Steve Wilson's Blog - Posts Tagged "michael-neill"
'Tempest of Fire' is now available
After months of editing and proofreading, the second book in the Michael Neill series is in print (and also available in Kindle edition).
Readers will find a new locale for Neill's next assignment, with new friends and enemies, as well as the threat of a formidable weapon.
Here's the link to the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Fire-Mi...
Currently the paperback is posting some very good numbers in terms of the sales ranking. I am thankful for that, and hope it continues as the marketing campaign progresses!
Steve
Readers will find a new locale for Neill's next assignment, with new friends and enemies, as well as the threat of a formidable weapon.
Here's the link to the book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Fire-Mi...
Currently the paperback is posting some very good numbers in terms of the sales ranking. I am thankful for that, and hope it continues as the marketing campaign progresses!
Steve
Progress on Book Three
Right now I'm well over one hundred pages into the third book in the Michael Neill series. It's interesting how each book so far has a different feel--something I attribute to the characters and locales. The curtain on Michael's background is being pulled back just a little bit more, and in 'The Trinity Icon', his feelings grow for someone very close to him.
I'm hoping to complete the manuscript by the end of the year, although the publication date is a little harder to fix. I think readers will be pleased to see the return of some characters from book one.
Almost forgot; two actors have read for the audio version of 'Red Sky at Morning'. My publisher sent me the auditions earlier this week. It was pretty exciting to hear complete strangers reading stuff I had written. More auditions could follow, and I'll post more info later.
Steve
I'm hoping to complete the manuscript by the end of the year, although the publication date is a little harder to fix. I think readers will be pleased to see the return of some characters from book one.
Almost forgot; two actors have read for the audio version of 'Red Sky at Morning'. My publisher sent me the auditions earlier this week. It was pretty exciting to hear complete strangers reading stuff I had written. More auditions could follow, and I'll post more info later.
Steve
'Tempest of Fire' book giveaway
In cooperation with my publisher (White Feather Press) and Goodreads.com, the paperback version of 'Tempest of Fire' will be offered in a free giveaway. The contest starts July 4th and runs through July 18th.
To enter, you'll need a Goodreads.com account (visit their site to set one up--it's free!) Then navigate to the giveaways page for a chance to win.
Till then, keep reading!
Steve
To enter, you'll need a Goodreads.com account (visit their site to set one up--it's free!) Then navigate to the giveaways page for a chance to win.
Till then, keep reading!
Steve
The Giveaway Has Begun
The 'Tempest of Fire' book giveaway has started! Here's the link:
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway?sor...
Scroll down to find the book, then click on the 'enter to win' button. You can't win if you don't enter, and the contest is free!
Steve
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway?sor...
Scroll down to find the book, then click on the 'enter to win' button. You can't win if you don't enter, and the contest is free!
Steve
Military Writers Society review of 'Tempest of Fire'
Another excellent review. Here's what the Military Writers Society of America had to say:
Meshing the complexity of high technology of modern navies with cyber warfare and boots on the ground action, “Tempest of Fire” is an exciting and entertaining read that is in the vein of Tom Clancy's military thrillers.
Rogue officers within the Chinese Navy launch a plan using stealth, sophisticated cyber attacks, and top secret high-speed torpedoes to bring Taiwan back into the fold of the Peoples Republic, triggering a war between China and the U.S. But the scheming Chinese admiral in charge of the plan had not factored in the resourcefulness of two U.S. Marine commandos and an unlikely pair of sailors.
“Tempest of Fire” begins with the largest and most advanced Chinese submarine sunk by another mysterious submarine firing a high-speed torpedo unlike anything the world has yet seen. In the U.S., sophisticated hackers disrupt communications service of major cable companies on the West Coast, but fail to break into the military’s top secret network, their efforts blocked by skilled counter-intelligence programmers at the U.S. Cyber Command.
Searching for clues about the cause of the submarine crash, allied satellite surveillance picks up what looks like a small uncharted submarine pen on an isolated, unpopulated Island claimed by China. At the same time, an American millionaire, whose family is a major military communications programming contractor, has been selling secret codes to the disloyal Chinese admiral.
A small four-man team slips onto the island to quietly investigate the situation and to recover software codes. Leading the group is Marine Lieutenant Michael Neill, a highly trained special operations warrior who has direct contact with the National Security Adviser in the White house. With him are a Marine sharpshooter, a young naval computer programmer who is fluent in Mandarin and a seasoned master chief boatswain mate. Neill is also a devout Christian whose faith guides his actions throughout the adventure. Taken to the area aboard a British warship, the American team clandestinely goes ashore as a typhoon approaches the area, further complicating the situation.
While the American team is searching the island, the Chinese navy begins its annual war games in the seas around Formosa. During the maneuvers, the rogue admiral plans to goad the Taiwanese into sinking one of his ships, opening the way for a People’s Republic of China military takeover of Taiwan. To trigger the assault, Taiwan’s satellites suffer a crippling cyber attack, causing a communications shut down within the Taiwan Navy.
Steve Wilson’s “Tempest of Fire” is a military thriller that quickly captures a reader’s attention and holds it in suspense until the end.
Meshing the complexity of high technology of modern navies with cyber warfare and boots on the ground action, “Tempest of Fire” is an exciting and entertaining read that is in the vein of Tom Clancy's military thrillers.
Rogue officers within the Chinese Navy launch a plan using stealth, sophisticated cyber attacks, and top secret high-speed torpedoes to bring Taiwan back into the fold of the Peoples Republic, triggering a war between China and the U.S. But the scheming Chinese admiral in charge of the plan had not factored in the resourcefulness of two U.S. Marine commandos and an unlikely pair of sailors.
“Tempest of Fire” begins with the largest and most advanced Chinese submarine sunk by another mysterious submarine firing a high-speed torpedo unlike anything the world has yet seen. In the U.S., sophisticated hackers disrupt communications service of major cable companies on the West Coast, but fail to break into the military’s top secret network, their efforts blocked by skilled counter-intelligence programmers at the U.S. Cyber Command.
Searching for clues about the cause of the submarine crash, allied satellite surveillance picks up what looks like a small uncharted submarine pen on an isolated, unpopulated Island claimed by China. At the same time, an American millionaire, whose family is a major military communications programming contractor, has been selling secret codes to the disloyal Chinese admiral.
A small four-man team slips onto the island to quietly investigate the situation and to recover software codes. Leading the group is Marine Lieutenant Michael Neill, a highly trained special operations warrior who has direct contact with the National Security Adviser in the White house. With him are a Marine sharpshooter, a young naval computer programmer who is fluent in Mandarin and a seasoned master chief boatswain mate. Neill is also a devout Christian whose faith guides his actions throughout the adventure. Taken to the area aboard a British warship, the American team clandestinely goes ashore as a typhoon approaches the area, further complicating the situation.
While the American team is searching the island, the Chinese navy begins its annual war games in the seas around Formosa. During the maneuvers, the rogue admiral plans to goad the Taiwanese into sinking one of his ships, opening the way for a People’s Republic of China military takeover of Taiwan. To trigger the assault, Taiwan’s satellites suffer a crippling cyber attack, causing a communications shut down within the Taiwan Navy.
Steve Wilson’s “Tempest of Fire” is a military thriller that quickly captures a reader’s attention and holds it in suspense until the end.
Conversation with a Publicist
Tonight I'm feeling a lot better about this whole publicist business.
After a missed step or two, I spent some time on the phone with my agent and one of his media specialists this afternoon. We talked for about 45 minutes, discussing what it is about my novels that sets them apart from, say, something like Clancy's works, or a Vince Flynn novel. By the time I ended the call, we'd hashed out an appropriate direction, as well as a few descriptions of yours truly that I'm comfortable with.
If you're an author, or a writer aspiring to be one, you might gain something from what I've learned recently, and I offer up these lessons very humbly. After 'Red Sky at Morning' was published, I followed every axiom of the trade to promote the series. Social media, Facebook, Goodreads, blogging, setting up my own website (with special thanks to my oldest son, and webmaster, Adam), giveaways, Amazon.com, and a few others that I'm forgetting right now. Ultimately, there's only so much you can do on your own, and unless you've got just the right contacts, the struggle can seem uphill most of the time. If only getting great reviews translated into sales... but they don't. I've had many, many kind words said about my books, and from a lot of people I've never met, which is very encouraging. I hope that continues. But unless the word gets passed along, Michael Neill's world will be largely unknown by the reading public.
And that's where a publicist comes in. An agent has the contacts, and can line up interviews that I could never arrange on my own. This same specialist got my publisher (also an author) on one of America's biggest late night radio shows; which, in turn, got some very good results in terms of sales.
By the end of this afternoon's call, my agent/publicist had me pegged as a 'military advocate' and also a 'military researcher'. I have a background in the Marines and the Air Force, and by virtue of serving in the present, my insights into the armed forces are fresh. We also decided to promote the books by presenting me as a military novelist with ties to Christian fiction. Those are the distinctives that set me apart from some of the big names out there who write espionage.
Michael Neill's world is filled with The Hammer; but The Hope is also there. Wish me luck as I balance the two and try to give readers their money's worth!
Steve
After a missed step or two, I spent some time on the phone with my agent and one of his media specialists this afternoon. We talked for about 45 minutes, discussing what it is about my novels that sets them apart from, say, something like Clancy's works, or a Vince Flynn novel. By the time I ended the call, we'd hashed out an appropriate direction, as well as a few descriptions of yours truly that I'm comfortable with.
If you're an author, or a writer aspiring to be one, you might gain something from what I've learned recently, and I offer up these lessons very humbly. After 'Red Sky at Morning' was published, I followed every axiom of the trade to promote the series. Social media, Facebook, Goodreads, blogging, setting up my own website (with special thanks to my oldest son, and webmaster, Adam), giveaways, Amazon.com, and a few others that I'm forgetting right now. Ultimately, there's only so much you can do on your own, and unless you've got just the right contacts, the struggle can seem uphill most of the time. If only getting great reviews translated into sales... but they don't. I've had many, many kind words said about my books, and from a lot of people I've never met, which is very encouraging. I hope that continues. But unless the word gets passed along, Michael Neill's world will be largely unknown by the reading public.
And that's where a publicist comes in. An agent has the contacts, and can line up interviews that I could never arrange on my own. This same specialist got my publisher (also an author) on one of America's biggest late night radio shows; which, in turn, got some very good results in terms of sales.
By the end of this afternoon's call, my agent/publicist had me pegged as a 'military advocate' and also a 'military researcher'. I have a background in the Marines and the Air Force, and by virtue of serving in the present, my insights into the armed forces are fresh. We also decided to promote the books by presenting me as a military novelist with ties to Christian fiction. Those are the distinctives that set me apart from some of the big names out there who write espionage.
Michael Neill's world is filled with The Hammer; but The Hope is also there. Wish me luck as I balance the two and try to give readers their money's worth!
Steve
The Role of Research
A frequent question relates to research. How much is required to create one novel? In my case, nearly 50% of my time is spent gathering background, and a great deal of that is done on the front end. My current manuscript is backed up with an outline that runs 23 pages; additionally, I have a lined pad where I've jotted down notes that are just as long. To compose a single paragraph sometimes requires several trips to the internet, to confirm a source or refresh my memory about something I've learned in the past (I try not to take anything for granted).
And speaking of the third installment, consider these topics. For book three, I had to return to Neill's roots in Eastern Europe (and to a greater extent, Central Europe). Here are a few of the subjects that required research:
* Poland's Husaria
* Russia's political structure
* Missile defense shields
* Tactics of the Russian Navy
* The role of the media in Polish life
* The missile technology of Iran
The tone of this book is different from the preceding two, but it could be argued that each varies in flavor. 'Red Sky at Morning' was couched in the politics and culture of Eastern Europe, and was the introduction to the series, and to Neill's character. 'Tempest of Fire' was more of a 'boots on the ground' type of story, with a heavy emphasis on technology and the volatile interactions of the Asian world. In 'The Trinity Icon', (working title), questions raised in 'Tempest' begin to be answered, the intricacies of geo-politics are explored, and there is more of a revelatory aspect to Neill's background--along with a heightened sense of romance.
And speaking of the third installment, consider these topics. For book three, I had to return to Neill's roots in Eastern Europe (and to a greater extent, Central Europe). Here are a few of the subjects that required research:
* Poland's Husaria
* Russia's political structure
* Missile defense shields
* Tactics of the Russian Navy
* The role of the media in Polish life
* The missile technology of Iran
The tone of this book is different from the preceding two, but it could be argued that each varies in flavor. 'Red Sky at Morning' was couched in the politics and culture of Eastern Europe, and was the introduction to the series, and to Neill's character. 'Tempest of Fire' was more of a 'boots on the ground' type of story, with a heavy emphasis on technology and the volatile interactions of the Asian world. In 'The Trinity Icon', (working title), questions raised in 'Tempest' begin to be answered, the intricacies of geo-politics are explored, and there is more of a revelatory aspect to Neill's background--along with a heightened sense of romance.
Transitions--The Changing World of Michael Neill
It's been a month since I began writing the fourth book in the Michael Neill series. Quite frankly, I should be farther along than I am, but my speed at writing is tempered by my painstaking focus on quality, and I must admit that I've re-written the opening paragraph to the prologue at least a dozen times.
At that pace, it seems that this latest adventure for the good captain will take quite some time to complete. Not necessarily. I seem to find my stride with each book after finding satisfaction with the novel's preamble, and I'm happy to report that the first ten pages have now met with my approval.
That brings me to the gist of this post. As an author, there comes a point where I find myself fully immersed in the fictional world that surrounds me. I hesitate to say that I've created this world; that seems a bit pretentious. I prefer to think that a properly fueled creative spark ignites the gifts God has given me, and it's His prompting that pushes me to tell the stories that well up inside.
I have rejoined old friends; Michael Neill, Christina Arrens, and Master Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Neill. And what would Michael's world be without Willis Avery, who has now accepted the mantle of Secretary of Defense?
It's a comfortable place for me, but it's never stagnant. Changes come and go, friendships are formed, and in some cases, friends are lost. Readers of 'Trinity Icon' are aware of a rather wrenching loss suffered by Neill and company. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book, but a death toward the end of the novel was very hard to write, and a character present in all three books will be missed.
But life goes on--even in fiction. There are new challenges in book four, and new characters. Cullough McKeckney joins the cast, along with Ukrainian scientist Radya Zhukov and Australian genius Taylor Brisbane. A few old friends turn up; readers met Xander Voskov and Yuri Tereshenko in the last book, and there will be a few more surprises in the fourth installment. New and old technologies are combined, posing formidable threats, and Neill's antagonists employ a weapons system protected from the West by something called--well, that would be a spoiler, so I'll leave that for the book's publication (we all know how crafty the Russians have been throughout the series, and it's not about to end).
I've felt compelled to include an even stronger testimony to the power of faith, and a more thoughtful and unashamed presentation of God's salvation through Christ. Neill will continue to struggle with his feelings for Christina, and ponder the reasons for his father's death. Again, my goal is to tell a compelling story that rests on solid characters--the same kinds of characters we all meet every single day.
And so I've written much of this to encourage other authors, or writers hoping to see their literary efforts published. It's also for those who might be working on their second or third book, or those thinking about a genre they've never considered. I think it's safe to say that once your God-given creativity is turned loose it's hard to say where you'll find yourself, but the blessings are wondrous.
At that pace, it seems that this latest adventure for the good captain will take quite some time to complete. Not necessarily. I seem to find my stride with each book after finding satisfaction with the novel's preamble, and I'm happy to report that the first ten pages have now met with my approval.
That brings me to the gist of this post. As an author, there comes a point where I find myself fully immersed in the fictional world that surrounds me. I hesitate to say that I've created this world; that seems a bit pretentious. I prefer to think that a properly fueled creative spark ignites the gifts God has given me, and it's His prompting that pushes me to tell the stories that well up inside.
I have rejoined old friends; Michael Neill, Christina Arrens, and Master Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Neill. And what would Michael's world be without Willis Avery, who has now accepted the mantle of Secretary of Defense?
It's a comfortable place for me, but it's never stagnant. Changes come and go, friendships are formed, and in some cases, friends are lost. Readers of 'Trinity Icon' are aware of a rather wrenching loss suffered by Neill and company. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read the book, but a death toward the end of the novel was very hard to write, and a character present in all three books will be missed.
But life goes on--even in fiction. There are new challenges in book four, and new characters. Cullough McKeckney joins the cast, along with Ukrainian scientist Radya Zhukov and Australian genius Taylor Brisbane. A few old friends turn up; readers met Xander Voskov and Yuri Tereshenko in the last book, and there will be a few more surprises in the fourth installment. New and old technologies are combined, posing formidable threats, and Neill's antagonists employ a weapons system protected from the West by something called--well, that would be a spoiler, so I'll leave that for the book's publication (we all know how crafty the Russians have been throughout the series, and it's not about to end).
I've felt compelled to include an even stronger testimony to the power of faith, and a more thoughtful and unashamed presentation of God's salvation through Christ. Neill will continue to struggle with his feelings for Christina, and ponder the reasons for his father's death. Again, my goal is to tell a compelling story that rests on solid characters--the same kinds of characters we all meet every single day.
And so I've written much of this to encourage other authors, or writers hoping to see their literary efforts published. It's also for those who might be working on their second or third book, or those thinking about a genre they've never considered. I think it's safe to say that once your God-given creativity is turned loose it's hard to say where you'll find yourself, but the blessings are wondrous.
Excerpt from 'Red Sky at Morning'
The White House
Step One was easy.
Gathering the available information was the first part of his job. This morning there was plenty of that. The most reliable sources came in from various intelligence agencies, including the CIA. News from the television and cable networks was useful, as well as the internet, but the newspapers were not: the story had broken too late to make the morning editions.
Willis Avery sat in his plushly carpeted, mahogany-lined office down the hall from the President of the United States and concentrated on Step Two: fitting all the information together to form an overall picture. While that was a little trickier, it was the third step that was the toughest: advising the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on an appropriate course of action.
The small, wall-mounted sign outside the door identified Avery as the National Security Advisor to the President. Like most other offices in the White House, his was very busy this morning. Avery had gotten the call at 3 a.m. advising him of the incident in the Sea of Japan. By 4:30 he was at his desk. Now, at 8:45, he was gulping a second cup of coffee and fighting a losing battle with fatigue.
Richard Aultman, Special Assistant to the National Security Advisor, entered the room holding a thin file folder that contained additional information. He stopped in his tracks long enough to take in the scene before him.
Avery was a big man with a larger than life presence and a no-nonsense, squared-away reputation, but today’s events had already taken their toll on his appearance. It amused Aultman to see his boss this way until he remembered that Avery had been up half the night and seen the sunrise from his office.
Avery looked up from his reports and saw the file in Aultman’s hand. “Naval intelligence?” he asked.
“Naval intelligence,” Aultman nodded. “Just came in. Photos from the plane’s tailfin camera are right on top.”
Avery took the file. “Did you look at them?”
“Mr. Avery, that’s a top secret file,” Aultman frowned, pretending to be offended.
“You looked at them,” Avery said. “No matter. You’re cleared for it.” He opened the folder and pulled out three black and white photos, spread them out on his desk and whistled softly.
“The pilot was right,” he said. “This is definitely in the Red Sky category. Who do we have in the field that can check on this further?”
Aultman sat down in a chair across from Avery. “That’s the problem. There aren’t any field personnel in that area. For some time now we’ve suspected the Russians were up to something near Vladivostok, but security’s tighter than a drum. Nobody can get close.”
Avery winced. “Tell that to you-know-who.” He stood and straightened his tie, then picked up the photos. “All right. I’ll give these to the President. He’s meeting with the Russian ambassador at 9:30 so I’d better get over there. Anything else?”
Aultman shrugged. “Not really. We got a message from Wesley Cobb yesterday, but it can wait.”
“Cobb? Our ambassador to Ukraine? What’s up?”
“Seems there’s been a shake-up at the weapons dismantling station in Odessa.”
“Oh? What kind of a shake-up?” Avery walked into the small bathroom adjoining his office and looked at himself in the mirror. The tussled mass of gray hair on top of his head was a mess. Stroking his chin, he realized he could use a shave, too.
“Command level type.” Aultman’s voice rose so he could be heard. “The station commander was replaced, a Major named Mayakovsky.”
Avery pulled a cordless razor out of a drawer. “Any idea why?”
“No. Cobb didn’t say, so I’m assuming he doesn’t know either.” He heard a buzzing sound as Avery began to shave. “Kind of odd, don’t you think?”
“Very odd. Did Cobb say when all this happened?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Avery switched off the razor and re-entered the room. “Two weeks?”
Aultman nodded. “Mayakovsky was replaced by a Colonel in the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces, a man named Andrei Ulyanov.”
“I know that name.” Avery was fully intrigued now. “We’ve got someone going over there in a week or so to verify their disarmament procedures, don’t we?”
Aultman got up and pulled another folder from a cabinet in the corner. “Got the file right here.” He handed it across the desk to Avery.
The National Security Advisor scanned the pages inside. “Here it is. Marine Lieutenant Michael Neill. Leaves in twelve days.” He sat down and read a little more, then smiled for the first time all morning. “Well, well, well . . .”
Now Aultman was curious. “What is it?”
“Did you say it was the dismantling station in Odessa?”
“Yes,” Aultman said.
“Do you know where Lieutenant Neill is headed?”
“I’ll take a wild guess and say Odessa.”
Avery chuckled. “You’ve got a bright future in intelligence, my boy. Want to know something else?”
“Humor me.”
“It was Colonel Ulyanov who recommended Neill for the job.”
“Wait a minute, I’m a little confused. What job?”
Avery’s voice took on the tone of a patient scholar instructing a student. “Several years ago we negotiated with Ukraine to return its stockpile of nuclear weapons."
"What a can of worms that turned out to be," Aultman snorted.
"Can't argue with that," Avery replied. "Every year or so a few more turn up. Which was the primary reason we agreed to the Odessa facility—we wanted to ensure disarmament was really happening. On-site verification was always a sticking point, though. Their military bristled at the idea of having American personnel on their turf.”
“I remember that,” Aultman said. “Didn’t our foreign aid money soften them up a bit?”
Avery shook his head. “Not completely. We only reached an agreement after a high-ranking member of their negotiating team—Colonel Andrei Ulyanov—recommended Neill to do the job.”
“Why did he do that?”
“Because Ulyanov and Neill know each other.”
Aultman was really confused now. “I don’t get it. How does a Ukrainian Colonel get to be buddies with an American Marine? And why put Ulyanov in charge of that station? He has no background in weapons disarmament.”
"That’s where things get a little murky," Avery answered. “But to answer your first question, it seems that Neill grew up in Ukraine. His parents were missionaries there or something. As for your second question, I don’t know.”
“I still don’t see how this Neill got the thumbs up from Ulyanov.”
Avery shrugged. “That part I’m not sure about either. But the bottom line was that the Ukrainian government was satisfied and so were we. And it gets better.” He slipped on his jacket and looked almost presentable. “Dismantling nukes isn’t in his resume, but Ulyanov is—or was—the commanding officer at Ukraine’s tactical air base in Nikolayev, which puts him in a position to help us.”
Aultman had learned that turning any situation into an advantage was a crucial step in achieving political goals. Avery was a master of that.
“How so?”
“Colonel Ulyanov was in their military even in the days before the Soviet Union broke up. I’m sure he still has contacts in the Russian Republic. If that’s the case, maybe he can tell us more about this—” he held up one of the photographs— “and what the Russians are up to near Vladivostok.”
Aultman could see where Avery was going with this. “Do you think our Lieutenant Neill could persuade him to do that?”
Avery shrugged again. “That’s something we’ll have to ask Neill.” With that, he gathered up the photos and headed down the hall for his meeting with the President.
Step One was easy.
Gathering the available information was the first part of his job. This morning there was plenty of that. The most reliable sources came in from various intelligence agencies, including the CIA. News from the television and cable networks was useful, as well as the internet, but the newspapers were not: the story had broken too late to make the morning editions.
Willis Avery sat in his plushly carpeted, mahogany-lined office down the hall from the President of the United States and concentrated on Step Two: fitting all the information together to form an overall picture. While that was a little trickier, it was the third step that was the toughest: advising the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on an appropriate course of action.
The small, wall-mounted sign outside the door identified Avery as the National Security Advisor to the President. Like most other offices in the White House, his was very busy this morning. Avery had gotten the call at 3 a.m. advising him of the incident in the Sea of Japan. By 4:30 he was at his desk. Now, at 8:45, he was gulping a second cup of coffee and fighting a losing battle with fatigue.
Richard Aultman, Special Assistant to the National Security Advisor, entered the room holding a thin file folder that contained additional information. He stopped in his tracks long enough to take in the scene before him.
Avery was a big man with a larger than life presence and a no-nonsense, squared-away reputation, but today’s events had already taken their toll on his appearance. It amused Aultman to see his boss this way until he remembered that Avery had been up half the night and seen the sunrise from his office.
Avery looked up from his reports and saw the file in Aultman’s hand. “Naval intelligence?” he asked.
“Naval intelligence,” Aultman nodded. “Just came in. Photos from the plane’s tailfin camera are right on top.”
Avery took the file. “Did you look at them?”
“Mr. Avery, that’s a top secret file,” Aultman frowned, pretending to be offended.
“You looked at them,” Avery said. “No matter. You’re cleared for it.” He opened the folder and pulled out three black and white photos, spread them out on his desk and whistled softly.
“The pilot was right,” he said. “This is definitely in the Red Sky category. Who do we have in the field that can check on this further?”
Aultman sat down in a chair across from Avery. “That’s the problem. There aren’t any field personnel in that area. For some time now we’ve suspected the Russians were up to something near Vladivostok, but security’s tighter than a drum. Nobody can get close.”
Avery winced. “Tell that to you-know-who.” He stood and straightened his tie, then picked up the photos. “All right. I’ll give these to the President. He’s meeting with the Russian ambassador at 9:30 so I’d better get over there. Anything else?”
Aultman shrugged. “Not really. We got a message from Wesley Cobb yesterday, but it can wait.”
“Cobb? Our ambassador to Ukraine? What’s up?”
“Seems there’s been a shake-up at the weapons dismantling station in Odessa.”
“Oh? What kind of a shake-up?” Avery walked into the small bathroom adjoining his office and looked at himself in the mirror. The tussled mass of gray hair on top of his head was a mess. Stroking his chin, he realized he could use a shave, too.
“Command level type.” Aultman’s voice rose so he could be heard. “The station commander was replaced, a Major named Mayakovsky.”
Avery pulled a cordless razor out of a drawer. “Any idea why?”
“No. Cobb didn’t say, so I’m assuming he doesn’t know either.” He heard a buzzing sound as Avery began to shave. “Kind of odd, don’t you think?”
“Very odd. Did Cobb say when all this happened?”
“Two weeks ago.”
Avery switched off the razor and re-entered the room. “Two weeks?”
Aultman nodded. “Mayakovsky was replaced by a Colonel in the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces, a man named Andrei Ulyanov.”
“I know that name.” Avery was fully intrigued now. “We’ve got someone going over there in a week or so to verify their disarmament procedures, don’t we?”
Aultman got up and pulled another folder from a cabinet in the corner. “Got the file right here.” He handed it across the desk to Avery.
The National Security Advisor scanned the pages inside. “Here it is. Marine Lieutenant Michael Neill. Leaves in twelve days.” He sat down and read a little more, then smiled for the first time all morning. “Well, well, well . . .”
Now Aultman was curious. “What is it?”
“Did you say it was the dismantling station in Odessa?”
“Yes,” Aultman said.
“Do you know where Lieutenant Neill is headed?”
“I’ll take a wild guess and say Odessa.”
Avery chuckled. “You’ve got a bright future in intelligence, my boy. Want to know something else?”
“Humor me.”
“It was Colonel Ulyanov who recommended Neill for the job.”
“Wait a minute, I’m a little confused. What job?”
Avery’s voice took on the tone of a patient scholar instructing a student. “Several years ago we negotiated with Ukraine to return its stockpile of nuclear weapons."
"What a can of worms that turned out to be," Aultman snorted.
"Can't argue with that," Avery replied. "Every year or so a few more turn up. Which was the primary reason we agreed to the Odessa facility—we wanted to ensure disarmament was really happening. On-site verification was always a sticking point, though. Their military bristled at the idea of having American personnel on their turf.”
“I remember that,” Aultman said. “Didn’t our foreign aid money soften them up a bit?”
Avery shook his head. “Not completely. We only reached an agreement after a high-ranking member of their negotiating team—Colonel Andrei Ulyanov—recommended Neill to do the job.”
“Why did he do that?”
“Because Ulyanov and Neill know each other.”
Aultman was really confused now. “I don’t get it. How does a Ukrainian Colonel get to be buddies with an American Marine? And why put Ulyanov in charge of that station? He has no background in weapons disarmament.”
"That’s where things get a little murky," Avery answered. “But to answer your first question, it seems that Neill grew up in Ukraine. His parents were missionaries there or something. As for your second question, I don’t know.”
“I still don’t see how this Neill got the thumbs up from Ulyanov.”
Avery shrugged. “That part I’m not sure about either. But the bottom line was that the Ukrainian government was satisfied and so were we. And it gets better.” He slipped on his jacket and looked almost presentable. “Dismantling nukes isn’t in his resume, but Ulyanov is—or was—the commanding officer at Ukraine’s tactical air base in Nikolayev, which puts him in a position to help us.”
Aultman had learned that turning any situation into an advantage was a crucial step in achieving political goals. Avery was a master of that.
“How so?”
“Colonel Ulyanov was in their military even in the days before the Soviet Union broke up. I’m sure he still has contacts in the Russian Republic. If that’s the case, maybe he can tell us more about this—” he held up one of the photographs— “and what the Russians are up to near Vladivostok.”
Aultman could see where Avery was going with this. “Do you think our Lieutenant Neill could persuade him to do that?”
Avery shrugged again. “That’s something we’ll have to ask Neill.” With that, he gathered up the photos and headed down the hall for his meeting with the President.
The Grittier Side of Michael Neill
Eye of Charybdis, book four, is progressing nicely. Not as quickly as I'd like (I've mentioned in past blogs that I am a monumentally slow writer), but this is one story that I am very interested in getting right.
In the first three books, Michael Neill has overcome many of his difficulties through prayer and the support of his colleagues. Eye of Charybdis takes a somewhat different turn; in this story, the past has begun to wear on the Captain. He's suffered personal losses; the deaths of two close friends, and he's reminded of the tragic demise of his parents (more of the details surrounding Neill's dad's death are still being unfolded). His life has been threatened on several occasions (shot by Chinese troops, nearly drowned, and on the wrong end of a rocket torpedo--all in the space of just a few hours), and in Trinity Icon, the enemies of America have targeted those closest to him.
The circle tightens further in book four, and Charybdis will reflect the real-life challenges of those serving around the world. In Trinity Icon, an assassin's bullet shatters some of Neill's confidence. He feels regret, and is forced to live with the realization that death is ever-present. His own harried experiences have left scars, obscuring his focus. The specter of post-traumatic stress rears its ugly head, not just for Neill, but for those who have shared the Captain's adventures. How they deal with these pressures is a commentary for everyday life.
But the book isn't just about challenges. There's more romance. More action. More behind the scenes political machinations. Things ramp up considerably in the new first chapter. There will be a deeper emphasis on Neill's spiritual side, and the choices he makes to safeguard the legacy left to him by his earthly father.
Just as more pressure comes to bear on the characters, opportunities for the future present themselves too. Sooner or later, this series will turn a corner, and commitments and alliances will be forced on Neill and his friends. More on that later.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that we all face peaks and valleys, and it's no less so for those I write about. I have taken these characters into my soul, and I try to breathe life into them every chance I get. Their dynamics change. Our existence is always fluid, and not always to our liking. I've been thinking about this for some time. The world of Michael Neill is about to become grittier and more complicated, and should cause readers of the series to find common ground with protagonist and antagonist alike.
In the first three books, Michael Neill has overcome many of his difficulties through prayer and the support of his colleagues. Eye of Charybdis takes a somewhat different turn; in this story, the past has begun to wear on the Captain. He's suffered personal losses; the deaths of two close friends, and he's reminded of the tragic demise of his parents (more of the details surrounding Neill's dad's death are still being unfolded). His life has been threatened on several occasions (shot by Chinese troops, nearly drowned, and on the wrong end of a rocket torpedo--all in the space of just a few hours), and in Trinity Icon, the enemies of America have targeted those closest to him.
The circle tightens further in book four, and Charybdis will reflect the real-life challenges of those serving around the world. In Trinity Icon, an assassin's bullet shatters some of Neill's confidence. He feels regret, and is forced to live with the realization that death is ever-present. His own harried experiences have left scars, obscuring his focus. The specter of post-traumatic stress rears its ugly head, not just for Neill, but for those who have shared the Captain's adventures. How they deal with these pressures is a commentary for everyday life.
But the book isn't just about challenges. There's more romance. More action. More behind the scenes political machinations. Things ramp up considerably in the new first chapter. There will be a deeper emphasis on Neill's spiritual side, and the choices he makes to safeguard the legacy left to him by his earthly father.
Just as more pressure comes to bear on the characters, opportunities for the future present themselves too. Sooner or later, this series will turn a corner, and commitments and alliances will be forced on Neill and his friends. More on that later.
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that we all face peaks and valleys, and it's no less so for those I write about. I have taken these characters into my soul, and I try to breathe life into them every chance I get. Their dynamics change. Our existence is always fluid, and not always to our liking. I've been thinking about this for some time. The world of Michael Neill is about to become grittier and more complicated, and should cause readers of the series to find common ground with protagonist and antagonist alike.
