In the real world, “espionage is not a tuxedo and a martini,” quipped prolific author Jeffrey S. Stephens, who has written extensively about missions involving CIA operatives and national security.
“They work in the shadows. They’re in danger,” he added. “There’s so much that goes on that we don’t know about — so many near misses that we can never hear about for obvious security reasons.”
His latest book, The Handler, pays homage to those who “work in the shadows” to protect the people of the United States with a chillingly realistic plot centered on the revival of Al Qaeda and its efforts to pull off a large act of terrorism.
The book features Nick Reagan, an abundantly confident CIA operative and American hero who will go to any length to protect the country he loves. And in The Handler, Reagan and his team travel to the ends of the earth to locate an anonymous terrorist determined to unleash a series of unholy attacks on America. Can their mission succeed when they don’t even know who they’re looking for?
Readers first meet Reagan as he traces a trail of clues to China in search of the Ghost Chip — a new technology that turns cell phones into detonators and renders them untraceable. In the hands of terrorists, the Ghost Chip would be catastrophic.
When the CIA uncovers details of a violent assault planned in New York City, Reagan and his partner, Carol Gellos, are assigned to prevent it — facing long odds and danger along the way.
As events unfold, it becomes apparent the incident in Manhattan was only the first in a series of intended terrorist strikes within the United States. Even worse, Reagan discovers that the man behind this onslaught is further along in his preparations than anyone in the intelligence community anticipated.
The anonymous ISIS handler behind these assaults is using new technology, as well as information gathered from three American scientists kidnapped in Pakistan, to coordinate his plans. The result will be a gruesome fate for thousands of innocent people … unless Reagan can stop him.
After deciphering the code being used by the Handler to plot his bloody scheme, Reagan races against time, needing help as never before from his group of talented associates, including his lover, top CIA analyst Erin David.
Throughout The Handler, the author toggles between perspectives, giving readers a chilling look inside the minds of Islamic terrorists hellbent on carrying out heinous acts in the name of the Koran, while simultaneously, Reagan risks his life to thwart the awful carnage.
BestThrillers.com calls The Handler, “A taut terrorism thriller that mesmerizes with a dizzying global conspiracy and believable stakes,” and The Real Book Spy calls it, “Jason Bourne for the new millennium.”
About the Author
A native of New York City, Jeffrey S. Stephens is a successful attorney in private practice, admitted in both New York and Connecticut. Stephens has lived for more than 30 years in Greenwich, which is where he and his wife, Nancy, raised their two sons, Graham and Trevor. Stephens is the author of the Jordan Sandor thrillers, Targets Of Deception, Targets Of Opportunity, Targets Of Revenge and Rogue Mission, as well as the Anthony Walker murder mystery Crimes And Passion and the Pencraft First Place Award winning novel, Fool’s Errand.
For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com, or follow the author on Facebook (Author Jeffrey Stephens), Instagram (jss50) and Twitter (@j_stephensbooks).
In his gripping, eye-opening memoir, Wuhan Unleashed: The True Story of Bio-Weapons and the Start of the Pandemic, Ron Fleming recounts his experiences in Wuhan, a city that is synonymous with controversy, terror and fear.
“At the time of my fateful trip, I was one of the first Americans to visit this now-infamous laboratory,” Fleming writes in the book.
His unforgettable story begins in the 1990s when, as a young trade representative eager to travel the world, he embarks on an internship with the United States Foreign Commercial Services — but quickly finds himself at the center of a global conspiracy.
As the British hand over Hong Kong to China, Fleming is one of the first to visit mainland China to promote U.S. products for a monumental construction project. Little does he know that this adventure will lead him deep into the heart of a tyrannical regime and a clandestine laboratory.
As Fleming shares his amazing journey through China, readers will discover “a country that is strikingly beautiful with a rich history that is beginning to open to the world and at the same time is run by an oppressive regime that strips innocent people of their freedom, hope and in some cases, life itself.”
However, it is in the city of Wuhan where the plot truly thickens. A chance encounter with the “Elderly of Wuhan” leads Fleming down an unexpected path, exposing the presence of a deadly unknown virus within the region. With his diverse background in science and technology, along with a relentless curiosity, he ventures into the contaminated depths, uncovering what he calls the Wuhan Institute of Virology’s sinister secret — it was operating as a dual-purpose lab, engaged in gain-of-function research and bioweapons experimentation.
“This discovery put us in danger and resulted in a fascinating yet terrifying adventure throughout China, as we avoided the Chinese Communist Party and Chinese military to make a quick exit from the country,” Fleming added.
Readers should brace themselves as they delve into the pages of Wuhan Unleashed, where the author’s shocking secret could forever alter the course of history, leaving a profound influence on both current and future generations.
About the Author
As a U.S. trade representative, Ron Fleming was one of the first Americans to visit mainland China after the British returned Hong Kong to China. Here, he promoted U.S. products for Chinese construction projects, and later on, other U.S. products as he became a trade representative for the state of California. Eventually, he started his own international trading company.
With a background in business, science, technology and international trade, Fleming was uniquely qualified to see and confirm what was happening at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Through writing Wuhan Unleased, Fleming’s goal is to shine a light on the truth of how the pandemic and Covid-19 really got started.
At her charming flat above a bistro in England, Pauline Parry was constantly enveloped in the comforting aromas of slow-roasted lamb and fresh-baked pie crusts, punctuated by the occasional whiff of freshly chopped garlic. It was the setting of Parry’s culinary apprenticeship, and where she discovered the secret recipe for a life filled with flavor and substance.
In her engaging new memoir, My Culinary Love Story, Parry invites readers inside her formative years in hospitality, the early days of her romance with her future husband and the life experiences that fed her entrepreneurial spirit. Along the way, she introduces readers to the people who nurtured her talents and helped shape the award-winning catering powerhouse she is today.
“In this book, I share my story with you. Food is an important part of it, as is love. Both are the foundation on which my marriage and my business are built and how we journeyed from England to America,” Parry writes. “It’s the reason I say that everything I do has been guided by food, fun, and love.”
It all begins when, as a newly single mother, Parry gets an unexpected invitation to work at a bistro in a quaint English market town. The job includes a flat above the bistro, so she would be able to work without being far from her children. After moving in, she finds she loves the excitement of the kitchen and of being on her own. But Parry is not alone for long.
She is soon joined on her journey by a handsome carpenter, and the result is a snowy, romantic Christmas wedding. Every juicy detail of Parry’s romantic relationship and every bite of the cuisine Parry learns to master are chronicled in a story that takes the reader from one English Christmas to the next.
Peppered with 64 delicious recipes, accompanied with beautiful watercolor illustrations by Janette Carpenter, My Culinary Love Story maps the author’s serendipitous encounters, the setbacks she faced with resilience and the many victories she met with gratitude.
In My Culinary Love Story, the lesson is clear: life is all about food, fun and love.
About the Author Pauline Parry is the renowned and highly sought after founder and president of Good Gracious! Events, an award-winning food and beverage company, and the author of My Culinary Love Story, a memoir and collection of her favorite recipes that started her on her career path and journey.
Parry’s awards include Caterer of the Year, Best Event for a Corporation, Best Off Premise Caterer, The I-3 Award (Innovation, Inspiration and Instruction), ACE (Achievement in Catering Excellence) and the John Mossman Award for ICA, among others. She was an inductee into the Event Industry Hall of Fame and the Wedding Industry Hall of Fame.
Greatly respected by her peers, Parry serves as an expert consultant to her colleagues throughout the country.
She enjoys bringing friends and family around the table at her home, watching films, drinking a good red wine and munching popcorn. She is a lifelong Beatles fan. On the few occasions of downtime, she enjoys spending time with her husband and grandsons, and keeping on top of all her favorite magazines.
For more information, please visit https://paulineparry.net, or follow the author on Instagram (@paulineparry) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PaulineParryGG).
Command Sgt. Maj. U.S. Army (retired) Bart E. Womack shares the gripping true story of the March 23, 2003, unprecedented deadly terrorist attack against the men and women of the 101st Airborne Division in his book, Embedded Enemy: The Insider Threat.
Told second by second in his firsthand account as a survivor, Embedded Enemy is a potent reminder of the need for situational awareness, no matter the circumstances.
“This event shocked the armed forces, America and people around the world,” Womack said. “It forced everyone to consider more carefully whom we really trust and to begin to digest the idea that threats to our personal safety might now come from the inside. Twenty years later, the entire country has no idea how this event actually took place.”
As the book details, shortly after deploying for the war in Iraq, the Bastogne Brigade was staged at Camp Pennsylvania in Kuwait where they prepared for combat against Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime.During the eerie, pitch-black, early morning hours of March 23, 2003, a fellow American soldier, Sergeant Hasan Akbar, executed the unthinkable and unlikeliest of scenarios by launching a terrorist attack against his chain of command as they slept in preparation for war.
The wicked aftermath killed two officers and wounded 13 others. Despite the tragic deaths in the most unfathomable way, the Bastogne Brigade received movement orders to cross the border into Iraq just 48 hours after the attack.
“This story is about how the soldiers bonded together to rescue, treat and evacuate their brothers in arms in the midst of darkness, massive explosions, gun fire, suffocating smoke, body ripping shrapnel, and complete and total chaos and confusion, while simultaneously searching for a ruthless killer that had taken the same oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against foreign enemies,” Womack said. “Little did they realize they would meet the most improbable of adversaries — one of their very own — an ‘Embedded Enemy.’”
The soldiers and airmen killed and wounded in this attack never received the Purple Heart as casualties from an enemy of the United States. On January 9, 2023, the award was denied by the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force.
“I remain steadfast in pursuit and will continue to fight until they are recognized by the award of the Purple Heart that they so truly deserve!” Womack said. “These medals won’t bring back those killed or heal the bodies of those wounded. It will, however, serve as a testament that the United States of America recognizes their sacrifice and officially calls the attack a ‘terrorist attack.’”
Akbar was sentenced to death and currently awaits execution at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.“No profession, level of education, ideology or religion is above reproach,” Womack added. “There is no profile. The Insider Threat is closer than you think.”
About the Author
Command Sgt. Maj. retired Bart E. Womack served the United States Army with distinction for over 29 years and contributed immeasurably to the readiness of the armed forces and the security of our great nation. Highlights of his distinguished military career include Sergeant of the Guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, his career culminating in dual roles as Commandant and the 101st Airborne Division Command Sergeant Major. An Army Ranger combat veteran with two Bronze Stars, one for valor, he is also a Distinguished Member of the Regiment for the 3rd and 327th Infantry Regiments.
Post military, Womack helps veterans enhance their careers and excel. He sits on the Board of Directors for Veterans Media Corporation, is an Executive Producer for The Veterans Channel, and an actor and military technical adviser. In recognition of his selfless service and initiatives, Womack was invested as a Knight into The Order of St. George, Grand Priory of Canada & the Americas in October 2020.
Embedded Enemy: The Insider Threat Publisher: Inspired Forever Books ISBN-10: 1948903393 ISBN-13: 978-1948903394 Available from Amazon.com
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Reviews, photos, links to previous interviews and Q&As are available upon request.
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Retired Army Captain Calls Out Those Who Profit From War
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Severely disabled war veteran and retired Army Captain Allen B. Clark knows all too well the consequences of being a war casualty. An enemy attack on his Green Beret camp in Vietnam in 1967 resulted in the amputation of both of his legs below his knees. After 15 months of rehabilitation, 20 surgeries and eight years of psychotherapy, he went on to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. But questions haunted him. Why and how are wars really initiated? Are there underlying motivations unknown to the general population and especially to the warriors?
“Members of the military fight to take care of each other, not for glory, and little do we know the behind-the-scenes characters who profit from our dedication to our nation,” Clark said.
In his book Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites, Clark shares the results of his extensive and concentrated research. His findings, drawn from sources published as far back as 150 years ago, point to individuals and institutions throughout history who have fostered and fomented horrendous wars, including arms merchants; religious entities and their leaders; politicians; international bankers; media titans; and lawyers.
With a special focus on the American Revolution, Civil War, Spanish-American War and the “Banana, Banker and Oil” wars in the Americas, Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money aims to reveal the political, financial, business, religious, social and propaganda truths behind the initiation of wars.
“These truths illustrate that we young patriots, who have gone off to fight in wars, are merely pawns in a much larger chess game of life — a game where the captains and kings and knights and bishops are the ones who often profit immeasurably in terms of financial gain or increases in power,” Clark wrote in his book. “Meanwhile, we perish or suffer immense physical and emotional wounds from which many of us never heal.”
About the Author The Honorable Allen B. Clark is a 1963 West Point graduate and PTSD survivor who lost both legs below the knees in 1967 following an enemy mortar barrage while serving in Vietnam. He is a recipient of a Silver Star, America’s third-highest decoration for Gallantry in Action, a Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
He has served as a special assistant to the governor of Texas and as the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and Program Coordination, and Director of the National Cemetery System in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1993, he was recognized by the Military Chaplains Association with its National Citizenship Award. He is a frequent motivational speaker. In early 2018, Allen received the Patriot Award from the Greater Dallas Military Foundation, and later that year, he received the Sons of the Flag Legacy Award.
Gone to Dallas Offers Unbridled Entertainment Fueled by Texas History
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Join author Laurie Moore-Moore as she masterfully draws you into the world of 1850s Texas in Gone to Dallas: The Storekeeper 1856-1861, her richly entertaining tale of migration, betrayal, dreams and determination. Salted with historically accurate events and populated with real characters, the book features a plucky female protagonist with a dream and begins the way many tales of the West do—with a dead body.
At the center of the story is Sara, a young woman who arrives in the Lone Star State alone, newly widowed and faced with making a living in a man’s world. Determined to open a general store in Dallas—a tiny settlement of log cabins on the Trinity River—she must overcome her own uncertainty, loneliness, vandalism and threats.
Readers will follow Sara as she strives to create her general store while living Dallas’ true history—from the beginnings of La Réunion (the European colony across the Trinity) to a frozen river, a grand ball and the mighty fire that burns Dallas to the ground. Dallas is a challenging place, especially with the Civil War looming. Even with the friendship of a retired Texas Ranger and Dallas’ most important citizen—another woman—is Sara strong enough to meet the challenge? The stakes are high. Failure means being destitute in Dallas.
Gone to Dallas is an unforgettable journey into the exciting, yet turbulent times of a young Texas. A compelling story with a cast of characters that will capture your heart with their tenacity and spirit as they work to create new lives at the edge of the frontier. It’s a tale of decency and resourcefulness that is fundamental to the continuing identity of Texas and the American West.
Laurie Moore-Moore was dubbed the “Luxury Real Estate Diva” by the Chicago Tribune during 15 years as founder and CEO of The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing. Previously, she co-founded Real Trends, Inc., a publishing, communications and consulting business. While at Real Trends, Laurie spoke to an average of 10,000 real estate agents annually across North America. She is the author of Rich Buyer, Rich Seller—the Real Estate Agents’ Guide to Marketing Luxury Homes.
Her podcast, Texas Brave and Strong, features tidbits of Texas history you never learned in school. Find it on Spotify or your favorite podcast site. And for more information about Laurie, visit https://lauriemooremoore.com/.
Gone to Dallas: The Storekeeper (1856-1861) Publisher: Goat Mountain Press ISBN-10: 1737436108 ISBN-13: 978-1737436102 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com, IngramSpark, Smashwords and Kobo
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“The worst times in our lives are often roads to the best times, waiting ahead. Stay safe and prayerful, as you find your way into tomorrow.” — Gary Revel
A single bullet silenced the voice, but not the dream, of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Whether or not James Earl Ray pulled the trigger — and why — has been the subject of speculation for more than five decades.
In 1977, 27-year-old special investigator Gary Revel, in association with the House Select Committee on Assassinations, launched his own search for the unvarnished truth about King’s assassination.
Danger, intrigue and murder followed. Revel’s journey took him into Brushy Mountain Prison, where he met and became a personal confidant to the accused assassin, James Earl Ray. From there, Revel followed the clues wherever they led, including Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; and other undisclosed locations. Along the way, Revel had to navigate chaotic twists and turns as he uncovered information pointing to what he refers to as “the conspiracy and the involvement of organized crime and the U.S. government.” Revel also lost three people close to him to murder.
The captivating story of Revel’s investigation and what he unearthed is now being developed into a feature motion picture, They Slew the Dreamer: MLK-The Gary Revel Story. Revel’s quest for the truth also became the inspiration for the song, “They Slew the Dreamer,” and is introduced in his book, To Live or Maybe Not.
More than 30 years after his investigation into Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, Revel continues to “shine the light of truth into the darkest halls of injustice” and finds he can’t quit until the world knows what he found.
Songwriter, musician, author and special investigator Gary Revel was born in Florala, Alabama, and he formed his first band when he was 15. After a long career in music, Revel found himself investigating the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in association with the U.S. government’s House Select Committee on Assassinations. Revel continues to release and distribute music via his Jongleur Music company as well as develop motion pictures via his Jongleur Pictures company. He is also the author of My Angel from Heaven, Milestones, Grempk and Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction, his investigation into the life of Michael Jackson.
Revel is also founder of Mother Nature Festival Live Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.
To Live or Maybe Not Publisher: Jongleur Books ISBN-13: 978-1097923304 ISBN-10: 1097923304 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Miranda Leonard Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
