Steven W. Kohlhagen's Blog: Where They Bury You and Related Topics
April 5, 2018
6:00pm Thursday, April 19 at the San Francisco Ferry Building Discussion of The Point of a Gun and Townsend Walker’s Book
As the Stanford Alumni article below lays out, I will be doing a discussion of my new thriller The Point of a Gun in San Francisco at the Ferry Building at 6:00pm two weeks from Thursday, April 19. As an added twist, one of my fellow Stanford Economics Ph.D. graduate student colleagues who I haven’t seen in 45 years will be sharing the podium with me discussing his thrillers as well. Townsend and I have had parallel non-intersecting careers. Non-intersecting that is until two weeks from Thursday night.
It would be great to see you there! And, yes, I’ll sign and inscribe copies of my books for you even if you bring them with you and don’t buy them that night.
This from the April 2018 edition of STANFORD (ALUMNI) WHERE YOU LIVE:
“PhD Econ Alums and Their New Thrillers” Thursday, April 19 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Free; pay for your own drinks; books available for purchase.
Book Passage, Ferry Building 1 San Francisco Bay Trail, San Francisco 94111
Contact Townsend Walker, PhD ’76, at townsend@aperimus.com or Steve Kohlhagen at swk@StevenWKohlhagen.com or at 843 478-6853 for more information.
Townsend Walker, PhD ’76, and Steve Kohlhagen, PhD ’74, haven’t seen each other in over 44 years, since Stanford Graduate School in the summer of ’73. Townsend went to work in banking; Steve, to teach at Berkeley. Then Townsend to teaching and Steve to banking. Parallel, non-intersecting lives. But now they both write fast-paced, hard-boiled fiction. They will get together to discuss and read from their latest books: 3 Women, 4 Towns, 5 Bodies (Walker) and The Point of a Gun (Kohlhagen). Afterward, you can stay for drinks with the authors.
It would be great to see you there! And, yes, I’ll sign and inscribe copies of my books for you even if you bring them with you and don’t buy them that night.
This from the April 2018 edition of STANFORD (ALUMNI) WHERE YOU LIVE:
“PhD Econ Alums and Their New Thrillers” Thursday, April 19 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Free; pay for your own drinks; books available for purchase.
Book Passage, Ferry Building 1 San Francisco Bay Trail, San Francisco 94111
Contact Townsend Walker, PhD ’76, at townsend@aperimus.com or Steve Kohlhagen at swk@StevenWKohlhagen.com or at 843 478-6853 for more information.
Townsend Walker, PhD ’76, and Steve Kohlhagen, PhD ’74, haven’t seen each other in over 44 years, since Stanford Graduate School in the summer of ’73. Townsend went to work in banking; Steve, to teach at Berkeley. Then Townsend to teaching and Steve to banking. Parallel, non-intersecting lives. But now they both write fast-paced, hard-boiled fiction. They will get together to discuss and read from their latest books: 3 Women, 4 Towns, 5 Bodies (Walker) and The Point of a Gun (Kohlhagen). Afterward, you can stay for drinks with the authors.
The Point of a Gun Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Finalist!
Today, I am very pleased to announce that The Point of a Gun has been recognized as a finalist in the 20th annual, 2017, Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards.
As part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers (and authors), independent media company Foreword Magazine, Inc. hosts its annual awards program each year. Finalists represent the best books published in 2017. After more than 2,000 individual titles spread across 65 genres were submitted for consideration, the list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners will be decided by an expert team of booksellers and librarians—representing Foreword’s readership—from across the country.
The complete list of finalists can be found at:
https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
“Choosing finalists for the INDIES is always the highlight of our year, but the job is very difficult due to the high quality of submissions,” said Victoria Sutherland, founder/publisher of Foreword Reviews. “Each new book award season proves again how independent publishers are the real innovators in the industry.”
Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice Prize winners and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced June 15, 2018.
About Foreword: Founded in 1998, Foreword Magazine, Inc. is the only media company completely devoted to independent publishing. Publishers of a Folio: award-winning bi-monthly print review journal, special interest products, and daily online content feeds, Foreword exclusively covers university and independent (non “Big 5”) publishers, the books they publish, and their authors. Foreword is based in Traverse City, Michigan, USA, with staff based around the world.
As part of its mission to discover, review, and share the best books from university and independent publishers (and authors), independent media company Foreword Magazine, Inc. hosts its annual awards program each year. Finalists represent the best books published in 2017. After more than 2,000 individual titles spread across 65 genres were submitted for consideration, the list of finalists was determined by Foreword’s editorial team. Winners will be decided by an expert team of booksellers and librarians—representing Foreword’s readership—from across the country.
The complete list of finalists can be found at:
https://www.forewordreviews.com/award...
“Choosing finalists for the INDIES is always the highlight of our year, but the job is very difficult due to the high quality of submissions,” said Victoria Sutherland, founder/publisher of Foreword Reviews. “Each new book award season proves again how independent publishers are the real innovators in the industry.”
Winners in each genre—along with Editor’s Choice Prize winners and Foreword’s INDIE Publisher of the Year—will be announced June 15, 2018.
About Foreword: Founded in 1998, Foreword Magazine, Inc. is the only media company completely devoted to independent publishing. Publishers of a Folio: award-winning bi-monthly print review journal, special interest products, and daily online content feeds, Foreword exclusively covers university and independent (non “Big 5”) publishers, the books they publish, and their authors. Foreword is based in Traverse City, Michigan, USA, with staff based around the world.
October 6, 2017
"Writers and Authors" Thriller Trope Interview for "The Point of a Gun"
http://www.writersandauthors.info/201...
Thriller Tropes
Posted by Jo Linsdell at 7:30 AM
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
Thrillers come in a wide variety of types: political, detective, serial killers, terrorism, stalkers, espionage, etc. The list goes on.
My new political thriller, The Point of a Gun from Edition Barenklau, is a political thriller about terrorism.
With a twist.
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
http://amzn.to/2jvB7PS
In an America of the near future, terrorism has become more frequent. White supremacists, Muslim jihadists, and Mexican cartels increasingly threaten the security of the American people. Americans are frustrated by the law enforcement limitations thrown up by bureaucratic logistics and Constitutional protections of the rights of potential terrorists. They want solutions, immediate solutions.
But nobody is more frustrated than those in the upper echelons of the U.S. intelligence community, especially the top counter-terrorism officials at the FBI, JSOC, and the CIA. The twist in this thriller is that at least one of these officials has turned rogue. She, he, or they are leading a secret band of vigilantes who have been killing not only actual terrorists, but also potential terrorists who are about to threaten or kill innocent citizens. That is, the secret cold blooded killers are the very officials put in charge of official counter-terrorism activities. And neither the reader nor the government knows who they are.
The President says he wants them found, caught, and stopped. Or does he? The protagonists are a Task Force created by, and a secret investigator hired by, the President. Their job? To discover the identity of the vigilante leader(s). But at least one of the senior vigilantes is on the Task Force. Which one? And what does the President want done when their identities are discovered?
This, then, is a political thriller where, uniquely, the hunters include the hunted. Where the protagonists search for villains among themselves. Where the villains, are, arguably “the good guys.” And where those very villains have been tasked with, first, protecting the country, and, second, searching for themselves. And all this in the context of, as Bernard Cornwell says about the book, the “moral ambiguity” of a free society protecting itself from those who have yet to commit a crime.
The secret leader of the vigilantes, who calls herself Samms, points to this moral ambiguity when she finds herself explaining the point of a gun to the President of the United States.
This is a thriller where trusted public officials have become cold blooded killer vigilantes. Where the good guys by their actions are arguably the bad guys under the Constitution they are sworn to serve. And, in the end, how badly does the president want them found? And, in the end, what does he want done with them?
More importantly, there is the ongoing question of whether or not the government can protect the lives of the American people while still protecting the Constitutional individual freedoms of terrorist suspects? And, in the summer of the strong female protagonist at theatres near you (Wonder Woman, Atomic Blonde), just who exactly is Samms? There is at least one way to find out: http://tinyurl.com/y9zjwyqm.
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
Steve Kohlhagen is a former, now retired, Economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, a retired Wall Street investment banker, and is on several corporate boards, most recently elected to the board of Freddie Mac. While at Berkeley he authored many economics publications, and he and his wife Gale jointly published the murder mystery “Tiger Found” under their pen name Steven Gale in 2008.
Kohlhagen was inspired to write his first historical fiction novel “Where They Bury You” after reading Hampton Sides’ “Blood and Thunder,” a non-fiction history of Kit Carson and the West. Sides’ reporting of the factual murder of Marshal Joseph Cummings on August 18, 1863 led Kohlhagen to conduct further research on Carson and Cummings, including at the National Archives. He also pulled from his own knowledge of the West, as the writer divides his time between the New Mexico-Colorado border high in the San Juan Mountains and Charleston, South Carolina.
Thriller Tropes
Posted by Jo Linsdell at 7:30 AM
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
Thrillers come in a wide variety of types: political, detective, serial killers, terrorism, stalkers, espionage, etc. The list goes on.
My new political thriller, The Point of a Gun from Edition Barenklau, is a political thriller about terrorism.
With a twist.
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
http://amzn.to/2jvB7PS
In an America of the near future, terrorism has become more frequent. White supremacists, Muslim jihadists, and Mexican cartels increasingly threaten the security of the American people. Americans are frustrated by the law enforcement limitations thrown up by bureaucratic logistics and Constitutional protections of the rights of potential terrorists. They want solutions, immediate solutions.
But nobody is more frustrated than those in the upper echelons of the U.S. intelligence community, especially the top counter-terrorism officials at the FBI, JSOC, and the CIA. The twist in this thriller is that at least one of these officials has turned rogue. She, he, or they are leading a secret band of vigilantes who have been killing not only actual terrorists, but also potential terrorists who are about to threaten or kill innocent citizens. That is, the secret cold blooded killers are the very officials put in charge of official counter-terrorism activities. And neither the reader nor the government knows who they are.
The President says he wants them found, caught, and stopped. Or does he? The protagonists are a Task Force created by, and a secret investigator hired by, the President. Their job? To discover the identity of the vigilante leader(s). But at least one of the senior vigilantes is on the Task Force. Which one? And what does the President want done when their identities are discovered?
This, then, is a political thriller where, uniquely, the hunters include the hunted. Where the protagonists search for villains among themselves. Where the villains, are, arguably “the good guys.” And where those very villains have been tasked with, first, protecting the country, and, second, searching for themselves. And all this in the context of, as Bernard Cornwell says about the book, the “moral ambiguity” of a free society protecting itself from those who have yet to commit a crime.
The secret leader of the vigilantes, who calls herself Samms, points to this moral ambiguity when she finds herself explaining the point of a gun to the President of the United States.
This is a thriller where trusted public officials have become cold blooded killer vigilantes. Where the good guys by their actions are arguably the bad guys under the Constitution they are sworn to serve. And, in the end, how badly does the president want them found? And, in the end, what does he want done with them?
More importantly, there is the ongoing question of whether or not the government can protect the lives of the American people while still protecting the Constitutional individual freedoms of terrorist suspects? And, in the summer of the strong female protagonist at theatres near you (Wonder Woman, Atomic Blonde), just who exactly is Samms? There is at least one way to find out: http://tinyurl.com/y9zjwyqm.
Thriller Tropes, guest post by Steve Kohlhagen
Steve Kohlhagen is a former, now retired, Economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, a retired Wall Street investment banker, and is on several corporate boards, most recently elected to the board of Freddie Mac. While at Berkeley he authored many economics publications, and he and his wife Gale jointly published the murder mystery “Tiger Found” under their pen name Steven Gale in 2008.
Kohlhagen was inspired to write his first historical fiction novel “Where They Bury You” after reading Hampton Sides’ “Blood and Thunder,” a non-fiction history of Kit Carson and the West. Sides’ reporting of the factual murder of Marshal Joseph Cummings on August 18, 1863 led Kohlhagen to conduct further research on Carson and Cummings, including at the National Archives. He also pulled from his own knowledge of the West, as the writer divides his time between the New Mexico-Colorado border high in the San Juan Mountains and Charleston, South Carolina.
August 7, 2017
Review of "The Point of a Gun"
Thanks to Benjamin Welton of Foreword Reviews for his open and honest review of my new thriller, "The Point of a Gun" http://tinyurl.com/ybdks7np .
Welton says, "Steven W. Kohlhagen’s taut and tense political action story lays bare the potential for terrorism and....could very easily happen, and soon."
It would be fun to discuss with him, but i'm guessing all us authors feel that way. He especially liked the vigilante killer May Kung in the story. The real life May Kung, who she was named for, wrote a review of the book on Amazon called "Thoughts from the real life 'May Kung'..." on August 2 here: http://tinyurl.com/ycddg8gh . I hope you enjoy Samms and the gang!
Welton says, "Steven W. Kohlhagen’s taut and tense political action story lays bare the potential for terrorism and....could very easily happen, and soon."
It would be fun to discuss with him, but i'm guessing all us authors feel that way. He especially liked the vigilante killer May Kung in the story. The real life May Kung, who she was named for, wrote a review of the book on Amazon called "Thoughts from the real life 'May Kung'..." on August 2 here: http://tinyurl.com/ycddg8gh . I hope you enjoy Samms and the gang!
July 15, 2017
MORE LONE---AND KNOWN---WOLVES?
With ISIS reeling from Iraq and the most likely death of its leader, global terrorism may well evolve, sadly, into being a greater number of attacks with more amorphous, random targets (see this article by Simon Mabon http://tinyurl.com/ydyan3lo ).
Already the WSJ had reported on smaller, often bungled attacks in Europe in a new phase of global terrorism http://tinyurl.com/y7yjkg4s .
Ironically, this may make it harder, rather than easier, for free societies to protect themselves from attacks by lone wolves, with less coordination and communication among less experienced terrorists. And, of course, with potential terrorists protected by constitutional freedoms, the incidences of attacks by so called "known wolves" may also increase. These are previously arrested suspects who could not be held in custody because of "actionable" evidence or activities.
Already the WSJ had reported on smaller, often bungled attacks in Europe in a new phase of global terrorism http://tinyurl.com/y7yjkg4s .
Ironically, this may make it harder, rather than easier, for free societies to protect themselves from attacks by lone wolves, with less coordination and communication among less experienced terrorists. And, of course, with potential terrorists protected by constitutional freedoms, the incidences of attacks by so called "known wolves" may also increase. These are previously arrested suspects who could not be held in custody because of "actionable" evidence or activities.
July 13, 2017
The Point of a Gun
My new terrorist thriller, The Point of a Gun, is now available on Amazon in both print and eBook format. My website www.StevenWKohlhagen.com offers a free excerpt, a movie trailer on the book page, and a button to purchase.
PeachtreeGlobal published an interview with me about the book on http://expatspost.com today, leading off with:
In this just released new terrorist thriller, America is experiencing a dramatic increase in terrorist attacks—by jihadists, white supremacists, and Mexican cartels. In the face of these failures by the U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement bureaucracies, a group of ad hoc vigilantes has exploded onto the scene. And, surprisingly, this shadowy and deadly vigilante group appears to be led by at least one of the U.S. Government’s most senior and trusted Counterterrorism insiders.
Is it the head of the FBI's Counterterrorism division, the Army’s Senior Special Ops, or perhaps the CIA? Whoever is the true identity of the mysterious and powerful anti-terrorist known only as Samms, the thrilling action of the vigilantes’ frequent murders of terrorists in the act and the attempts by investigators to discover the mystery of the rogues’ identities take the reader on a wild ride.
As the President and his investigators struggle to discover the real identities of the vigilante leaders, the murders—both terrorist and vigilante—ratchet up. The questions then become: what are the risks to America if the public gets wind of the vigilante murders? And what does the president intend to do with the senior Counterterrorism vigilante officials if, in fact, they are found alive?
PeachtreeGlobal published an interview with me about the book on http://expatspost.com today, leading off with:
In this just released new terrorist thriller, America is experiencing a dramatic increase in terrorist attacks—by jihadists, white supremacists, and Mexican cartels. In the face of these failures by the U.S. Government intelligence and law enforcement bureaucracies, a group of ad hoc vigilantes has exploded onto the scene. And, surprisingly, this shadowy and deadly vigilante group appears to be led by at least one of the U.S. Government’s most senior and trusted Counterterrorism insiders.
Is it the head of the FBI's Counterterrorism division, the Army’s Senior Special Ops, or perhaps the CIA? Whoever is the true identity of the mysterious and powerful anti-terrorist known only as Samms, the thrilling action of the vigilantes’ frequent murders of terrorists in the act and the attempts by investigators to discover the mystery of the rogues’ identities take the reader on a wild ride.
As the President and his investigators struggle to discover the real identities of the vigilante leaders, the murders—both terrorist and vigilante—ratchet up. The questions then become: what are the risks to America if the public gets wind of the vigilante murders? And what does the president intend to do with the senior Counterterrorism vigilante officials if, in fact, they are found alive?
July 7, 2017
INTERNET FIRMS, TERRORISM, AND COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICIALS
In the June 10, 2017 edition of The Economist there are two articles on the role, or at least the potential roles and responsibilities, of internet firms in helping authorities prevent terrorist acts. The first, Terror and the Internet http://tinyurl.com/yd9tmb38 makes one point very explicit: "....internet firms are doing the jihadists’ work for them....". Terrorists can communicate on social media right in front of Counter-terrorist officials and the encrypted messages must remain encrypted, thus remaining secret. Officials can know---to a moral certainty---that they are looking at actionable intelligence, but---in a free society---can do nothing about it.
The article essentially asks, is "...the lawless freewheeling era of the early internet over..."? The second article, "More money or more power?" http://tinyurl.com/ycmckgve pushes the question to whether law enforcement agencies need more information (see the first article), more money, or more power.
In my thriller, The Point of a Gun, Samms and her top of the U.S. government secret, rogue Counter-terrorism vigilante group solve this problem. Or, at least May Kung does. How? How do they unearth actionable intel invisible to the FBI, CIA, JSOC, NSA? And who, exactly IS Samms?
Also, see the Movie Trailer for the The Point of a Gun on the book page at: website www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
The article essentially asks, is "...the lawless freewheeling era of the early internet over..."? The second article, "More money or more power?" http://tinyurl.com/ycmckgve pushes the question to whether law enforcement agencies need more information (see the first article), more money, or more power.
In my thriller, The Point of a Gun, Samms and her top of the U.S. government secret, rogue Counter-terrorism vigilante group solve this problem. Or, at least May Kung does. How? How do they unearth actionable intel invisible to the FBI, CIA, JSOC, NSA? And who, exactly IS Samms?
Also, see the Movie Trailer for the The Point of a Gun on the book page at: website www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
INTERNET FIRMS, TERRORISM, AND COUNTER-TERRORISM OFFICIALS
In the June 10, 2017 edition of The Economist there are two articles on the role, or at least the potential roles and responsibilities, of internet firms in helping authorities prevent terrorist acts. The first, Terror and the Internet http://tinyurl.com/yd9tmb38 makes one point very explicit: "....internet firms are doing the jihadists’ work for them....". Terrorists can communicate on social media right in front of Counter-terrorist officials and the encrypted messages must remain encrypted, thus remaining secret. Officials can know---to a moral certainty---that they are looking at actionable intelligence, but---in a free society---can do nothing about it.
The article essentially asks, is "...the lawless freewheeling era of the early internet over..."? The second article, "More money or more power?" http://tinyurl.com/ycmckgve pushes the question to whether law enforcement agencies need more information (see the first article), more money, or more power.
In my thriller, The Point of a Gun, Samms and her top of the U.S. government secret, rogue Counter-terrorism vigilante group solve this problem. Or, at least May Kung does. How? How do they unearth actionable intel invisible to the FBI, CIA, JSOC, NSA? And who, exactly IS Samms?
Also, see the Movie Trailer for the The Point of a Gun on the book page at: website www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
The article essentially asks, is "...the lawless freewheeling era of the early internet over..."? The second article, "More money or more power?" http://tinyurl.com/ycmckgve pushes the question to whether law enforcement agencies need more information (see the first article), more money, or more power.
In my thriller, The Point of a Gun, Samms and her top of the U.S. government secret, rogue Counter-terrorism vigilante group solve this problem. Or, at least May Kung does. How? How do they unearth actionable intel invisible to the FBI, CIA, JSOC, NSA? And who, exactly IS Samms?
Also, see the Movie Trailer for the The Point of a Gun on the book page at: website www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
July 1, 2017
TERRORISTS ACHIEVE SAFE SPACES THROUGH DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
STRATFOR's Scott Stewart lays out how digital technology is affording safe spaces for terrorists' communications. The implications for our safety from terrorism are difficult to fully appreciate, as Britain's Theresa May has pointed out. And THEN been criticized for threatening people's, presumably including future terrorists', freedoms. See the entire, excellent, article here: http://tinyurl.com/y7xu7djj .
This is a recurring theme and hurdle for the vigilantes led by secret top U.S. Counterterrorism official named Samms in my new thriller The Point of a Gun. How does Samms solve this overwhelming security hurdle? Is her solution effective? Is she necessarily threatening Constitutionally granted freedoms? www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
Theresa May is a strong female leader in the fight against terrorism. In the summer of the blockbuster "Wonder Woman" another tough female fighter is dramatically re-introduced into our culture.
Samms in this book is yet another strong female protagonist in the fight against killing and murders. But she takes it upon herself to lead a secret group of vigilantes who kill prospective terrorists in cold blood. Who is Samms? Is she the Deputy Director of the CIA for Counterterrorism? Or is she Deputy Director of the FBI for Counterterrorism? Or is she the senior ops official working with the Deputy Director of the U.S. Army JSOC for Counterterrorism?
The answers and the conundrums unfold in the telling of their story.
This is a recurring theme and hurdle for the vigilantes led by secret top U.S. Counterterrorism official named Samms in my new thriller The Point of a Gun. How does Samms solve this overwhelming security hurdle? Is her solution effective? Is she necessarily threatening Constitutionally granted freedoms? www.StevenWKohlhagen.com
Theresa May is a strong female leader in the fight against terrorism. In the summer of the blockbuster "Wonder Woman" another tough female fighter is dramatically re-introduced into our culture.
Samms in this book is yet another strong female protagonist in the fight against killing and murders. But she takes it upon herself to lead a secret group of vigilantes who kill prospective terrorists in cold blood. Who is Samms? Is she the Deputy Director of the CIA for Counterterrorism? Or is she Deputy Director of the FBI for Counterterrorism? Or is she the senior ops official working with the Deputy Director of the U.S. Army JSOC for Counterterrorism?
The answers and the conundrums unfold in the telling of their story.
June 27, 2017
The Point of a Gun
My new terrorist thriller, The Point of a Gun, is now available as an eBook. Visit www.StevenWKohlhagen.com for a free excerpt. Print version orderable July 13.
Where They Bury You and Related Topics
Discussions of historical fiction in the American West and any other topics people want to comment on (18th Century Native Americans? Kit Carson? Apaches? Navajos? Cheyennes? baseball? chocolate?)
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