Tom Hobbs's Blog, page 168

Morphed

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An exacting doctor loses his teen-aged son to body-building steroids and his wife walks out. Serving as a doping control officer in the 2012 Olympics, Dr. Speak Singleton’s begins a precarious redemptive journey as he discovers the first genetically engineered super-human athlete. The cyclist’s coach, Dr. Simon Whitford, has come up with an undetectable muscle-DNA altering substance he hopes to market to all of us for its youth restorative properties. He’s morphed his record-shattering athlete into a baby-boomer poster boy. Speak recruits a beautiful paramedic, a reluctant professional cyclist, and an aging pharmacologist in his struggle to expose this dangerous performance enhancement technology. The dichotomy between Speak and Whitford is astonishing—with one willing to risk everything to protect young athletes, and the other allowing nothing to block his climb to riches and power.

This story’s underlying theme is our innate drive to perform at the highest level—even if it means altering our own DNA. Do athletes set the tone for society or is it the other way around? To a varying degree we are hooked on human performance enhancement technology (socially acceptable doping). Acquiescence to drugs or other artificial means boosting success is based on our own desire to prevail. Who would not consider a low risk way to stay young, boost sexual function, or appearance? Viagra, cosmetic surgery, hormones, or using the ultimate piece of sports equipment like the lightest bike, fancy golf clubs, or most slippery swimsuit are all examples used every day to enhance achievement. Morphed mirrors our innate drive to win at any cost.

“Speak and Whitford, two characters who have a scarred past and are searching for redemption—or revenge—are, on their own, enough to make this narrative a worthwhile read. The element of the 2012 Summer Olympics, educational information on steroids, fast-paced dialogue and the relationships between Troy and Speak and Speak and Julia are simply icing on the cake. A thrilling, nuanced drama that packs an informational and emotional punch.”

(KIRKUS REVIEWS:)

“Morphed tells how a physician-scientist exploits an aging athlete to sell his gene doping method to pharmaceutical firms. DNA manipulation—a likely next step in performance enhancement—amps up the health issues for all of us. It pits parents against their kids who emulate their idol athletes and tempts us with prospects of its fountain of youth effects. Shapiro opens the doors on the locker room’s inner sanctum where sports intermingle with big business and science. His clearheaded page-turner will resonate with readers in all walks of life.”

(ERIC HEIDEN, MD, winner of five Olympic gold medals in speed skating, Tour De France competitor and sports-medicine specialist.)

“Morphed tells a riveting story of the doping dilemma in professional sports. It renders an accurate portrayal of the questions those of us guiding major leaguers ask every day. Where is the next frontier, how do we know whether our athletes are competing on an even playing field —and do our fans really want to see what competition looks like without artificial performance enhancement in the equation? This novel leads to a closer look at our obsession with winning in every facet of our lives. You will finish this book more informed, entertained and asking questions that need to be examined.”

(MARK SHAPIRO, President, Cleveland Indians)

Cracks in the Pavement

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Dan is a mid-twenties ‘man-boy’, living and working in the heart of Edinburgh. He works in a corporate office, hates his job and his moronic boss. He is sleep deprived and often hungover. The majority of his time is spent in various pubs throughout the capital, discussing the world with his friends and where it all went wrong.

On his reluctant walks to work, Dan notices there are an abundance of people sleeping rough on the streets, begging for money. He feels empathy for those less fortunate and tries to help them when he can. Realisation quickly dawns on him that not everyone claiming to be homeless is genuine – often it is merely a scam; free money to spend on drugs, alcohol and other addictions.

When his love interest, Emily, is attacked by a ‘Dark Stranger’, Dan must infiltrate an underground street community, to catch the elusive attacker. He gets caught in a dangerous game of survival as he hunts for the attacker and is hunted himself. The closer he gets to finding his man, the closer he comes to living the life he was pretending to have.

Dan soon discovers that the old abandoned house in the woods is a hideaway, where things that shouldn’t happen do. It is not long before the police get involved. Dan must negotiate his freedom with the tenacious Detective Inspector Morrison, who wants nothing more than to interrogate his prime suspect…

Cracks in the Pavement is an engaging, darkly funny modern story of one man’s struggle to overcome prejudice in society. It deals with adversity, the class system and the wealth gap, society at its peak and lowest ebb. It is a tale of inner turmoil in a man, who refuses to be beaten down by society’s ills.