Don Mathews's Blog

Highlighted Review: Silent Horizons By Jack Stewart and Chad Robichaux

He’s gone behind enemy lines countless times before. But this time, he’s going alone.

Foster Quinn is more than a former Force Recon Marine. He’s a husband. A father. A faithful brother to his teammates. When one of them is killed during a high-risk operation to track down a dangerous arms dealer, Foster struggles to balance his roles as a dedicated family man and an elite warrior. Despite his inner demons—or maybe because of them—Foster can’t walk away from his brothers.

Then he gets the chance to step in where his best friend left off, assuming a cover identity in Iran that will get him close to the arms dealer and pave the way for a critical mission. On his own in a new country, he must carefully choose who to trust. An Iranian taxi driver. An American hunter. A British oil executive. One wrong move could spell disaster. Not just for the mission, but for Foster.

The clock is ticking. A team of tier-one warriors is set to plummet through the night sky in enemy territory. They’ve trained for this. But their success hinges on just one man.

CIA Reviews

Silent Horizons is another excellent book in the Christian Thriller genre. At the time of writing this it is number sixteen on Amazon’s Christian Suspense and Mystery category. After reading it I can understand why. The team of Robichaux and Stewart are right up there with Andrews and Wilson.

I think what really made it such a great book was I could feel the emotions on the pages of two men who have had to leave their families to protect all of ours. There was an authenticity that you can only get when you’ve lived it. Combine that with God given talent that both of these men have to write you get a book that is hard to put down.

That being said Silent Horizons did seem to sag a little in the action in the middle but it more than made up for that in storytelling of the tradecraft of men whom have gone behind enemy lines. If this series continues, which I pray it will, it will serve to push authors in the genre to up their game, which is exactly what the Christian Thriller genre needs.

Foster Quinn can be one of the greatest heroes, not only in the Christian Thriller genre, but the secular Thriller genre as well. 

I give Robichaux and Stewart’s Silent Horizons a rating of – Buy The Hardcover At 12:01 = The book exceeded all expectations and is worth the money and lack of sleep to be the first one to buy it.

Make sure to go and buy the book and show your support for Christian men authors who are writing for His kingdom.

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The post Highlighted Review: Silent Horizons By Jack Stewart and Chad Robichaux appeared first on Offical Website For Author Don Mathews.

Highlighted Review: Agency At War by Dony Jay

Reagan Rainey, America’s best warrior spy, was hoping that a Christmastime trip to New York City with his old college flame would help rekindle their frayed relationship. But instead of enjoying the holiday pomp and fortifying a romance, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a deadly terrorist attack as it is unfolding.

After narrowly escaping with his life, Rainey is quickly tasked with finding out who planned and executed the attack. He soon formulates an audacious plan that puts himself in the crosshairs as he and his newly formed CIA hunter-killer team endeavor to penetrate the dangerous terrorist organization behind the attack and give them the war they deserve. But for his plan to work, Rainey must enlist the support of a wealthy adversary, a man he would much rather see dead.

In a shadowy world of illicit arms, shifting allegiances, and hostile intelligence services that threaten to submarine the operation and put him in the ground for good, Rainey takes on the role of a lifetime fighting on the blurred front lines for an agency at war.

Dony Jay returns with book three in his Warrior Spy series. Reagan Rainey is back with a bang. Literally with a bang. Within a couple of paragraphs into Agency at War the nonstop action begins. And for those who lived through 9/11, you’ll be brought back to that sad day America was attacked. That marked the moment in Agency at War when Rainey is switched on. He goes from a man trying to rekindle a relationship with the woman he loves, to protector of the country he loves.

I love action scenes and the more complex they are the better and one of Dony’s talents is to create scenes of action and he makes them understandable and fluid. Another aspect of Agency at War I felt was excellent was his ability to make you feel the pain he feels when he can’t share what he does for a living with Kayla Chapman, the woman he loves. I could put myself in Rainey’s place as he has to brake her heart when he has to leave to get the people who launched a deadly attack on America’s soil.

Reagan Rainey is on par with Mitch Rapp and Scot Harvath.

I give Dony Jay’s Agency at Ware a rating of – Buy The Hardcover At 12:01 = The book exceeded all expectations and is worth the money and lack of sleep to be the first one to buy it.

Make sure to go and buy the book and show your support for Christian men authors who are writing for His kingdom.

below is an affiliate link to Amazon.

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The post Highlighted Review: Agency At War by Dony Jay appeared first on Offical Website For Author Don Mathews.

Book Recommendation: Prince Warrior

If you have middle grade boys in the house or you’re a grandparent I would highly recommend The Prince Warriors series by Priscilla Shirer and Gina Detwiller. They masterfully intertwine action boys love with Biblical truths they need to hear.

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The post Book Recommendation: Prince Warrior appeared first on Offical Website For Author Don Mathews.

CIA Reviews Interview: Jack Stewart

Today I have the honor of interviewing Jack Stewart. Jack is a retired FA-18 Fighter Pilot. He is the author of the Battle Born Thriller series. He recently announced that he will be taking over the W.E.B. Griffin’s Presidential Agent series. He is also writing a Christian Thriller series with Chad Robichaux. To say Jack is busy is an understatement. 

On a side note I have moved my Christian’s In Action reviews to my author website at www.donmathewsbooks.com. 

CR: Let’s start at the beginning. When did you realize you were called to be an author?

JS: I grew up spending a lot of time in bookstores and libraries. For me, books were passports to adventure, and I could travel anywhere in the world and even to outer space. I became fascinated with the idea of telling stories and knew that “one day” I wanted to have a book published. So, you could say I knew from an early age that it was something I wanted to do. But it wasn’t until 2020 when I decided to take it seriously.

CR: You are a pilot for your day job and a former FA-18 pilot. Do you find any similarities with being a pilot and being an author? It can be either a fighter pilot or a commercial airline pilot or both if that’s the case.

JS: Any flight—at least the good ones—come in three parts: Takeoff, cruise, and landing. A book is typically structured in the same way, with a beginning, middle, and end. Some authors know the entire story before they put a single world on the page, but I’ve found that I can’t do that. Sure, in my day job, I know where the plane is supposed to end up, but sometimes things happen. Weather, medical emergencies, maintenance issues. Every flight encounters challenges of some kind—some big, some small—and as the captain, I have the ultimate say in how that flight will end. In that way, it’s a lot like being an author!

CR: You have written a Christian Thriller with Chad Robichaux. Can you tell us how that came about?

JS:  I’ve become good friends with several authors during my journey to publication. One of those is Jeff Wilson (of Andrews & Wilson). I was out flying a trip one day, and Jeff texted and asked if I had ever considered co-authoring with anyone. At the time, I was just trying to get started and my first book hadn’t published yet, so I told him yes. Jeff put me in touch with Chad who told me what he was trying to accomplish, and I was immediately intrigued.

One of my assignments in the Navy was with the Navy’s JSOC Task Force; the same unit Chad was a member of while conducting Advanced Force Operations. We agreed that the thriller universe is full of Navy SEALs kicking in doors and double-tapping terrorists in the head, but we don’t get a sense of what goes on behind the scenes to make those operations happen.

But, more importantly, Chad’s experience led him to a relationship with Christ and a mission to tackle veteran PTSD from a faith-based approach. As someone who has lost friends to suicide, I felt compelled to throw my talents into this mission.

CR: How do you write with a co-author?

JS: Every co-authorship is different. Chad and I have a fantastic working relationship. We talked on the phone for hours about his experiences while I helped craft a plot that would be both entertaining and inspiring. But to do that, we needed to create a story arc that would lead our main character through an emotional journey and to some pretty dark places.

Chad has written several bestselling non-fiction books, but this was his first attempt at fiction. I think he had a tendency to want to put himself into the main character, and I had to remind him that Foster Quinn was not Chad Robichaux. It was more challenging in the first book, as many of the situations we put Foster in were similar to things Chad had experienced. But by the second book, we had moved away from fiction based on fact, and you could see his creative side flowing.

For “Silent Horizons”, we collectively developed the plot and underlying theme. I would write the first draft of each chapter, and Chad would go through and add details—both technical and emotional—that really lend an air of credibility to the story. It was honestly one of the most enjoyable books I’ve written, because we bounced back and forth through the whole process.

CR: You are starting a series in the Christian Thriller genre so I assume you are a follower of Christ. How important is Christ to you, not only in your writing but your life as a whole?

JS: I grew up in a Christian home, going to church every week, and active in my church’s youth group. But over the years—especially during my military career—I allowed my relationship with Christ to stagnate. It’s kind of ironic that our stated objective with “Silent Horizons” was to minister to those who might not have a relationship with Christ, because it ultimately did that for me.

Over the course of the writing process, I connected with the main character’s feeling of loss and hopelessness. Like Foster will ultimately do in our series, I turned my focus to God and have repaired my relationship with Him. My wife and I are reading the Bible each night, we are attending church as a family, and we are committed to living our lives as servants of Christ.

So, yeah, Christ is the focal point of my life now. And I feel like my own redemption story is just one of the ways God is working through this series. 

CR: Do you have any routines that you do before you sit down to write? 

JS: The only routine I have is to brew a cup of coffee!

CR: Are you a pantser or plotter?

JS: Like I said before, I don’t really know how a flight is going to go when I start. The same is true in my writing. I have an idea of where it will go, but I always give my characters the latitude to make their own decisions and surprise me. So, I’m more of a pantser… though I do usually follow a one- or two-page narrative summary that I sort of treat like a flight plan that I can deviate from.

CR: If God told you tomorrow that you are no longer to be a pilot or author, what is the one thing you would want to do for a career?

JS: Whatever he called me to do. Honestly, I don’t really have a passion for anything other than flying, writing, or helping veterans.

CR: You’re stranded at an airport, what book would you want to see in the duty-free store?

JS: One of mine! I’ve spent so much time in airports all around the world, and I always stop to see what books are on the shelves. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to see one of my books in the airport. I think I would feel humbled and honored to see “Silent Horizons” in the airport, knowing that we are delivering a message of hope that has the possibility of changing lives.

CR: What are you currently reading?

JS: Right now, for enjoyment, I am reading “The Relentless Wave” by Admiral James Stavridis. It is a fictional account of a young man who goes to the Naval Academy and becomes a surface warfare officer in the Pacific during the height of World War II.

For work, I’m reading the first book in a new series by A.J. Tata. Though it sort of feels like it’s for enjoyment too!

CR: Is there anything you want the reader to know about you? 

JS: Just that I feel privileged to have served 23 years in the Navy and continue to feel privileged that I get to fulfill my childhood fantasy of becoming a published author. I love what I do, and it truly doesn’t feel like work most days.

CR: Where can readers find you online?

JS: jackstewartbooks.com or the usual social media channels; Instagram (@jackstewartbooks) and X (@jackstewartbook).

I want to thank Jack for taking the time to answer my questions. My goal as a writer and reviewer of fiction that Christian men will like is to get the word out. To grow the genre. One of the best ways to do that is to buy the books that are recommended on this website or others. Then go leave a review. Jack and Chad’s book will be released on May 13, 2025. The best thing you can do is to go pre-order that. Then share what you thought about. Above all go read some great Christians in Action fiction.

Below is a link to pre-order from ChristianBooks.com

Buy Here

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Highlighted Review: Nova by Chuck Black

Backmatter

A mighty empire…a lowly slave…a galaxy to save. Will a hero rise? 

Nova chronicles the early years of the Aurora Galaxy after the great war between two immortal races known as the Malakians and the Torians. The despot, Zari Treville, is leading the Torians on a campaign to rule the galaxy, but Supreme Chancellor Ell Yon, leader of the Malakians, stands in his way. Both races have technology that mankind can’t begin to understand or even imagine.Young Daeson Lockbridge, a Starcraft pilot born of royal blood on the planet Jypton, finds himself at the epicenter of a clash between the Rayleans, a servant class derogatorily referred to as the Drudge, and the ruling class of the Jyptonians. A chance encounter with a lowly Starcraft mechanic changes everything he thought he knew and threatens every part of his reality. He is secretly taken with the fiery young Raylean mechanic named Raviel, but there are strict fraternization rules about interacting with the Drudge. One fateful night, he encounters an oracle that reveals to him his true identity – he’s not in fact royalty, but is instead pure-blooded Raylean. Overwhelmed and desperate for truth, he turns to Raviel for guidance. When his cousin Linden, the royal heir to the Chancellor of Jypton, discovers Daeson’s feelings for the lowly Drudge, he sets out to destroy him and the blight on their family name. After Daeson kills a sentry who could expose him, he and Raviel are forced to flee in his Starcraft to a remote and deserted planet near the Omega Nebula. But the radiation from the nebula nearly kills them both as their bodies are purged of Dietum Prime, the genetic code altering agent introduced to mankind by Zari Treville. Having barely survived, they return to Jypton to discover that an assassination of the Jyptonian Chancellor has led to a planet-wide rebellion of the Rayleans. Severe persecution with weekly executions commence as Daeson and Raviel struggle to decide what to do. Desperate for answers and help, Daeson decides to seek the oracle that had once foretold it all..

Nova by Chuck Black is a retelling of the story of Moses. To me Chuck wrote Nova more as a YA book than adult, but that doesn’t change my thoughts on it. Black takes the important story of Moses and puts them into space on a fictional planet Jypton. Daeson thinks he is royalty until an oracle tells him otherwise.

Even though we know how the story ends, Chuck Black’s writing and creativity in creating new races and solar systems help the reader to feel drawn into a story that is literally as old as time. I really enjoyed the action Chuck created and the tension between Dawson and his romantic interest Raveil.

Overall I enjoyed Nova by Chuck Black and look forward to the rest of the Starlore Legacy series. I give Nova an Invest In The Hardcover rating. The book was excellent and worth the extra money as well as reading it right away.

Author: Chuck BlackSeries: Starlore LegacyCIA Review Rating: Invest In The Hardcover

Below is a link to Christianbooks.com If we want to promote more Christian fiction we should support those who support the Christian authors. If you are going to buy Nova, please consider buying from Christian Books.

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Highlighted Review: Wolf Soldier By James R Hannibal

Wolf Soldier is a teens/ YA novel

The fate of the Dragon Lands are at play

The knights of the Lightraider Order disappeared nearly two generations past. Now, the Keledan have withdrawn behind their barriers, and the Dragon Lands of bordering Tanelethar are overrun with dark oppression. The people are living in disobedience to the Rescuer who freed them long ago.

A shepherd boy, Connor Enarian, and four young initiates rekindle the fires of the Lightraider Order in the hope of striking out across the mountains into Tanelethar to destroy a portal and stop an impending invasion.

Once in the Dragon Lands, Connor learns that the key to success lies with a missing Lightraider spy and his lifelong companion, a talking silver wolf. Can Connor and his friends find the spy before the portal grows too large to destroy? Or will a local young woman—or Connor’s own family history—betray them?

The dangers and secrets of Tanelethar test both trust and loyalty, and to save his homeland, Connor may have to sacrifice his innermost dreams.

I don’t usually read from the Teen/YA section but I’ve read James’ spy and mystery books so I knew he was a talented writer. I also like his mission of bringing role playing games for Christians to the market. Wolf Soldier is the first book in the Lightraider Academy series in support of this Lightraiders RPG.

I have to say even though the book is geared to a much younger demographic than me, I really liked it. James has a talent for storytelling. Danger seems to be around every corner for young Connor and Hannibal weaves the danger with the need to rely on the unseen one, the helper without it being to dangerous and too preachy. He also sprinkles in a little goblin humor.

If you have a teen or a young adult who has a hard time finding books that will keep them entertained without rotting their Spirit, Wolf Soldier would be an excellent choice to get them on their reading journey.

CIA Review rating – Buy The Hardcover At 12:01

Author: James R HannibalPages: 336 HardbackSeries: Lightraider AcademyCIA Review Rating: Buy The Hardcover At 12:01Buy Here

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Highlighted Review: The Kremlin Conspiracy By Joel C Rosenberg

Everything he learned to protect our president, he must use to take out theirs.

With an American president distracted by growing tensions in North Korea and Iran, an ominous new threat is emerging in Moscow. A czar is rising in the Kremlin, a Russian president feverishly consolidating power, silencing his opposition, and plotting a brazen and lightning-fast military strike that could rupture the NATO alliance and bring Washington and Moscow to the brink of nuclear war. But in his blind spot is former U.S. Secret Service agent Marcus Ryker, trained to protect but ready to kill to save his country.

Joel C. Rosenberg introduces the world to Marcus Ryker, a former Marine and Secret Service agent. Ryker’s world is turned upside down by a tragedy. While at the bottom of a dark pit which tests Ryker’s faith, the world is heading toward World War III.

The Kremlin Conspiracy starts off slow but not so slow you want to put the book down. During the first twenty percent or so of the book Rosenberg is introducing us to his newest protagonist while at the same time showing us where Ryker is heading. Once Rosenberg lays the ground work, he ratchets up the action.

Despite the slow start compared to Rosenberg’s follow-up in the Ryker Series I suggest reading The Kremlin Conspiracy.

Author: Joel C. Rosenberg

Pages: 480 (Hardcover)

Series: Marcus Ryker

CIA Review Rating: Invest in the Hardcover

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Joe The Spy

This story has nothing to do with my Berk Renner universe. This is just a short I wrote as a writing exercise. I hope you enjoy it.

Joe shot up from the bed when the door to the hotel room swung open. Men dressed in baklavas carrying Uzi’s stormed in. Joseph’s years of martial arts training kicked in and quickly got to his feet. He trained most of his adult life, but never thought he would use it to defend himself. Well, he hoped he would never have to use it to defend himself. It was surreal, nothing like his training.

He disarmed the first two men with a flurry of punches. He struck the man’s chest several times. He forced all his strength into the man’s chest shoving him backwards. He pinned the second attacker against the wall with the first attacker’s body. He closed in on the third and final attacker. Once he was close enough, Joseph used an armbar to force the attacker to drop his Uzi. Joseph had the third attacker in a neck triangle, cutting off the flow of blood to his brain. He passed out before knowing what happened. The first man through the door was back on his feet and advancing fast. Joe picked up the submachine gun and squeezed the trigger like they trained him. Three projectiles struck the man in the chest, sending the assailant to the floor.

That felt like real rounds.

Something in Joe told him to check on the guy he shot. He had expected to see splats of paint from the mil-sim, but all he saw were three holes in his shirt. He crept in close to the man and notice three black spots inside the holes.

“Is he wearing a bulletproof vest? Why would he wear one of those?” Then it all hit him. “Did I shoot a man?” Those times he went for firearms training, all in secrecy. He shot live rounds and mil-sim. But the mil sim were high velocity paint balls shot out of real guns. His contact said they wanted to give Joe the best opportunity to learn real world experience. He didn’t think it would lead to actually shooting a man. Joe removed the magazine from each Uzi, then wiped them down with his shirt.

What was he going to do? Joseph wanted a little excitement. He never thought he would actually shoot another person. He had been training for more than a year and every time his instructor insisted on safety first. He had been training while he waited his call to action. Now it was his turn, and it was more exciting than he had expected. Being a tax accountant was no longer enjoyable to him. He tried playing games online like Call of Duty, but never found real fulfilment in those. Joseph stumbled across an ad that piqued his curiosity. He was scrolling his social media when it popped in his feed. 

The ad read, looking for adventure? Something different from the nine to five? Click here. Which he did. What he found was exactly what he thought he was looking for. He thought it was one of those real-life scavenger hunts, but with spies and fake guns.

Joe’s quick mind processed everything he had gone through over the past year and a half. He realized he wasn’t playing a game, and neither were those with the guns. Something was very wrong.

The op, as they called it, was a “routine drop,” the handler said as he gave Joe a brown envelope. It was like all those spy movies his dad watched. This is what Joe had been waiting for. The twenty thousand dollars to be trained by some of the world’s top spies was well worth it. But now he seemed to play on an entirely different level.

Joe, as instructed, should anything “go down” called the number given to him by his handler. The phone number filled his brain, but dialing it tripped him up. Slow is steady and steady is fast, he told himself as his hands shook. Adrenaline coursed through his body. 

A man answered after the first ring and said, “Code!”

“Code? Somebody is really trying to kill me. I killed one of them.”

“Code!”

What in the world was that code? Joe impatiently pushed the button on the elevator. “Ok, I remember it.” He typed 269491599 into the phone.

“Code authenticated. Where are you right now?”

“The hotel. But listen to me. I shot a man with live rounds.”

“You’re not using the elevator, are you?” asked the voice.

“Yes. Why.”

“Do you remember your training? There are cameras in the lobby. If they see you exiting the elevator, they can track you.” 

“Right! Did you hear me? I shot a man. This isn’t a game. I may have killed someone.” 

“Calm down.” The voice was calm. Joe wasn’t expecting that. “You have trained for this.”

“Right. What should I do?”

He heard a long exhale on the other end of the call. Then the handler said, “Rely on your training.”

“Right. I should get to the roof and see if I can get to another roof and exit through their lobby.” Joe got off the elevator one floor down from his. He then entered the stairwell then sprinted to the seventh and final floor. Without direct access to the roof, Joe found a window at the end of the hallway. He made sure the hallway was clear, then opened the window and scanned the ground.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself, his heart racing. Remember, slow is steady and steady is fast. Joe’s legs shook and ached as he stepped onto the twelve inch wide ledge. Look straight ahead. He inched along until he came to a drainpipe. He slowly wrapped his hands around it and tugged. Hand over hand, the amateur spy pulled himself up two stories. The pipe shifted as he reached for the ledge of the roof. He grabbed it with one hand. Joe looked down the drain and spotted one of his attackers climbing out the window.

The man was moving faster and with more confidence than Joe was able. Joe’s heart rate increased, and his hands started sweating. Despite his fear, Joe did something he thought he would never do. He grabbed the pipe with both hands and placed his feet against the wall. With all his weight leaning back he pushed off the wall. The bolt popped, and the pipe pulled away from the building. Somehow, he grabbed the ledge and pulled himself over. The masked men were halfway up the drainpipe when Joe put his foot on over the ledge and finished the pipe. He refused to watch his attackers as they fell to the ground with a thud. He had never heard a body hit the ground from forty feet in the air, but he could tell what it was the instant they did.

Joe checked his watch. Five minutes since the first attack. With bodies splayed on the ground, the police would be on scene any minute. As if he didn’t have a good enough reason to get off the roof and away from the hotel, now he did. 

Joe backed up to the ledge, said a prayer, then sprinted across the rooftop. He timed his steps perfectly as his speed continued to increase. Joe leapt the eight-foot span to the roof of the neighboring hotel. He landed with a thud and a pop and his body collapsed into a rolling ball. The thud he figured would happen when a hundred ninety pound man lands on a gravel roof. The pop. That wasn’t good. He let out a guttural scream and quickly wrapped his arms around his left knee. 

The amateur spy knew immediately he blew his knee out of joint. Joe felt the pressure of being attacked by the man he should have shot already. Not to mention the police, who will be on scene within minutes. Joe planted his foot against the raised ledge and slammed his right hand into it.

POP.

Joe swore again as he hobbled to the fire escape. Adrenaline pumped blood faster through his body. He used the railings as a slide and stepped on every third metal step until he was on the ground in an alley. 

Joe’s breathing slowed as he walked further away from the attack. He had to get to the safe-house. His safe-house was really his vacation home. His handler said for the mission it would be his safe-house. As he hobbled to his car Joe realized he had a bigger problem. Before he could get to his vacation house, he needed to get to his car. To get to the parking lot he would have to pass the body on the ground. Joe forced himself to stop limping and walked pass the crowd gathered around the body. He got into his car and drove away.

Joe adjusted the rearview mirror so he could see himself. His face covered in sweat and his hair was a mess, he tried to calm down. He ran his hand through his hair while he waited for a red light to turn green. Satisfied with his appearance he said, “An hour and half til I get home. I can do ninety minutes.”

He turned his fully restored Land Rover Defender Series 2 onto the driveway. The upgraded suspension absorbed the potholes as designed. He pulled it into the garage attached to the thousand square foot single story cabin. If he drank, it’s usually when he has company, which is why he had some of the best bourbon on hand. 

He poured about three ounces into his glass, twice as much as usual. He let out a long exhale. He finally had some time to process everything that had happened over the past year and a half. It started to make sense. The fake identity, the hidden cash and handgun. What he thought of at the time was a Jason Bourne knock-off, was reallypreparing him for a moment like this.

Confusion swirled around his head, but one thing was obvious. He couldn’t stay anywhere familiar. He still didn’t know who to trust. Joe loaded his Land Rover with food, clothes and a couple hundred extra rounds of nine-millimeter. He made sure to grab all the frozen vegetables he had. On his way out the door he did a pocket check to make sure he had everything he needed. He swore he looked like he was doing the Maka Rana, but it saved him many times, like now. He was missing his cell phone. He stuck his personal phone in his right jeans pocket and the burner is his left.

With his new identity, a hand full of cash and his gun, Joe found a no tell motel. The time at the motel should give him time to recover. His leg throbbed. Joe grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer then popped three pain reliever pills. He winced when he set the bag of peas on his knee. Joe closed his eyes as the pain killers kicked in and the adrenaline was leaving his body. 

He woke to the sound of a phone vibrating next to his head and his chest heaving. Both cell phones were laying next to his pillow. One was his personal phone, and the second was a burner. He woke his phone up to check the date and realized he had been asleep for nearly twelve hours. It was the longest he could remember sleeping. He turned off his personal phone then grabbed his Glock. Joe made sure he was alone, then checked the screen of the burner phone. It was his handler. 

Joe decided he wasn’t going to sit around and let his life get turned upside down. He had been training for a year and decided he was going to bring the fight to those who tried to kill him. He figured he had nothing to lose.

“I assume you’re calling because you’ve decided to take my offer. I’m not going to let them get away with trying to kill me.”

“We understand you want revenge…”

Joe interrupted him, “What have you got for me?” 

“Are you sure you what to do this? To go after these people? They’re not amateurs.”

“I want their names.”

“I’m only doing this because they struck first. They broke the deal.”

“What was the deal?” asked Joe.

“You were to drop off the code to a Swiss bank account. Two million dollars was being held there. In return for the money, they were to give us the name of a Russian mole within the agency.”

“So, was this the Chinese? The ones you were paying.”

Several seconds passed. The man he knows as Hannibal finally said, “They made it look like it was the Chinese, but it was actually Iran.”

“Why Iran? What do they have to do with this?”

“Remember, I’m only telling you because they struck first. This is for your ears only.”

“Understood. Now get to the point.”

“Iran is still mad about an incident back in the eighties.”

Joe wanted to ask what the incident was, but figured it didn’t matter. It was before his time and didn’t involve him, but this did. They tried to kill him to get revenge for something he had nothing to do with. It just got personal, and he was about to even the score.

“How do I find the one who organized this?”

Hannibal finally gave him the name of an Iranian Guard general and his last known location.

“Montreal, Canada.”

Perfect, thought Joe. The drive from where Joe was recovering is less than three hours.

“Once I do this, you won’t hear from me again. I am out of the spy business for good.” 

“Until we need you again.”

Joe wanted to reply to Hannibal but couldn’t justify it. He was in a lot of pain, but had to admit he liked the action. He hit the end button and closed his eyes until his bladder reminded him hadn’t used the bathroom for hours. After taking care of business he slept for another two hours. When he woke, Joe’s leg was feeling marginally better than when he fell asleep, but he decided he needed to get moving. Thankfully, Joe was familiar with Montreal. Whenever he got bored at the lake house, Joe would drive to the city for a change in pace. He knew the hotel the Iranian general was staying at well and didn’t want to waste any more time.

First, he was concerned the Iranians might send more attackers, but doubtful. They knew where he was the first time, no way they could know his current location. Second, another attack would be sloppier than the first, and finally, he wanted to get his revenge and get it now.

Joe wrapped Duct Tape around a bag of frozen carrots around his knee, then got into his car. After passing through the Customs and Border Patrol gates, the drive was uneventful. He used the time to think about what happened to him and his future. Was he willing to leave his cushy job for something that could get him killed on a daily basis? Is that the life he wanted? And what about when he got married? How would his wife handle it? He decided he was going to let God handle it. If He wanted Joe to become a CIA Operative, then he would do so. Now he was struggling with the thought of God wanting him to kill. What if there were innocent people nearby? What if the general really was innocent and Joe killed him? How would God like that? And the big one, revenge. He was taking revenge in his own hands.

The amateur assassin passed a sign that read Montreal forty-five miles. He changed his thinking to the mission. He would have to hit the ground running. He knew where the general would stay, but for how long he didn’t know. He would have to move at a moment’s notice and there was a good chance they knew what he looked like. He checked into one of the lesser known motels in Montreal. It was the kind of place you pay per hour. He paid for two hours and used every minute to rest and to get his head right.

When his time was up at the hotel Joe eased into the back of a cab. The smell of bodily fluid hit him. He would have gotten right back out if he didn’t think the cabbie would remember the guy who refused to use his service. No, he would endure the smell by rolling down the window. He sat on the smallest sliver of the seat he could. Joe decided on the cab because he wanted to save his knee as much as possible. He figured it was the fastest way to get where he was going while staying anonymous. If he took an Uber, there would be a digital record. If he took the train, it could take too long. No, it would have to be a cab. He told the cabbie to drop him off a block from the Little Italy section of Montreal. He popped two pain relievers when he was two blocks from the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel.

Because he had stayed at the Queen Elizabeth Joe was familiar with the layout. He turned down a small alleyway used for delivery. A small produce truck was backed up to the delivery dock with its rear doors opened. 

Confident he could blend in as one of the delivery people, dressed in jeans and a tee shirt. He grabbed a box of produce and walked past one of the kitchen staff. He left the lettuce on a stainless steel table and strolled right out a door to the side of the kitchen. Just like John Kimball in The Fugitive.

Joe found the maintenance room, grabbed the elevator out-of-order sign. He then rode the elevator to the top floor. He pulled the elevator’s lock button to off, attached the sign on the elevator doors, then got into the second elevator.

If the information Hannibal gave him was correct, the general will travel with just one other individual, his personal assistant. Of course, that could have all changed, but he couldn’t wait. The general’s arrogance will be his downfall.

Joe popped open the elevator access roof hatch just as it started moving downward. He watched a young woman step in. The elevator went up two flights, and the woman got out and an old man got in, then back down to the first floor. He checked his watch. It was 9:02. Then the elevator squeaked to life. Joe counted five floors as they flashed passed him, then it stopped. This is it.

The doors clanked as they opened. Two men spoke Arabic as they stepped in. The doors shut and Joe’s heart raced. Doubt filled him. It’s now or never, he told himself. You won’t get a second chance. Once I do this, my life will never be the same. He cracked open the rescue door enough to see the general’s assistant. He was talking to someone out of Joe’s sight. Joe understood this could be his only chance for revenge. He slid the door up enough for the suppressor and fired three rounds into the chest of the general’s assistant. The body of the assistant fell, and Joe swung the door up completely. He lined up his target and fired three rounds without emotion, then closed the roof door.

The post Joe The Spy appeared first on Don Mathews Books.

Lack of Christian Fiction for Men

Have you been to a book store lately? It doesn't matter if you go to a Christian bookstore, a local or even a big box store. If your stroll through the Christian fiction section, one thing will be come abuntly clear. It doesn't appear there are very many Christian men reading Christian fiction.
If you compare the fiction and non-fiction geared toward men you will notice there is no comparison. I've done an unscientific survey to observe the number of Christian books with a female interest and men, it is at least a 10 to 1 difference in favor of women. (ok, I didn't actually count, but it is obvious)
I recently read an article stating men don't read Christian fiction because the cover was designed to attract women. The piece went on to state part of the reason for lack of Christian men reading Christian books is because the protagonist are usually slanted toward the woman's point of view. A recent article in Publishers Weekly stated that one of the larger publishers of Christian fictions key demographics are women over 65. While I do beleive there is a huge market for the female reader of Christian fiction, I also believe that if we give the men the type of fiction they want without sacrificing our Christian principles the men will come.
I think for to long men have been slighted by the publishing houses and maybe even authors them selves, by not writing what men would read. Men prefer a strong lead male charachter and lots of action. I think we can do this without writing a violent scene just because the author thinks the reader needs some red meat or droping the f bomb every other word. I believe that those types of tactics only feed the sterotype that all men are knuckle draggers looking for the next fight or the next girl to hook up with.
I think that we need to break the sterotype, that to be a good Christian we need to read only non-fiction. I feel that a lot of Christians fear that if they read a good action book it would corrupt the soul. I do think we need to guard our heart and not allow our selves to become of this world, but instead be in the world.

Writing for God

If you asked me twenty years ago, "what do you want to do with you life?" If I was honest, I would have told you, "make a lot of money so I won't have to work when I'm forty." Well, guess what? I am now in my forties and I'm still working. What I would have never guessed is I would be a writer. No way, no how. I hated writing. My entire life was centered on making money for the sake of making money. And I wanted to make a lot of money. I looked for anything that would make me a ton of money. I bought a cleaning company, I went to school for business, I even started my own company making hot sauce. I did pretty well at making hot sauce. But it wasn't God's plan, none of them were. It wasn't until after I closed the hot sauce company that I began writing for the enjoyment of it. At the time I wasn't a Christian.

To be honest I never understood what it meant to be a Christian and a follower of Jesus. My parents never took me to Church. In high school my goal was to get through it with as little work as possible. Then I would start my own company and put in as little effort, make millions of dollars and hire people to run my company. I would drive a 250,000 dollar Ferrari. It was all planned out for after high school. In high school writing was painful. Like the rest of school I just wanted to finish any writing projects as quickly as possible, with as little effert as possible.

I have been a writer longer than I have been a Christian, but I beleive it was God that put me on this path to becoming a writer. Over the years my writing has evolved. I started out writing for the secular market, but thanks to God, who, over time have be guiding me toward becoming an indie Christian author. He has inspired me to write and brought people into my life. There was no way I couldn't be anything but a Christian writer, writing for God's sake.