If you like fast-paced thrillers, check out THE FAILSAFE QUERY. Author, Michael Jenkins, is revealing all about his main character from the book. @rararesources #political #thriller #booktour #author #givaway #win @FailsafeQuery

The Failsafe Query

The Failsafe Query is a gripping thriller set in the contemporary world of modern British espionage.

Amazon UK | Amazon.com

Sean Richardson, a disgraced former intelligence agent, is tasked to lead a team to search for Alfie Chapman, an Intelligence officer on the cusp of exposing thousands of secrets to the media. This includes a long lost list of Russian moles embedded since the Cold War, one of whom remains a public favourite in the British parliamentary system.

The action moves with absorbing pace and intrigue across Central Asia and Europe as the puzzle begins to unfold through a deep hidden legacy.

Tense, fast paced, and insightful, The Failsafe Query twists and turns to a satisfyingly dramatic finale.

The theme on WWBB is all devoted to the character, and today Michael Jenkins discusses his character Sean Richardson from The Failsafe Query

The main character, Sean, is a complex individual forged from his many life experiences - his traumas, his loves, his loyalty, and his sense of duty – even if he has to kill. The complexity of his character shows his empathetic side, but equally, he is able to switch to a ruthless side to get the job done. He thinks a lot. He considers his options. His wisdom and experiences tell him ‘this is the right thing to do’ - but on occasion, his risk-taking side tells him he should bend the rules and go beyond the established boundaries to achieve his aims.

Sean grew up with a tough father, worked on building sites and frequented tough east London pubs, before being groomed for a career in military intelligence. His chosen career was successful, but as the years passed by, he found himself more and more involved in the dark arts of espionage. Sucked into the killing, the denial operations, and having a number of enemies always on his tail. Then he crashed and burned.

Sean is often conflicted, often a dreamer – having his own desires which were often in reach, only to be snatched away at the last moment. Such experiences and traumas have made him a cautious but driven man, a survivor against all the odds. Unsure of his own destiny, he knows he has left death and destruction in his way, but always feels he has done the right thing for his service to crown and country. But that loyalty is forever being tested by the duplicity he uncovers within central government and the seditious nature of many of the officers and departments he had to serve. The more he uncovers, the more he has a sense of betrayal – to himself and his nation - but how far can he continue in his chosen career he never really knows. He feels trapped. Trapped by the adrenalin, the adventure, the sense of making a difference. He is everything that real counter-terrorist and intelligence officers deal with – he is often gentle and kind, polite and understanding – but equally, he has a brutal side for those who have betrayed him, or where violence is needed to achieve the aim.

Sean is based on three individuals I had the honour to serve with – each of them had very specific characteristics and behaviours, and I blended those into Sean to make him the complex operator he is. Charismatic, gregarious, honourable, a killer, a smart operator, wise and sharp, but often conflicted with his inner turmoil and the trauma he carries – those traumas, he places in a drawer, and only allows each of those drawers to open if absolutely needed – when he is deep in thought. His way of coping is to generally keep them all closed.

Sean is a lover of risk, but also a man of culture – he loves painting and is an accomplished artist. He loves to travel and the cultures of the countries he visits. He likes solitude, but equally, he relishes the time he has with his mates whether at work or having a few beers with them.

His hidden desire is for a simple, quiet life with a loving wife and children. But circumstances collide against him time and time again. Now he is trying to find a future and a way to his dreams. His friend can see he’ll make it – somehow and someway, and they’ll always be there backing him when the chips are down, and he thinks he has failed. They see him as human. Wise, respectful, tough, full of fortitude and vigour – and above all else loyal to the people he trusts. They will follow him anywhere as their leader.

There is much more to come from Sean, and while his backstory has been partially told in the novel, there is much more to him than meets the eye, as there is with any friend you begin to learn about over time.

Amazon UK | Amazon.com

 About the author Michael Jenkins

Michael Jenkins served for twenty-eight years in the British army, rising through the ranks to complete his service as a major. He served across the globe on numerous military operations as an intelligence officer within Defence Intelligence, and as an explosive ordnance disposal officer and military surveyor within the Corps of Royal Engineers. 

His experiences within the services involved extensive travel and adventure while on operations, and also on many major mountaineering and exploration expeditions that he led or was involved in.  

He was awarded the Geographic Medal by the Royal geographical society for mountain exploration and served on the screening committee of the Mount Everest Foundation charity. 

He was awarded the MBE on leaving the armed forces in 2007 for his services to counterterrorism. 

The Failsafe Query is Michael’s first novel. He has started work on his second spy thriller, The Kompromat Kill, and hopes to publish in the spring of 2019.

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Giveaway – Win 5 x PB copies of The Failsafe Query & a spy 

linkage map (unframed) 

(Open Internationally)

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days, then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, except the winners’ information. This will be passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for the fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

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CREATING IS ONE THING—LETTING IT MARINATE IS ANOTHER

by

Cindy McDonald

 People are always asking me: where do you come up with the ideas for your Unbridled series? I always chuckle a little bit and then I explain: Well, hanging around the backside (stable area) of a racetrack for twenty or so years will give you plenty of fodder for story lines—trust me!

It’s true. So many characters hang out at the racetrack: gamblers, liars, jockeys, agents (yes, jockeys have agents), liars, horse trainers, exercise riders, veterinarians, crazy blacksmiths, and did I mention liars?  There are lots of liars. Oh yes, the racetrack is a treasure trove of characters, and if you are paying close attention (I’m a watcher by nature) they will give you as many storylines as your little heart desires.

Now just to be clear, I have never seen anyone murder anyone else, nor have I been murdered myself at the racetrack, so there is quite a bit of exaggeration placed in the Unbridled books. And although the Unbridled books are fiction, there is a lot of truth that lies between the lines.

Another question people are always asking is: Cindy, where do you find the time to write? The answer is quite simple, I make time. I write everyday. Sometimes I feel as though I am handcuffed to my computer, but like anything else that you want to do well, writing is a commitment.

I love to write in the evenings. It is the quiet time of day, and after I have finished cleaning up dinner, I pour a glass of wine—usually a chardonnay—I never drink red, it makes me sweat. Wait a minute.  Maybe I should reconsider—the sweating might help with those love scenes that I pen.

My stories are taken from the original telescripts that I wrote for the TV drama series, Unbridled. Warner Brothers sniffed around it, but the show never got sold, so my telescripts are excellent outlines. Even with the scripts, it takes me approximately ten to eleven months to write an Unbridled story. After months of writing, rewriting, thinking, and yes banging my head off my desk the manuscript is read to upload it to my editor, right?

Whoa, not so fast—not for me anyway. This is where my writing and publishing habits may differ from other authors. This, my friends, is where patience must persevere, and sometimes that’s a mighty big order.

Okay, take a deep breath, because it's time for the marinating process to begin. Yep, that’s what I said “marinate”. You’re probably wondering if I’ve hit my head off the desk one too many times, not really. When I’ve finished a manuscript I do the same thing most authors do—I start over from the beginning and read, tweak, read, tweak, and then read and tweak some more. And after I’ve gone through this procedure several times I close the file and let it marinate.

I let the file sit for up to six weeks without opening it, without re-reading or tweaking it. But I never stop thinking about it. I keep a notepad close by to jot down thoughts during those six weeks that the manuscript is becoming juicy and succulent. It is definitely an exercise in fortitude, but hey, ya know what? It always pays off in a very big way because when I open the file to re-visit the story, I’m reading it with fresh eyes and fresh thoughts and the results are always well, fresh.

Hurrying my manuscript is never an option for me. I want to make sure that it is a story that my readers would not be able to put down. Every author has their writing rituals, for me it is contemplation. Beyond marinating my manuscripts, I usually take short breaks during the writing of a book as well. Sometimes, I will walk away from a manuscript for a week or so. If I find that I am becoming frustrated with my story, I know that it is time to take off my glasses, turn off the computer, and go for a walk or take my dog, Harvey, for a nice long run. The sunshine clears my head and it feels good to stretch my legs for a while—I was a professional dancer for twenty-six years, I need to move around a bit! But if I return to the problem pages and nothing has been resolved, then its time for a break from Unbridled for possibly a week or so. Honestly, it doesn’t take long until I’m missing my characters and I’m back in the saddle tapping at the keyboard once again.

Yes it’s true, marinating and contemplation is a long process, however I am always pleased with the outcome. I am usually able to publish two Unbridled books per year. How? Well, I am always a book ahead—sometimes two books ahead of what you are finding on Amazon.  Example: the fourth book of the Unbridled Series, Against the Ropes, will release on June 1^st. I am almost half-way through the fifth book, Shady Deals—it will be marinating by July. 

Whew!

I must admit that no dust ever settles on my computer and those handcuffs come in darn handy, too. ;}

Other posts on WWBB from Cindy McDonald:
Memories of Presque Isle
When writing romantic scenes where does one draw the line?
When reviews count for nothing.

Website | FB page | Goodreads | Twitter

Writing Process of Daitoku Daiichi - Summaries

by

Daitoku Daiichi

"In this busy, dusty world, having accomplished nothing, I suddenly recalled all the girls I had known, considering each in turn, and it dawned on me that all of them surpassed me in behaviour and understanding; that I ,shameful to say for all my masculine dignity, fell short of the gentler sex." - from the Dream of Red Mansion.

As I have interests in books, film, television and video games, they are often major influences on my work. Although I like to write something innovative, I am also aware of respecting the work of others before me. It can also be fun and more meaningful to the reader when my novel references some other work.

One of the main things I do before planning a story is to narrow down on these 'selected works'. For 'Hot Spring', the first in the series of Godfrey and Chucky's adventures, I spent two months 'drawing out the essence' from the Chinese classic 'Dream of Red Mansion'. Since this revered classic had a common theme with my story idea, I wanted to make sure that I don't write a scene only to discover it had been done before. Both my story and "Dream of Red Mansion" deals with the growing up phase of a young boy in an affluent household. In both stories, the young boy is uneasy with his father and fascinated by his aunt. The adolescent is also discovering his conflicting feelings for two of his female friends. But enough of the similarities for now.

VBT

The original work has 120 chapters and about 2500 pages. I have the English translation from Foreign Languages Press. I remember taking 6 months to finish reading this, and I was sure I didn't want to write something of that length. So I did a summary of the timeless work, which helped me to remember some of the major plot themes I had read before. You have to know how something is approached traditionally, before you can give it a twist, don't you?

In short, the Dream of Red Mansions describes the slow decay of the esteemed Jia family, and how the young heir Jia Baoyu awakens to spiritual discovery. Stripped bare of all details, the classic is about a boy living in a large house with plenty of women.

On the other hand, in 'Hot Spring', the Gao family is prospering, and the story is about how they overcome a threat to their business. There is still the wonderful dynamic of a young boy living with many beautiful women in the hotel and at school. On top of that, the Gao family hotel hosts wealthy tourists Godfrey and Chucky, and even assists them on the adventure. The hotel's name, Red Jade Palace Hotel, is an allusion to the classic novel, and provides an extra layer of amusement for its fans.

Doing the summaries beforehand can really help an author to plan out the story well, and ensure there is no unwanted repetition with a more famous cultural work. For my second book I am already summarizing the films that I hope to pay homage to. The same applies when a TV series or a video game inspired your writing passion. If you want to read a fresh, innovative novel inspired by 'Dream of Red Mansions', you should definitely catch your copy of 'Hot Spring' at Kobo books.

Win a copy of YA novel Life and Times of the Heir and the Keeper

by 

Etta King 

Ah the guest blog! My time to shine! What shall I share? This is rather like a “Show and Tell” isn’t it? Hmmm…well I think I’ll go back in time a bit – not too far – and take a peek at a little episode in dear Jonathan’s life. Now Jon is sort of the quintessential prodigal son; he just loves doing whatever he wants, bucking convention (why should he join the legacy of Reinhardt men inducted into the Keepers?) and breaking hearts (didn’t an ex call him Delish? Yum!), yet he always finds his way home (figuratively, of course, since he can’t wait to leave his grandfather’s mansion…hey! I never said he was sane!). But don’t the daring ones always have the most fun? Go to the best parties? Kiss the cutest girls? Perhaps there’s a method to this madness? Let’s see…the year was…I’m blanking…the grade? 11^th! Oh high school, the wonder years…

Jon

I was exhausted. But in a good way. A sated way. That was pretty much the only reason I was smiling at the gentle nudging that was bringing me out of my coma. I didn’t even have the blinding headache I associated with any and all brands of Tequila. I was in an Aybee-trance. AB Baby, my sort-of, maybe, probably girlfriend. Angelica B. McCarthy, to anyone who wasn’t a ‘close and personal friend.’ Which was a grand total of probably five people. Yeah, AB was very popular. She was also insanely cute. No, not hot, cute. She was a Blake Lively, not a Megan Fox; you never could bring yourself to hate her, you just wanted her to notice you. She had that effect, a subtle glow that made even teachers curry her favor. And I was lying in her bed. How I’d gotten up here, I couldn’t remember. What we’d done? Well I remembered that. That brought a second smile to my lips.

“I know what you’re thinking.” She whispered in my ear.

I had to laugh. Somehow, I didn’t doubt that; she had a way of guessing people’s thoughts.

“You need to get up; I’m riding with Kit this morning.”

I opened my eyes and raised a brow at that. Christopher, who insisted everyone call him Kit, was her British “cousin.” The air quotes were unimagined; I was pretty sure Kit and I were as related as he was to AB. I couldn’t mentally reconcile what I knew was a lie, but I consoled myself with the fact that at least I knew.

“Why are you riding with him, you could be riding with me,” I replied with a crooked smile. It was corny and I knew it, but she laughed.

“I promised,” she said, brushing her hair out of her face. “Besides, Cassidy needs the exercise, and you haven’t ridden since…” She paused and chewed her lip before continuing. “Anyway, you know it doesn’t mean anything.”