Screwed Mind - An Espionage Thriller: The International Mystery of the Mossad and Other Intelligence Agencies

With continuous advances in technology, many have pointed to the demise of the espionage thriller novel. Luckily, there are still authors that are willing to tackle the topic, because people love them, but does it take a reader willing to suspend disbelief of reality to enjoy a modern-day spy novel, or an author with enough creativity to figure out a way it can be done realistically?

Traditionally, espionage novels had a main character who was in the practice of spying, employed by governments or special espionage agencies. They use a variety of techniques, including eavesdropping, undercover work, surveillance, intelligence, and reconnaissance, and in the past they impressed users with their arsenal of futuristic tools that helped them gather information on their foes.

Your typical thriller features a tough and resourceful protagonist that woks to undermine the antagonist that is out to destroy the spy, their organization or country, or even the whole world. Thrillers have an intense time-sensitive plot, which is dependent on the spy being able to avoid or escape traps and find and neutralize the bad guy before their evil plot succeeds.

The espionage thriller work best when the protagonist is unknown, so they can infiltrate the threatening organization, but is it even possible for someone to be unknown spy today? In the world we live in now everyone leaves a digital fingerprint, and if they have one wiped clean it would be a red flag for any organization recruiting someone. This is everything from online banking to telephone records, social media pages, and LinkedIn network contacts. These are just some of the challenges that authors face when crafting a believable spy story for readers of the 21st century.

HIDDEN DOORS, SECRET ROOMS

On the run with her five year old daughter, Jillian Braedon possesses a secret so explosive that she must be silenced. She is being pursued by relentless covert agents, intent on getting her out of the picture. While on the run, she runs into a terrible blizzard. She has a crash and is seriously injured. The only way possible for her and her daughter to come out alive is send the child out into the blizzard in hopes that she can find help. They find help in the form of a retired musician who has turned himself into a recluse. Unwilling; but driven to do so he takes the small family in. In the process, he drags himself into their horrible situation.

The review from the Kirkus review states that this book is:

“Superbly crafted and flawlessly executed, Eubanks doles out both plot and back-story in small doses, expertly keeping readers turning page after page...This is a phenomenal first novel; an excellent read for anyone who loves mystery, and would-be writers who want to learn exactly how it's done."

I must say that I certainly agree with this review! I could not put the book down; I just had to know what happened next! There was no double talk and no repeat or excess information to help the word count. The characters are real people that you want to get to know. This is something I really like to see in a book, I actually hope to see more of these characters from the author in the future.

I definitely recommend this book to any one that likes the paranormal genre and any one that would like to delve into it. This is a definite must read! 

Kindle Book Review: "The Obsidian Pebble" Winner of the 2012 Sharp Writ Book Awards

“The Obsidian Pebble,” by Rhys A. Jones, is the Sharp Writ Book Awards 2012 winner in the Young Adult category. It is the story of Oz Chambers, a boy who one day discovers that the house he and his mother are living in is haunted. Far from being intimidated, Oz is fascinated by the house and grows determined to discover its secrets.

But Oz is not the only one who is interested in the house’s mysteries, and once the secret is uncovered, Oz’s world is completely changed.

This book is a prime example of how spooky tales for children should look like. The characters are scary but the story is humorous and fun. Jones is a masterful storyteller who is able to make his characters come to life while he pulls his reader right into the story. It’s a story you can read to your kids and enjoy yourself.

OMG: Adventure-Packed Sci-Fi Mystery for Young Adults

If you could go back in time to solve a mystery, save a life, and right a wrong, would you do it – even if you weren’t sure you could return to your own time, or that you would be changing history as we know it?

OMG is the first novel of the CUL8R time travel series. The story features four smart and independent teenagers Kelly, Scott, Zoey, and Austin, who travel to the past to accomplish an important mission while dealing with their own issues in their own lives.

The story begins with Kelly starting out her new life in Florida. She has just moved in with her aunt after she lost her parents to a car accident. Her whole world has completely changed, her comfort zone (as little as it had been) is gone, and –completely unknown to her – her greatest adventure is just about to start.

She meets Scott, the boy next door. Far from being a heartthrob, Scott is actually best known as the school’s top geek. His best friend Austin, however, is a heartthrob. Austin is their school’s quarterback, and unsurprisingly, all the girls find him super-cool and super-hot at the same time. Nonetheless, Austin never abandoned Scott.

Zoey is one of the girls that have their eyes on Austin. She’s one of the cheerleaders, a member of the so-called “jet set.” Though she would never give kids like Kelly and Scott the time of the day, she would give past, present, and future to Austin if he’d take it. She has no idea how close she’d get to literally doing that.

The big adventure begins when Scott finds a way to go back in time. He, Austin, Kelly, and Zoey travel to the past, where they help a girl solve a mystery and get a chance to make things right. However, they end up with a big dilemma: should they right the wrong that they discovered and end up changing history; or should they turn a blind eye, leave things as they are, and preserve the history that they know?

Throughout the novel, the reader is treated to a fast-paced narrative, a brain-tickling mystery, relatable teen issues, and an interesting (and educational) peek into a time when phones were wired to the wall, luggage was actually lugged instead of rolled, mail took days to reach the recipient, and the slower pace of life could actually help you save a life.

As a bonus, you get to meet Thomas Edison (yes, the Thomas Edison) up close and personal and learn about some pretty interesting rumors that hounded him in those days.

It’s a story that is sure to hook you in, and the best part of it is that it’s only the first of the series. In other words, the fun is just beginning.

This series of time travel books is written for teens by experienced writer Kathy Clark. Ms. Clark has written over twenty titles, sold more than 3 million books, and has another book series, Denver After Dark, that is nominated for two 2013 book awards.

To learn more about OMG and the other books in the series, go to www.cul8rseries.com.