholarship to the prestigious Smith Academy. And when he stepped onto the Yale campus upon graduation, he was sure of his purpose. It was to improve the lives of the downtrodden and those left behind. Throughout Jack's life progression, he and Joe remained close, connected through blood and shared experience. Yet, Jack did not understand Joe's life choices.Joe was drawn to the excitement, danger, street power, and dominance of the drug world. By the time he realized the cost in lives destroyed and the loss of self-respect that was reflected in Papa and Jack's eyes, it was too late. Joe's Miami drug deal gone wrong was the final wake-up call to the bad choices he had made. With a second chance as the all-powerful senator from Massachusetts, he was determined to make it right.Author Bio: Vernadine Merrick is a writer and marketing manager. She has a passion for creating characters who are multidimensional and complex, yet transformative. Ms. Merrick lives in Raleigh, NC. She grew up in Cincinnati, OH, where she first fell in love with the written word.
The Liberation of John Gruneburg
The Liberation of John Gruneburg is a suspense novel whose theme is the timeless struggle of good over evil. This fictional narrative focuses on an exceptional Naval Officer who is devoted to duty, honor, and country.The main character, John Gruneburg, struggles to escape from memories of his past. He becomes his own defender and prosecutor, knowing his past actions were wrong while trying to justify why he did not have the moral strength to reject the unethical orders imposed upon him. Reoccurring nightmares, tied to John's violent past and connected to his entanglement with a top-secret CIA covert operation, lead to John's treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Always loyal to the chain of command, John perseveres to complete each mission, being told that he is saving American lives. Psychologically broken, his sense of right versus wrong is overshadowed by his dedication to duty. Lifelong family friends come to his rescue by combining their energies to support John's struggle to avoid the efforts of corrupt officials to frame him for crimes that he did not commit. In the end, John finds liberation from his past through the inspiration and support of dedicated friends and colleagues.Robert H. Laudeman is a retired federal employee with years of experience creating technical documents and reports in both industry and government. He began writing The Liberation of John Gruneburg as a leisure activity and enjoyed authoring what became his first novel and venture into fiction.Much was learned in the creation of the first edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg. The encouragement of family and friends made writing an enjoyable experience. There was one small problem. The completion of this first book left the majority of the original outline still unused. The whole story had not been told.Building from his original outline, Laudeman published The Transition of John Gruneburg in 2018. The next work in the series, The Transformation of John Gruneburg, was published in 2021. Did this end John Gruneburg's struggle to conquer his fears and escape from memories of his past? Does he gain the moral strength to face the reoccurring nightmares that were the root cause of his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Will this saga continue? Only time will tell.Looking back, the first edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg never received the same critique and level of review that later manuscripts received. It was decided that the series would not be complete until The Liberation of John Gruneburg was edited and published by Christian Faith Publishing. Thus, the creation of the second edition of The Liberation of John Gruneburg.
The Yuge Wall of Jina
I had a life in the Normal States of America- a wonderful, safety-pin-awesome, it-just-doesn't-get-better-than-this kind of existence. As a successful artiste, beloved daughter, and one of New York City's most desirable catches, no woman could have asked for more. And then in the year 2073, "he" came along... One moment my life was near perfect and a blink of an eye later I became the prisoner-wife of a Cro-MAGAnon man. Now a freaked out captive held hostage in Trumpgolia, my abductor is demanding entry into my passage. He wants to fertilize my eggs and use my uterus as an unwilling host for the growth of his spawn. My only desire is freedom and my only hope is escape, but in order to secure either of them I must first penetrate... The Yuge Wall of Jina. And this time, my friends, It's Fully Loaded.
Duplicity - Book Two of the One World Government Series
Initially set in 2001, the elite group, known as the Hochsterbergs, continue to work towards their eventual aim of a fairer society for the whole planet and run by a singular government. The Salazar crime family, headed by Josie Salazar, continue to expand their influence to such an extent that both the American and Russian Governments are forced to enlist the Salazar family in it's war against terrorism. Whilst on the surface the relationship between the Salazars and the major governments are one of cooperation, there are constant plans to destabilise the Salazars and end their influence. Into this scenario are dropped the four friends, Edward (MI6 Management), Tom (ex MI6 operative, still recovering from his ordeals in Book One), Dday (a good-timer with little roots) and Martin (who is recently married to Tom's sister, Mary-Lou and who wants to afford her a life that he can't afford).
Much Left to Right
Underneath the wholesome image of the world's largest democracy lies an unescapable sway of Left ideology and its pervasive grip on the intellectual breadth of the nation's diversity.When Patanjali wins laurels for her seminar on ancient Kerala's prowess in mathematics, Hindu saints had developed pivotal mathematical theories presented by Europeans in later centuries as their own work, her colleagues - leftists and liberals term it as daring.As moderate success in rural politics begins to lure a dedicated farmer Chhattar out of his noble profession, he conveniently forgets how all along he longed for his baapu to leave politics.On a different plane, Chhattar's sister, Sapna Singh, finds her IT job empowering. When she gets unsolicited favours from competing colleagues, the beautiful lass grabs it in no time; for it is her passport to escape the relentless clutches of patriarchy.A story of individuals, a melee of twenty-first-century-second-decade of this diversity, influenced by their identity crisis, has begun to affirm - to right it, is their Right.
Vise Versa
"Vice Versa mischievously turns the 2020 election upside down. With his sharp wit and fast-paced dialogue, Goodwin's portrayal of partisan American politics will cause the reader to both laugh out loud and maybe quietly mourn."--William Smith, PhD, author of Democracy and Imperialism Vice Versa offers an incisive and funny send up of the 2020 presidential election. Goodwin is tough on both sides of the political spectrum. And by making us smile, he also shows a way out of our divisive politics.--Nadia Schadlow, Former White House Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategy, Sr. Fellow The Hudson Institute and author, War and the Art of Governance: Consolidating Combat Success Into Political VictoryImagine if the 2020 presidential election were the mirror image of 2016, as the Biden campaign is accused of receiving aid from the People's Republic of China. In this alternative universe, the media is mostly pro-Trump and the FBI rife with MAGA supporters. Gary Wang, a low-level Biden staffer, somehow becomes the center of the maelstrom and is pursued by the media, politicians, and the FBI. Vice Versa is a satirical take on the comedy and tragedy of current American media and politics. Michael Goodwin has adopted an understated but commendable style of writing with Vice Versa. There is no slapstick comedy here, simply a well-written account where the ironies of American politics are subtly portrayed, but nevertheless in a bold and hard-hitting manner. Vice Versa exposes the ugly side of politics, from the informants, lobbyists, leaks to the press, disinformation, abuse of social media, and divided loyalties, to the bribery and corruption over campaign funding.-Reviewed by Leonard William Smuts for Readers' Favorite
Something in Your Eyes / Babele
Why does a world-famous woman ask down-and-out private investigator Harry Mann to find her missing teenage daughter, Angela? What exactly do they see in each other's eyes? And why is anyone who has anything to do with Angela ending up dead?Why does concert pianist Hari Manze agree to perform for a crazed African dictator, who is building a Tower of Babel up to his brother, Christ, in the Kgalagadi desert? Why is he preparing a feast for everyone who has betrayed him? And why can't Hari help feeling attracted to that troublemaker, Siya Khoza?Is there still a place for such notions as love, justice and democracy amidst all this insanity? These are some of the questions Sonnekus addresses with the immediacy of his prose and dark sense of humour.
Enemies Within
ENEMIES WITHIN is the third book of the action-packed political thriller series Intercept: A Jack Coyote Thriller.If you enjoy fast-paced novels filled with intrigue and action, you'll want to continue reading the Intercept series, where every page is filled with suspense and anticipation.After making a run for it, Jack travels to a tropical island paradise. Paradise or not, he isn't safe anywhere. But he has a score to settle and a mission to accomplish: to track down the black ops team who set him up.His quest has taken him to Grand Cayman, a haven for hot sun, sea breezes, and money laundering. He's walking into a trap. He knows he's walking into a trap. But he's compelled to find the truth, expose the culprits, and clear his name.Once a highly paid hacker, Jack traded his talents for a boring civil service job inside a secret government agency. Everything changed when he intercepted a top-secret communiqu矇 with far-reaching implications. A treacherous plot was afloat. A plot that could subjugate the masses.Jack is the man in the middle. A man standing between a vast political conspiracy and a rogue government agency doing its bidding. A man forced to look over his back. And a man with only one way out. To expose the masterminds.Thrown against cutthroat assassins and attractive but deadly women, Jack doesn't stand a chance of making it out alive. The odds are stacked against him. He likes the odds.Jack is in for the fight of his life. And he's in it alone. Vindication is out there somewhere, waiting for Jack Coyote, whose blood flows with the fighting spirit of his Apache ancestors.Pick up your copy of ENEMIES WITHIN right now and follow the adventure!
Animal Lab
A terrifying warning about where our woke society is headingOne day, the animals at a research lab wake up with the abilities of rational thought and communication. And the humans are gone. They realize they must organize into a society with rules, rights, and responsibilities. They heard about a farm in England where the animals created a socialist society that eventually failed. They are determined to succeed, so they create a democratic republic. But can they keep it? Animal Lab is an allegorical novel by Bob Zeidman. It is a warning about the possible coming collapse of American society and along with it, American principles, values, and freedoms-torches that have lit the path for the advancement of the human condition for over two centuries and that must not be allowed to be extinguished.
