Josh Handrich's Blog, page 3

And the winner of the “Help Me Launch” contest is... Lindsay Maynard!

With an overwhelming amount of "likes", views, comments, and overall creative format, Lindsay crushed the competition with her outrageous orange costume. Thanks to Lindsay and all the other entrants for their time and creative energy. I can't wait to welcome you back to flying, Linz! 

Can I get another HELL YEAH?!!! Kingdom of Rage is finally LIVE!

Thank you to all my friends that helped me turn my story into a reality. Today is one of my proudest moments, so I’m grateful for all the positive feedback I’ve received along the way. What I give you in turn is a story so thrilling and compelling that it’ll keep you thinking about it days after you’ve finished.
My $1,000 Bet
You read it right, one thousand dollars. That’s how confident I am that you’ll like my story, Kingdom of Rage. It’s roughly the amount I spent on editing, a cover, hundreds of cups of coffee, and research books. I look at it as an investment. My nearly three year’s worth of planning, outlining, writing, and editing has transformed itself into over four hundred and twenty pages of thrilling escapism. Here is a brief description of the book:
Rich Fordham, world-renowned journalist and television personality, receives an email from an informant with damaging videos of prominent Saudi Arabian dignitaries—including the king—as part of an elaborate attempt to derail the monarchy.
Rich persuades the Saudi king into granting him an exclusive interview to discuss oil prices and foreign policy—but not everyone wants him there. Almost immediately after Rich, his camera man, and their security team arrive in Riyadh, jihadists ambush their convoy. Those who survive are forced to decide between helping those who are captured and saving themselves, while still trying to overthrow the corrupt Saudi government.
A Q&A with author Josh Handrich:
Q: Why did you choose Riyadh as a setting for your story?
A:  15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. This number is worked into the story several times. Of all the developed countries, Saudi Arabia comes in dead last for women’s rights. They need a fire lit under their a** if they want to be respected as a global force. Also, our country’s dependence on foreign oil is a major concern. Gas is expected to rise above four dollars. Why? Politics, speculation, and a crapload of greedy bastards.
Q: How do you set apart Kingdom from other political thrillers?
A: Often times when an author wants to tell a story about chaos, the protagonist is a CIA spy, a contract killer, or a rogue soldier. Guns, blood, and lots of bullets are used to move the story along. My protagonist, Rich Fordham, is a war correspondent who uses the power of his words, wit, and the media to win battles. This means smart writing, not just someone getting killed every other page. My stories are gritty, plausible, and human.
Q: Will the book be available in paperback?
A: Yes. Once I get the formatting right it will be available on Amazon.com and on my blog.
Here is a fascinating, insider’s look at the story:
·      Captain Lindsay Maynard, from Michigan, and husband Rob, have characters loosely based upon them and named after. I chose Lindsay because the character, a Blackhawk helicopter commander, must make difficult, split-second decisions to win a tactical fight against an unpredictable enemy. The multiple scenes are a metaphor of her battle with SMA.·      Captain John Hatridge, a former Navy pilot, gave me a candid look at what the Middle East is like. His experience allowed me to paint a picture of the Saudi culture.·      There are hidden details with special meanings. Pay close attention to names, dates, times, etc. Even the jokes only a pilot may understand.
To purchase, go to:
Amazon: Kingdom of Rage for Kindle
B&N: Kingdom of Rage for Nook
Smashwords: Kingdom of Rage for iPad and Kobo

Can I get another HELL YEAH?!!! Kingdom of Rage finally went LIVE!

Thank you to all my friends that helped me turn my story into a reality. Today is one of my proudest moments, so I’m grateful for all the positive feedback I’ve received along the way. What I give you in turn is a story so thrilling and compelling that it’ll keep you thinking about it days after you’ve finished.
My $1,000 Bet
You read it right, one thousand dollars. That’s how confident I am that you’ll like my story, Kingdom of Rage. It’s roughly the amount I spent on editing, a cover, hundreds of cups of coffee, and research books. I look at it as an investment. My nearly three year’s worth of planning, outlining, writing, and editing has transformed itself into over four hundred and twenty pages of thrilling escapism. Here is a brief description of the book:
Rich Fordham, world-renowned journalist and television personality, receives an email from an informant with damaging videos of prominent Saudi Arabian dignitaries—including the king—as part of an elaborate attempt to derail the monarchy.
Rich persuades the Saudi king into granting him an exclusive interview to discuss oil prices and foreign policy—but not everyone wants him there. Almost immediately after Rich, his camera man, and their security team arrive in Riyadh, jihadists ambush their convoy. Those who survive are forced to decide between helping those who are captured and saving themselves, while still trying to overthrow the corrupt Saudi government.
A Q&A with author Josh Handrich:
Q: Why did you choose Riyadh as a setting for your story?
A:  15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia. This number is worked into the story several times. Of all the developed countries, Saudi Arabia comes in dead last for women’s rights. They need a fire lit under their a** if they want to be respected as a global force. Also, our country’s dependence on foreign oil is a major concern. Gas is expected to rise above four dollars. Why? Politics, speculation, and a crapload of greedy bastards.
Q: How do you set apart Kingdom from other political thrillers?
A: Often times when an author wants to tell a story about chaos, the protagonist is a CIA spy, a contract killer, or a rogue soldier. Guns, blood, and lots of bullets are used to move the story along. My protagonist, Rich Fordham, is a war correspondent who uses the power of his words, wit, and the media to win battles. This means smart writing, not just someone getting killed every other page. My stories are gritty, plausible, and human.
Q: Will the book be available in paperback?
A: Yes. Once I get the formatting right it will be available on Amazon.com and on my blog.
Here is a fascinating, insider’s look at the story:
·      Captain Lindsay Maynard, from Michigan, and husband Rob, have characters loosely based upon them and named after. I chose Lindsay because the character, a Blackhawk helicopter commander, must make difficult, split-second decisions to win a tactical fight against an unpredictable enemy. The multiple scenes are a metaphor of her battle with SMA.·      Captain John Hatridge, a former Navy pilot, gave me a candid look at what the Middle East is like. His experience allowed me to paint a picture of the Saudi culture.·      There are hidden details with special meanings. Pay close attention to names, dates, times, etc. Even the jokes only a pilot may understand.
To purchase, go to:
Amazon—Kingdom of Rage
B&N—Kingdom of Rage

The countdown begins

I accomplished my goal of finishing Kingdom of Rage by election day. It takes 24-48 hours for the book to go live on Amazon and B&N. It's already live on Smashwords. All I can do now is wait and hope that everything uploads correctly. This will be the first place that I’ll announce the book is available. Fingers are crossed. :-)

Kingdom of Rage—Chapter 1 Teaser!

KINGDOM OF RAGE

By Josh Handrich
Kingdom of RageCopyright © 2012 by Josh Handrich
The Rich Fordham Series
***

Thank you for downloading this eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form, with the exception of quotes used in reviews.
Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material
All rights reserved
This book is dedicated to Wael Ghonim, the activist responsible for giving life to the Egyptian uprising, and Manal al Sharif, who sparked and international debate with a YouTube video of her driving in Saudi Arabia.


Kingdom of Rage
PART I
“To me, those are the heroes of the story. It was government that failed. It was people who stood up.” —Anderson Cooper
Chapter 1
Chicago, Illinois
The old man sitting adjacent to journalist Rich Fordham on the television news stage was beginning to piss him off. The sixty-eight year old aviation tycoon had his arms crossed over his chest, lips and eyebrows contorted to form a permanent scowl. Light from above cast deep shadows on his leathery complexion. Everything about Brian Barnes’ body language screamed out in defiance of Rich’s line of questioning.  “Mr. Barnes,” Rich said without emotion, “if I understand you correctly, your company made a profit last quarter of ninety-one million, and yet you’re willing to transfer jobs overseas to save fifty percent on labor costs, which only accounts for—”“You must see this for what it is, Mr. Fordham,” Barnes said. Rich could tell he was growing impatient with the questioning. “The competition is fierce and we’re forced to make some tough decisions. It’s a difficult economy right now.” “Your main competitor reached profits of over one-hundred seventy five million and has roughly quadrupled their labor force, but not a single employee has been outsourced, and their stock is up eleven percent, whereas yours has been cut in half. How do you explain this?” Rich was ready for a set of volleys. He knew Barnes was used to subordinates and board members who kissed his ass on a daily basis. But Rich was only interested in the truth, and in getting Barnes to show some compassion and empathy toward his employees, not the man’s self-serving rhetoric.“AvTec is doing everything necessary to stay afloat. I’m confident that by the end of the year we’ll have new investment and growth opportunities and you’ll see a revitalized company.” It was a lame attempt to gain control of the conversation.“You have an ocean-side villa in Belize worth five million, a ski lodge in Aspen worth eight—the list includes another five houses— and you collect show horses worth around ten million. You own a consulting and an investment firm, so I dare say you’re doing quite well for yourself?”“I take great pride in being entrepreneurial, and I can’t think of a better way to make a living,” Barnes said.“Do you know a Mr. Roy Lefort?” Rich asked, knowing he wouldn’t.“Can’t say I do.” His eyes flickered, like he was trying to recall the name.“Mr. Lefort was your very first employee hired to work the assembly line. That was thirty-five years ago, and he remained a faithful employee for that time. He received a pink slip last week. I spoke to him in person.” Barnes fidgeted in his seat. “He said to me that he had never received any kind of a thank you note, and he was not sent a card when his wife died of breast cancer. There was never a sign of appreciation from AvTec in his entire career. And now you ship his job to the Middle East so you can save one percent on your overall costs? Explain to the public how this makes sense.”The CEO looked down before answering. “Our restructuring efforts are going to make us stronger than ever before. What I would like to say, though, is we’re going to make an honest effort to make things right. It may not be apparent now, but come next year our company and our culture are going to evolve into something rejuvenated.”“Your list of adjectives is impressive, but critics say your record is not. You didn’t explain to me and the public how this makes sense.” Barnes clenched his jaw. “As I said, give it time and you’ll see my company prosper. This is only a temporary setback.” As soon as he said it he grimaced as if he knew he’d made a mistake. He was the founder and CEO of AvTec Holdings, which used to produce narrow and wide-body commercial jets in his home state of Florida. They were under fire for filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, then giving pink slips to twenty thousand American machinists and outsourcing their jobs to the Middle East, where unions were illegal. Two days after the announcement, supposedly acting in shareholders’ best interest, he and other board members voted to give each other twenty million in bonuses, a seventy-five percent raise in salary, and an additional bonus to prevent executives from leaving. The live, national cable television news interview was the first and only one Barnes agreed to give—he wanted to use it for free publicity.“A setback? You label twenty thousand dedicated employees a ‘setback’?”“What I meant is—”“I think we know what you meant. But before we can go into that, we need to go to a commercial break. You’re watching Uncut on CBC. Please stay with us.” Rich grinned his trademark smile as he heard Angie Reynolds, the executive producer, going to a commercial in his earpiece. The assistant producer standing beside the video cameras waved cut.Rich looked over in time to see Barnes removing his earpiece and throwing it to the ground. Serves him right, he thought, as the man got up and puffed out his chest. The man walked to Rich and stopped so he was engulfed in the man’s shadow. All Rich could see was a silhouette of the CEO’s head.“Do you think you’re some kind of hot shit for putting me on the spot like that?” Barnes asked, his face flushed.“I asked you several direct questions and you didn’t answer any of them. What’s hot shit about that?” “You know what I’m talking about. You’re trying to one-up me and I think that’s horseshit.”Rich moved his head to the side and shielded the light with his hand so he could look him in the eye. “With all due respect, Mr. Barnes, it’s not about me. I’m asking questions that the people who used to work for you would want to ask but were too afraid to. That’s my job: to ask the hard questions. The people only want some accountability and empathy on your part, and so far you’ve only hyped your own agenda. Am I still being hot shit?” He knew Barnes was expecting to win the argument using anger and intimidation, but so far it had no effect. Rich knew that if he continued to stay on course and question the man’s business practices, he’d remain in control.The CEO raised his voice further. “You’re just some pretty-boy reporter driving a Beamer who thinks his shit doesn’t stink. I’m leaving, and you can go to hell.” He straightened his tie, tossed his head back, and started to march off-stage.“Mr. Barnes, sit down,” Rich said. The command was so forceful that Barnes came to an abrupt stop and jerked his around to see who was scolding him. The entire studio crew heard the commotion and stopped what they were doing to listen. Rich ignored repeated questions in his earpiece from Angie. “If you leave now, people will question why the interview ended early. Your employees, shareholders, everyone who has the power to control your company is watching. It’s your choice.” Barnes needed a chance to explain himself if he ever hoped to save face and his credibility—and the man was smart enough to know it. Barnes looked around, sucked in his ego and temper, and returned to the stage. Reluctantly, he picked up the earpiece, reinserted it, and sat down. Rich waved a makeup girl over to reapply powder to both of their faces. “That was close,” Angie said through the earpiece.“Thirty seconds,” came the call from the assistant. “And in three, two…” Then he gestured one, and go.“Welcome back,” Rich said. “We’re continuing our animated discussion and final portion of the interview with Brian Barnes, CEO and founder of AvTec. Mr. Barnes, before we left off we were discussing the relationship between you and your employees.” Barnes checked his watch and sat on the edge of the seat. “Critics are calling for your resignation and a personal apology. Do you feel you owe them that?”For the first time, Barnes offered a response that was neither canned nor contrived. “I did what I had to do. I’m not proud of it. When you see your stock price dwindling you have to make tough choices—unpopular choices. That’s what a CEO does, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.”“What are your plans if the restructuring fails?”“I’m not even going to think about that. I’m going to put all of my energy into growing this company into the goliath that it once was, come hell or high water.”“What advice do you have for former employees who are looking for work and struggling to get by?” The camera cut to Barnes as he looked at his watch again. “Why I, uh, pick yourself up by your bootstraps and never quit. Pain is a temporary thing and you know you can get through it. Never give up.”“AvTec CEO Brian Barnes, thank you for coming and for giving us your perspective on the layoffs and the future of your company. That’s all for our show, but here’s a preview of tomorrow night’s episode of Uncut.” The light above the camera turned off, indicating the live shot was finished.The CEO got back up and stood motionless in the middle of the stage as if lost in thought. Rich couldn’t tell if he was having an epiphany, a sudden case of guilt, or a heart attack. He took a moment to straighten his tie and suit coat, then he walked off-stage. Barnes’ two massive, expressionless bodyguards made their way over and whisked him off into a waiting limo, exiting without uttering a word.

“Help Me Launch” bloopers, as demonstrated by Lindsay Maynard

Sometimes the best of intentions just don’t work out the way you intended it. As Lindsay demonstrates, her props don’t like sitting still, even for a moment. Thanks for the laugh!

#12 Michael Dew

#12 Michael Dew, “Help Me Launch” contest

#11 Helena Hanson

#11 Helena Hanson, “Help Me Launch” contest

#10 John Handrich, second submission

#10 John Handrich, second submission

#9 Lindsay Maynard

#9 Lindsay Maynard, “Help Me Launch” contest(if this doesn’t make you laugh, nothing will)