Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

Book Description

But when a body turns up in Maggie’s driveway, she knows it’s a message from former foes who haven’t forgotten her. Maggie turns to her local circle of old friends—all retirees from the CIA—to help uncover the truth about who is trying to kill her, and why. This “Martini Club” of former spies may be retired, but they still have a few useful skills that they’re eager to use again, if only to spice up their rather sedate new lives.

Complicating their efforts is Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau. More accustomed to dealing with rowdy tourists than homicide, Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information—and by her odd circle of friends, who seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn.

As Jo’s investigation collides with the Martini Club’s maneuvers, Maggie’s hunt for answers will force her to revisit a clandestine career that spanned the globe, from Bangkok to Istanbul, from London to Malta. The ghosts of her past have returned, but with the help of her friends—and the reluctant Jo Thibodeau—Maggie might just be able to save the life she’s built.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen has her venturing out from a traditional mystery to a spy thriller. In this story she expertly mixes spy drama with romance while adding some humor. Not only is this a riveting tale but the main character is very engaging as she tackles the ghosts of her past.

Former spy Maggie Bird came to the seaside village of Purity, Maine, eager to put the past behind her after a mission went tragically wrong. These days, she’s living quietly on her chicken farm, still wary of blowback from the events that forced her early retirement. Her final assignment left her very disillusioned. Out of the blue, she finds a young woman calling herself Bianca at her home looking for Diana Ward, another old CIA colleague of Maggie’s. Diana had a talent for making enemies, and Maggie blames her for the debacle in Malta that tore her life apart.

When Bianca’s body is dumped in her driveway and someone takes a few shots at her from across a field, Maggie connects the dots to the tragic case that led her to retire from the CIA. She enlists the help of her baby boomer drinking buddies, four ex-agents with a full assortment of tradecraft skills. The Martini Club, as the retired spies are called, realize that someone is seeking revenge on Maggie. They work together to identify and locate those people and are forced to revisit her role in a mission designed to flush out a Russian informant. It was the mission, Operation Cyrano, that changed Maggie’s life and the last one before she resigned. The story bounces between 18 years ago, 16 years ago, and the present, with locations across the globe.

The Martini Club also must match wits with Purity’s acting police chief, Jo Thibodeau who is investigating the murder and shooting. Jo is puzzled by Maggie’s reluctance to share information and wonders how they seem to be a step ahead of her at every turn. She realizes there is more to this bunch than meets the eye and is frustrated at being outmaneuvered by them at every turn.

Readers will not want to put the book down as they search for answers along with Maggie and her retired CIA buddies. The book is refreshing and an entertaining departure from spy thrillers because the protagonists are senior citizens. The story is amusing, suspenseful, and at times intense.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for The Spy Coast?

Tess Gerritsen: I moved here thirty-three years ago and found out that the town has many retired spies. My husband, who is a medical doctor, had patients who used to work for the government but could not talk about what they did. We found out they were retired CIA including two who lived on my street.

EC: Did you think of the movie “Red?”

TG: I thought a lot of the Helen Mirren character. I did not want to deal with assassinations. What I wanted to write about is the tragedy of the last operation that has haunted the main

character, a spy, Maggie Bird. Maggie is made up. Yet, all the spies in the Martini Club are like those retired spies who live in Maine. They are smart and very educated.

EC: The setting in Maine-why?

TG: It is a beautiful setting. This location has many safe houses. We have an International Conference in this little town of 5,000 people. They bring in every year leaders, politicians, and foreign policy experts from around the world. They come and speak here every winter. The town has residents with a lot of international experience.

EC: How would you describe the two spies, Diana Ward versus Maggie Bird?

TG: Diana is a bit of a sociopath. She does what needs to be done and does not care about the consequences or morality. She is the equivalent of the assassins in so many spy novels. She is very efficient. Diana is not someone who could be trusted, not loyal, and self-centered. Everything is all about her. She might be a good spy but is a bad person. On the other hand, Maggie is a spy with a conscience. She is in it to help her country. She was forced to cross a line she did not want to cross. It moved into her personal life, which had everything fall apart for her. Maggie is loyal, calm, friendly, accomplished with a strong sense of morality.

EC: How would you compare the two teenage girls, Callie versus Bella?

TG: Callie is the ultimate innocent. She is a farm girl who is hungry for a mother. She likes to lean on Maggie. Callie is a very vulnerable character. Bella starts off as a vulnerable character but ends up as a nightmare in training. She is being groomed for a bad role because her father is a powerful Russian oligarch, Phillip Hardwicke. Her father sees her as a tool. Her mother is much more of a traditional mom who cares about her daughter. Yet, her mother is disappointed Bella is not more like her. Bella is disrespected by both parents.

EC: Why make Danny, Maggie’s husband, a doctor?

TG: I started off making him a professional chef. But I needed someone who had close contact with the bad guy. It did not feel right so I made him a doctor who would know Phillip’s most intimate secrets. He traveled with him. I gave Hardwicke a lifelong history of seizures.

EC: How would you describe Hardwicke?

TG: He wants power, money, and prestige. He likes to get his way and does not care who gets hurt. He is a control freak, obsessive, intense, cruel, and very smart.

EC: How would you describe the spies in The Martini Club reacting with the police chief Jo Thibodeau?

TG: They simultaneously are cooperative but also antagonistic. At the beginning Jo does not know who these people are, but later realize they are retired spooks. As time goes on in this book and the next, she realizes they are a big help to her.

EC: Did you get any movie deals?

TG: It has been optioned by Amazon for a television series. This is one of the reasons I went with this publisher. They attached a TV deal. There is already a screenwriter, and they are talking about who will play Maggie Bird.

EC: Next book?

TG: I am working on the sequel now. The second book will take place entirely in the town of Purity Maine. It will be titled The Summer Guests and is scheduled for the spring of 2025. It will still have the five retirees and the police chief. The plot has a family visiting in the summer whose teenage girl disappears, plus there is a cold case mystery. The sequel will be more of a classic mystery. If I do a third book that is when I will probably go back to the international setting again.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Feature Post and Mini Book Reviews for the Wild Rose Sisters Trilogy by Christine Rimmer

Today I am featuring the WILD ROSE SISTERS trilogy by Christine Rimmer. This is a heartfelt small town contemporary romance series with each of three step-sisters finding their HEAs in this Harlequin Special Edition series. The stories can be read individually, but the sisters are very close and their lives intertwine throughout the series, so I enjoyed reading them in order. The third book not only gives the reader the last sister’s HEA, but is also a wonderful holiday story that leaves you with all the holiday warm and fuzzy feelings.

Below you will find book descriptions, my mini book reviews, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

How do you make up for four years of lost time?

No last names. No promises to meet again. No way for Payton Dahl to find the man who’s the father of her twin boys. Until fate reunites them four years later. Easton Wright now wants to be part of his sons’ lives—with the woman he fell hard for during those seven days and nights of bliss. Payton doesn’t want her sons to grow up fatherless like she did, but can she risk trusting Easton when she’s been burned in the past?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58838067-the-father-of-her-sons?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_22

My Mini Book Review

Payton Dahl is the youngest of the three sisters. She is a free spirit and trying to decide what to do with her life besides bartend and help out on her aunt’s farm. Everything changes after a fun and intense week long no-strings attached week with Easton Wright.

Four years later and Payton is a published author with beautiful twin boys when Easton runs into her again. The sexual feelings are still there, but Payton is not ready to just jump into a permanent relationship.

I loved both main characters and felt the story brought up many realistic problems any couple would face in the same situation. A difficult past history and fear can be big emotional hurdles and I feel they were handled well by this author. I liked that when they meet again, Payton is on a more level playing field economically with her best selling novels and the twins are just adorable. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous.

I enjoyed every moment of this story and I am glad it is a trilogy with more to come.

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Book Description

“Will you marry me?”

When Josie LeClaire went into labor alone on her farm, the single almost-mother had no one to turn to but her neighbor, Miles Halstead. Fortunately, the widowed single father was more than up to the task. And as he found himself unable to stay away from the lovely Josie—and her adorable newborn son—he realized he wanted her in his life as more than a friend.

Josie treasured what Miles had already come to mean to her and her baby. So when he uttered those four words, of course she said yes. Even if he couldn’t say the three words she really wanted to hear…

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58838068-first-comes-baby?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_26

My Mini Book Review

Veterinarian Josie LeClaire is the middle sister of three. Besides being a well respected vet, she also runs Wild Rose farm with the help of her aunt and sisters. She decides that even though she has not met “the one”, she is going to be a mother. When she goes into labor alone on the farm, she goes next door for help from widower and single father Miles Halstead.

They have been next door neighbors all their lives and with their shared birth experience and similar love of farm life, they decide to get married and intertwine their lives and farms. While it is a marriage of respect and caring, Josie soon discovers she wants the three little words that Mike said her could never give.

These two are a wonderful pairing and it is both ironic and realistic that they still have a major hurdle to overcome. I really enjoyed their journey to complete trust. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. All the secondary characters and pets add to the charm of the story. This romance has the HEA we all want.

I love this addition to the trilogy and am looking forward to the next book with Alex’s story.

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Book Description

“Do it now…”

And change everything!

By the book success story Alexandra Herrera’s got it all mapped out: partner at a law firm, high-powered career. But when her birth father leaves her an unexpected inheritance—prompted by a random fortune cookie—she impulsively walks away from her entire life! And now that she’s snowed in with West Wright, she learns that lightning really can strike twice. So much, in fact, that the sparks between them could melt any ice storm…if only they’d let them!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60666868-the-christmas-cottage?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_31

My Mini Book Review

Attorney Alexandra “Alex” Herrera is the elder of the three sisters and has worked and planned to become a full partner in a law firm since high school. She is on the fast track and a workaholic because she wants to always be able to financially help her aunt or sisters. When the father, who never had time for her dies, she suddenly has a fortune. It is time to reassess and so she goes home to the farm for the holidays.

This is a wonderful contemporary romance with two main characters that never believed they would get their own special someone to love. This book not only has the full story of Alex and Weston falling in love, it also brings together all their families and friends to make it a heartwarming holiday romance full of family and love. The sex scenes are hot and explicit. but not gratuitous.

This is a wonderful wrap-up to an excellent contemporary romance trilogy.

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About the Author

A New York Times and USA-Today bestselling author, Christine Rimmer has written more than 100 contemporary romances for Harlequin Books. A reader favorite, Christine consistently writes love stories that keep readers turning pages, stories that are sweet, sexy, humorous and heartfelt. Her books celebrate life’s most important connections–the powerful bonds between family members, true friends and couples who find their way to a lifetime together.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.christinerimmer.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinerimmerauthor?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RimmerChristine

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christine-rimmer

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee

Book Description

Salena Barone has broken free of her family and moved into an apartment above the D’Angelos’ restaurant, where she works as a manager—without a husband, thank you very much. But even on a restaurant salary, she soon finds herself strapped for cash. Salena’s never been afraid of living on the wild side, though, so she takes on a side hustle that’ll raise big bucks…and eyebrows, if anyone finds out.

Tattooed biker Ryan is the youngest of the wealthy Rutledge wine family and has never dreamed of rings, forever, or continuing the family business. He’s perfectly happy living his own life and helping out hardworking folks in his own way.

When these two independent singles spot each other at a Rutledge-D’Angelo wedding, the attraction is instant. But as their friendship with benefits evolves into something more, the secrets Salena’s keeping—from family, friends, and Ryan—threaten the happily ever after she never knew she wanted.

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Whole Time by Catherine Bybee is a fun read. Per usual, readers will love her stories that have engrossing characters, with touching and heartwarming plots.

The story is about two independent people, Selena Barone, and Ryan Rutledge. Since they have been in other books of the series, readers got to know them. Yet, this installment shows both willing to stand up to their parents to gain their independence. Selena decides to move into an apartment owned by the D’Angelo family and work as their restaurant’s manager. Ryan has decided to veer from the family wine business and does commercial realty.

After they meet at Gio and Emma’s wedding, sparks begin to fly. Both are a bit on the wild side and decide to become friends with benefits. But when cupid strikes, they seem to become involved in a relationship neither would have predicted. The problem is Selena is keeping secrets from Ryan, her family, and her “wanna be” family, the D’Angelo’s.

The story has humor, relatable real-people, and a hero/heroine who balance each other beautifully. A bonus is that there is plenty of pages with the rest of the D’Angelo’s which makes the story even more enjoyable.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Catherine Bybee: I wanted to write a different setting with the surrounding areas, outside of San Diego. This is Selena’s book and when I first wrote about her everyone thought she and Gio were going to have the relationship. It felt like she deserved her own book. In this climate, with a lot of young women growing up, she represents what others are dealing with, life decisions that are not the norm. I wanted to capture the fact that she had to break away from her controlling family.

EC: How would you describe Selena?

CB: Fiercely independent. She has a real side that everyone can identify with. My two best friends just read the book and they both said Selena is me because although I want to be independent there is this other side of me. She is stubborn, confident, flirty, and self-assured. She is very comfortable in her own skin. She finds out that she is responsible after she takes on the job of managing the D’Angelo’s’ restaurant. She is growing up in this book.

EC: How would you describe Ryan?

CB: He will stand up to his powerful father. He does love his mother and sister and tolerates his father. He is a lot like Selena. He is very self-assured. He is not cocky but confident. Not humble. He is clever. He knows when to show his cards and when to hold them.

EC: What about the relationship between Selena and Ryan?

CB: I think both have a lot more in common than most of my other heroes and heroines. In the beginning they both are not looking for forever. Ryan wants someone who understands him. He knows how to push Selena’s buttons. She wanted to find someone she could trust enough to open to. She is taken back when she does find it with Ryan. She has no doubts about her sexuality and how to use it to get what she wants. She gets her needs met. She is the male version of someone who plays the field, doing what they want with whoever they want. They challenge each other.

EC: What about pole dancing?

CB: I did one time. I got it as a birthday present. It is super hard. The workout alone is worth it. She sells videos on the Internet. Well behaved women rarely make history. My point is that she was not doing it naked. She tried to balance what she wanted to do, to be successful, but not to disappoint those she cares about in her life.

EC: What is the role of the sets of parents?

CB: Mari D’Angelo is the mother Selena wants. Mari is like the second mom and does treat Selena like a daughter. Mari knows when to accept things and hold back the reins. I had a second mom. Selena goes to her to ask for advice. Selena’s parents are not in tuned with what is going on. They will not bend. Selena’s real parents are more old- fashioned. She feels she must toe the line with her parents. Yet Ryan, does not feel he must toe the line at all.

EC: Next book?

CB: Mari lost her husband at an early age. She is a single parent. I am setting readers up for a Mari book about an over fifty-five-year-old. My next, next book is titled All Our Tomorrows. It will be a part of a series. It has an unexpected death of a monarch who has a lot of money. He has been absentee with his children. After he died the children were thrust into a world of high stakes business and money. They do not necessarily have the stakes to do the job and at the same time are searching for a brother they just found out about. It will come out next spring.

THANK YOU!!

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Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Abilene by Dare DeLano

Abilene

by Dare DeLano

November 28 – December 01

Black Coffee Book Tours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for ABILENE by Dare DeLano on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Three strong Southern women — twelve-year-old Len, her mother Cora, and her Aunt Jean — grapple with love and loss in this poignant tale set on a hardscrabble cattle ranch in a small Texas town. Len yearns to find the father who abandoned her, and after a chance encounter with a country music star who she suspects is him, she embarks on a life-altering journey to find the truth about her past. At the same time, Cora and Jean must deal with another shocking family betrayal that complicates everything. Told in turns by these three remarkable women, Abilene explores the boundaries of love and the transformative power of self-discovery.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180315462-abilene?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=EueBnmuOVB&rank=1

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Link for the book on the publisher’s website

Universal link for the book on Amazon

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

ABILENE by Dare DeLano is a beautifully written Southern women’s fiction novel that has the main characters on an intense and heartfelt life-changing emotional journey on their ranch in Abilene, Texas. The book is told in alternating chapters by the three main female characters, and this debut novelist had me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout.

Twelve-year-old Len has an idyllic life growing up on the family ranch with her mother, Cora, and her grandmother. The only wish she yearns for is to have a father like all her friends. Her mother never had enough information to find the man who got her pregnant, after he left and before she even knew she was pregnant with Len. When the women see a country western singer on TV, Len knows from her mother’s reaction that he is her father.

At the same time, Jean, Len’s aunt by marriage shoots her husband, Roger, and is arrested. As Jean is questioned by her lawyer and a psychologist, she begins to understand that she has been mentally abused her entire marriage. Roger survives. Jean learns to deal with his betrayal and trauma while in prison. When she is paroled, Jean discovers a letter in a box Roger left in their home that leads to even more betrayal and life-altering consequences in all the women’s lives.

This book had me emotionally attached to Len, Cora, and Jean, and completely immersed in their points of view from start to finish. A young girl wise beyond her years and two strong women who have their young lives changed by a duplicitous man, survive, and eventually triumph. I was completely surprised this is the author’s first novel. The writing brings fully developed complex characters to life and the descriptions of the landscapes were vivid mind pictures. I loved this book and hope that I will be able to read more wonderful stories by this new author in the future.

I highly recommend this emotional Southern women’s fiction novel!

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About the Author

Dare DeLano holds an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University. Her work has been short-listed as a finalist for the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, and her children’s book Odus and the Long Way Home won the San Diego Book Award. Her work has been published in “A Year in Ink Anthology, Vol. 10, San Diego Writers, Ink, and has been exhibited in the San Diego Central Library’s Local Author Exhibition. Dare lives in San Diego, but her heart remains in the south. This is her first novel.

Social Media Links

Website: https://daredelano.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094211826844

Twitter: https://twitter.com/daredelano

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daredelano/

Book Tour/Feature Post and Book Review: Red Line by Blake Rudman

Red Line

by Blake Rudman

November 28 – December 01

Black Tide Book Tours

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for RED LINE by Blake Rudman on this Black Tide Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Baltimore Police Detective Mitch Wilson wants a nice day out with his wife and son. Instead, they are all caught up in a catastrophic terrorist attack that has repercussions across the USA and triggers events that could alter the course of civilization.

Having lost everything, Mitch sets out to seek justice – and revenge and stumbles upon a global conspiracy.

On the other side of the world, renowned linguistic professor, Yasaman Karami, flees her native Iran for the freedom of the west; she holds one of the keys to defeating the terrorist organization.

Yasaman and Mitch’s worlds collide as, alongside federal agents and allies, they race against the clock to hunt down the terrorist masterminds and prevent worldwide catastrophe.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196771181-red-line?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=c2fZ0swei1&rank=1

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Universal link for the book on Amazon

My Book Review

RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

RED LINE by Blake Rudman is a chilling noir crime thriller based on a twisted and yet believable scheme that could change the governments and economics of the world as we know it. This thriller starts with the two disparate main characters, one in Baltimore and one in Tehran who come together to stop a worldwide catastrophe.

Baltimore Police Detective Mitch Wilson is enjoying the day by taking his wife and young son to the latest animated hit movie. He drops them off at the theater and goes to park the car when a suspicious man catches his attention. He realizes the man is headed for the theater and before Mitch can stop him, he detonates a suicide vest killing everyone. This is happening all over the U.S. where the new film is showing. Mitch is determined to exact revenge and uses information he has discovered to bribe his way onto the FBI team investigating the terror attack called the “Red Line”.

Yasaman Karami is an archeological linguist professor in Tehran, Iran. Her research has led her and her mentor to discover the origins of language. Her mentor is kidnapped for the knowledge they posses and now they are after Yasaman. She is running for her life and ends up being helped across the border and into the hands of the FBI team with Mitch when another Red Line attack hits Europe.

It is a fast paced and action filled race to discover who is responsible for the Red Line attacks and stop the global attack to come.

This is a scary and at the same time thought-provoking thriller. It has a noir feel to the writing style, two main characters that could not be more different and yet come together to make a believable team, and fast-paced action. I do wish Mitch and Yasamin had come together sooner in the story, but there was a lot to set up for the intricate plot and while there was action to keep me involved in the story until they did come together, when they did, I could not turn the pages fast enough. The idea of terrorists, who are not the type of terrorists we normally think of, and the use of super-charged subliminal messaging were just realistic enough to have me seriously cheering on the good guys. I liked the romantic elements and found they were well written for a thriller and not stereotypical.

I recommend this noir crime thriller with romantic elements for a exciting ‘save the world’ read and I will be looking forward to reading more books by this author.

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About the Author

Blake Rudman enjoyed a former, successful career in executive management, building his own companies from the ground up.

Success or not, Blake’s heart has always been in the written word, and the myriad ideas he spent much of his spare time jotting down in notebooks, Post-Its, and scraps of paper whenever the inspiration hit him.

Now a breakout author of five noir thriller novels – all to be published in 2023 – Blake’s destiny of becoming a writer of some renown is well under way.

When he’s not working diligently on his next novel, Blake spends quality time with his family and tropical fish.

Social Media Links

Website: https://hellboundbookspublishing.com/authorpage_rudman.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091948818990

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BRudmanThriller

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/profile/in/blake-rudman-806b51273

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brudmanthriller

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: War Machine by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson

Book Description

After a shootout in Dubai left Hamza al Saud dead and elevated brilliant aeronautical engineer Qasim Nadar to hero status in England, everyone assumes the terrorist threat from al Qadar has been eliminated. Everyone except JSOC counter-terrorism analyst Whitney Watts. But when she decides to help MI6 penetrate Nadar’s secret network, Watts she gets a little too close to the truth and finds herself in a deadly situation not even her teammates from Tier One can save her from.

As Lieutenant Commander Keith “Chunk” Redman and the rest of Tier One fan out across London in search of Watts, Nadar prepares to unleash his most dangerous weapon yet—an advanced drone with artificial intelligence and stealth technology. To stop a horrifying attack on London, Chunk and his Navy SEAL brethren must seek help from an unexpected ally and find a way to stop a war machine that was designed to be unstoppable.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Sons of Valor, War Machine, the third book in the series, by Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson finishes the overarching story of terrorist Qasim Nadar. They use their vast experience to write engrossing thrillers. Andrews worked as a nuclear engineer on naval submarines, while Wilson was a trauma surgeon embedded with the East Coast Navy SEALS.

In the stories, Nadar fools everyone and is considered a hero in England. Everyone that is except counter-terrorism analyst Whitney Watts. After getting a call from her MI6 counterpart Lucy Kim she flies to England to work with Lucy to try to out Nadar as a terrorist. Unfortunately, their investigation turns upside down and they are kidnapped by the terrorists. As Lieutenant Commander Keith “Chunk” Redman and the rest of Tier One travel across London in search of Watts, Nadar prepares to unleash his most dangerous weapon yet, an advanced drone with artificial intelligence and stealth technology.

The authors know how to keep the tension high with the suspense growing on each page. Readers will not want to put this epilogue down.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?

Jeffrey Wilson: We hope to continue the series as long as people continue to read them. This is a spin-off, a shared universe with the “Tier One Series.” The eighth book comes out next year. There was a minor character in the previous series, Chuck Redman, who was widely popular with the readers.

EC: What is the premise of the “Tier One Series?”

JW: The entire SEAL team gets wiped out because of leaked intelligence. The sole survivor gets a new identity, John Dempsey, and now is part of a covert operation task force.

Brian Andrews: The first book of that series came out in 2016. John Dempsey, the main character of that series, is not in the “Sons of Valor Series.” Although in the second book there are a lot of references. But there are other cross-over characters.

Elise Cooper: Did you base Chuck Redman on the real retired SEAL Jay Redman?

JW: He is a good friend of ours and we wanted to honor him. We do it a lot where we put those who we had a professional and personal relationship in our books. Chuck does not represent Jay, but we did it to honor our friendship.

EC: How did you get the idea for the current book, Sons of Valor III: War Machine?

BA: We tend to write our military thrillers as trilogies. The Qasim Nadar thread wraps up in this book. In the real world we like to give the antagonist characters some leeway to flush out their motives and organization. There is a great line, “Every villain is the hero of their own story.” We embrace this in our writing. It is not our point of view, but the character’s thoughts and actions..

JW: We do not like our bad guys to be two-dimensional cookie cutters unlike Dr. Evil. The risk is do readers have sympathy for a terrorist. We wanted to explore will Qasim do the right thing or take the path of evil. People will see his evolution through the books on becoming a Jihadi. In book 2 there was a clear path for him to take, but the one he takes should cause someone to hate him.

EC: Book 1 has this quote, “It is a shame that it takes personal losses and suffering for most men to find their courage.” This seems so relevant for those families that brutally lost loved ones in Israel on October 7^th. Do you want to comment?

JW: This is a timely quote referencing how someone’s tragedy is tested under fire. It would be great if no one had to discover this about themselves. Think about the stories that came out of 9/11 and how heroic actions were displayed. I read amazing stories of how people were so incredibly brave on October 7^th. A young female army officer went out in her PJs with her gun, joined up with someone else, and held off the terrorists, protecting their little village. There is such inspiration in these stories.

EC: What do you want readers to get out of the books?

JW: This is why we write these books, hoping people will have a new appreciation for the toll it takes on the operator: the relationship with one another and their families. We feel there is a higher reason we wrote the books, to honor the men/women we served with and to share that world.

EC: How would you describe Qasim?

BA: Qasim is cold-hearted, diabolical, and evil. He cares about his cause. He cemented himself as a person of significance in the local culture. In book 3, he has drunk the Kool-Aid, taking a leadership role in a terrorist organization. He must deal with personal problems, money, motivation, logistics, and must keep secrets. He wants a Caliphate where there must be a shift of power and take control.

JW: We want to show how the technology and information is different now. There is an information war going on the same time as a covert war. The operators are new but also the terrorists are more sophisticated. This is a different dynamic post 9/11. We wanted to explore what a new generation of terrorists looks like. They are multi-educated, bi-lingual, and tech savvy. It is also an infiltration of culture and society that is no longer just in the Middle East. This is a change in the real world which we wanted to write about. These are the battlefields of the 21^st century.

EC: How would you describe Chuck Redman?

JW: Highly intelligent, tenacious, intuitive, mission and team before self.

EC: How would you describe Lucy?

BA: Whitney saw her as sad, intense, brave, focused, loyal, and cared about others concerns. When she faces mortal danger, she stands her ground.

EC: How would you describe Whitney?

BA: She takes initiative in this book. She found a lot of strength from Lucy. Her goal is to be part of the team.

JW: Both Lucy and Whitney are tenacious. We did not want to write Whitney as a one-woman killing machine taking out the bad guys single handedly or a mousey analyst who fades in the background. We pushed her out of her comfort zone, which she hated, but realized it made her tougher. She is someone who never quits. She is one of my favorite characters.

EC: What about the relationship between Whitney and Redman?

BA: They are both mirrors of the other. They recognize in the other characteristics they admire. Both are confident. There is a scene in the book where she is on the verge of physical collapse and starts to think about who the person would be she could rely on to get her out of this situation. Her subconscious understands it is Chuck because she does not realize her own inner strength. Over the first two books she grasps how much she admires and respects him. Chuck also tries to think what she would do when trying to rescue her. They both try to do what the other person would do when the other person is not there.

EC: Is the piece of equipment, Valkyrie, true?

JW: It is a drone and manned from the ground. There is technology in development that has the capability. We wanted to explore how much autonomy should AI have: should it include a kill decision?

BA: There are drones that can fly along fighter jets that augment pilots on missions. It is a stealth drone, with a vertical takeoff from anywhere. We had in the book what safeguards would the military program?

EC: Next books?

JW and BA:

The next Sons of Valor book does not have a date yet but there will be one.

There is a techno-thriller coming out in April, titled Four Minutes. A task force collects

Intelligence from the future to stop attacks in the present. They use this information to

try to stop the bad guys.

We will be writing the next Tom Clancy book titled Act of Defiance, coming out on the 40^th

anniversary of the book Red October. A Russian super weapon is deployed at sea

and it’s up to Jack Ryan to find a countermove.

The next Tier 1 book comes out in July titled Ember, the name of the taskforce. The

taskforce does covert operations.

The fourth book in the Shepherds series comes out next fall. We explore combat and faith

with a speculative element. There is a supernatural spiritual warfare element that

blended into a covert ops’ thriller. This includes using scriptures of the Bible. It has

demons possess bad guys.

THANK YOU!!

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