Posts Tagged ‘contemporary fiction’

Edward Norton, John Cusack, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Martin Sheen are among a star-studded line up of A-Listers who headline a soon-to-be-released documentary on J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye.

JD Salinger reading Catcher in the Rye in 1952

J.D. Salinger in 1952

September 5, 2013 is the scheduled release date of the Weinstein Company-distributed doco, which the publicists say “provides an unprecedented look inside the private world of J.D. Salinger”.

Listed as one of the best novels of the 20th Century, The Catcher in the Rye was also the most censored book and the second most taught book in US public schools at one point. Its vulgarity, sexual references and alleged undermining of family values have seen it earn the dubious distinction of being one of the most frequently challenged books since the early 1990’s.

Total sales 65 million and rising.

The Catcher in the Rye has been associated with several high profile shootings including and John Hinckley Jr’s assassination attempt on Ronal Reagan and Mark David Chapman’s shooting of John Lennon. Chapman was arrested with his own worn copy of the book on his person.

The Catcher in the Rye features prominently in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy – most notably in book one, The Ninth Orphan. Our references to Salinger’s book are made in the context of the CIA-sanctioned MK-Ultra mind control activities, which made international headlines at the time. Google “MK-Ultra” some time… It makes for sobering reading!

This book acknowledges Catcher’s hold on people.

Meanwhile, Associated Press reports the authors of a new J.D. Salinger biography claim they have cracked one of publishing’s greatest mysteries: what the author of The Catcher in the Rye was working on during the last half century of his life.

AP reports a series of posthumous Salinger releases are planned after 2015, according to David Shields and Shane Salerno, whose book Salinger will be published on 3 September… Providing by far the most detailed report of previously unreleased material, the book’s authors cite “two independent and separate sources” who they say have “documented and verified” the information.

The Salinger books would revisit Catcher protagonist Holden Caulfield and draw on Salinger’s World War II years and his immersion in eastern religion. The material also would feature new stories about the Glass family of Franny and Zooey and other Salinger works…

Over the past 50 years, there has been endless and conflicting speculation over what Salinger was doing during his self-imposed retirement. That Salinger continued to write is well documented. The author himself told the New York Times in 1974 that he wrote daily, although only for himself.

But there is no consensus on what he was writing and no physical evidence of what Salinger had reportedly stashed in a safe in his home in Cornish, New Hampshire. The Salinger estate…has remained silent on the subject since the author’s death in January 2010. –AP.

 

And so the intrigue over The Catcher in the Rye and its mysterious author continues!

 

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Our thriller series The Orphan Trilogy dominates three of the top five most popular conspiracy fiction books listed in Goodreads.com’s favorite Intrigue Book Lists – alongside Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan BrownAngels & Demons by Dan BrownThe Orphan Trilogy by James MorcanThe Ninth Orphan by James MorcanThe Orphan Factory by James Morcan

Conspiracy Fiction    677 books    —    293 voters

The Orphan Trilogy 3-in-1 box set comes in at #3 on the list while The Ninth Orphan and The Orphan Factory come in at #4 and #5 respectively.

Jurassic Park by Michael CrichtonThe Ninth Orphan by James MorcanThe Andromeda Strain by Michael CrichtonThe Hunt for Red October by Tom ClancySphere by Michael Crichton

Best Technothrillers Ever    346 books    —    266 voters

The Ninth Orphan occupies the #2 spot in the Best Technothrillers Ever category.

The Ninth Orphan by James MorcanTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le CarréThe Boys from Brazil by Ira LevinFalse Impressions by Sandra NikolaiThe Zombie Room by R.D. Ronald

Tight Plot Novels    22 books    —    25 voters

It goes one better to finish at #1 in the Tight Plot Novels category.

The Orphan Uprising by James MorcanAgainst The Tide by John F. HanleyFiji by Lance MorcanIce Station by Matthew ReillyPatriot Games by Tom Clancy

Best Action-Adventure Novels    265 books    —    251 voters

The Orphan Uprising, book three in the trilogy, tops the best Action-Adventure Novels category. Our historical adventure-romance, Fiji: A Novel, comes in at #3 on that list (above). The Orphan Uprising is also #2 in the Most Violent Action Novels category (below).

Wild Hearted by Lea BronsenThe Orphan Uprising by James MorcanBurden of Sisyphus by Jon MessengerMonster Hunter International by Larry CorreiaStorm Front by Jim Butcher

Best violent action novels    65 books    —    124 voters

(The above listings are current as at 29 August, 2013. They change daily).

There’s a ton of recommended reading on Goodreads.com’s favorite Intrigue Book Lists. For the full list go to: http://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/intrigue

 

Happy reading! –Lance

 

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Our conspiracy thriller The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has achieved another milestone, amassing forty 5-Star reviews on Amazon.

The latest Amazon reviewer, Grace H. Busch, of Brazil, says:

Good suspense the whole time. I had difficulty going to bed at night because I wanted to see what would happen.

In The Ninth Orphan, an orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

But can the ninth-born orphan ever get off the grid? To find out you’ll need to go on a tumultuous journey around the globe to such far-flung locations as China, France, the Philippines, Andorra, America, England, Germany and French Polynesia. The frenetic cat-and-mouse chase moves from airports to train stations and hidden torture prisons, taking the reader on a shocking, nail-biting ride into the world’s closet of skeletons that goes beyond conspiracy theories to painful reality.

Fast-paced, totally fresh and original, filled with deep and complex characters, The Ninth Orphan is a controversial, high-octane thriller with an edge. Merging fact with fiction, it illuminates shadow organizations rumored to actually exist in our world. The novel explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, MI6, and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families.

Tackling genetic selection, mind control and secret societies, The Ninth Orphan exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few. The novel’s antagonists are members of a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. Could something like this ever take place? Or, is it already taking place right now?

This unique and unpredictable thriller also has a poignant, romantic sub-plot. The story contains the kind of intimate character portraits usually associated with psychological novels.

*   *   *

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is available as a trade paperback and Kindle ebook via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! –Lance

 

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After decades of accusations that the conspiracy theorists are nutters, the US Government has finally admitted the famed Area 51, in Nevada, does exist.

Wfm area 51 landsat geocover 2000.jpg

A satellite image of Area 51

The top secret cold war test site adjoining Nellis Air Force Base, northwest of Las Vegas, has long been fodder for speculation the authorities have covered up reported sightings of UFO’s and aliens. Until now the government has denied its existence.

Nellis Air Force Base

Now a newly declassified CIA document confirms the existence of Area 51. The document states the contentious zone was used as a testing range for the government’s U-2 spy plane during the Cold War.

However, there’s no mention of the controversial Roswell incident, which UFO believers claim was an alien space ship that crashed in New Mexico in 1947 and not a weather balloon as the authorities insisted. Supporters of the theory allege that Area 51’s hangars were used to hide evidence of alien bodies recovered from the ship.

The CIA asserts government secrecy surrounding Area 51 was simply about ensuring a new spy plane – the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft – remained hidden from prying Soviet eyes. Plausible considering it was designed specifically for high altitude snooping on the Soviets.

The report explains the “tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects” as an “unexpected side effect” of high altitude testing of the U-2. Also plausible considering the U-2’s silver wings reflected the rays of the sun.

However, that doesn’t explain the Roswell incident or the many other reported UFO, and indeed alien, sightings in and around Area 51 over the years.

It’s easy to dismiss the reports as the ramblings of zealous conspiracy theorists. However, in the wake of the US Government’s belated and official admission that Area 51 does exist, maybe those reports shouldn’t be dismissed quite so readily.

We visit Area 51 and Nellis Air Force Base in The Orphan Uprising, book three in our conspiracy thriller series, The Orphan Trilogy. Be warned, it raises more questions than answers – questions we’ll probably never know the answers to.

The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy, #3) is available via Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFC66DM/

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The latest reviews are in for our conspiracy thriller novels – all 5 Stars! Excerpts from these reviews, together with the novels’ average Amazon reviewer rating, follow below…

The Ninth Orphan – Average reviewer rating 4 Stars

“This book was absolutely one of the best books I have read in my time, it’s extremely engaging and exciting. During the time I was reading the trilogy I struggled to put them down for five minutes!!!” -Book Addict

For full review go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

The Orphan Factory – Average reviewer rating 4.7 Stars

“…..The second book gives Nine a history, what created the man you meet in the first book… A very well written, multi-faceted book that is a joy to read.” -S.J. Hailey

For full review go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/

 

The Orphan Uprising – Average reviewer rating 5 Stars

“I can’t say enough about this international conspiracy thriller series. Fast paced action and an extremely thought provoking premise.” -Phoenix

For full review go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFC66DM/

 

If you’re a conspiracy thriller fan, you may be interested to know The Orphan Trilogy is available as a discounted box set – average Amazon reviewer rating 4.4 Stars.

The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising) available via Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGGM05U/

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In the wake of whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations it seems there’s little doubt that New Zealand is part of the US spy network.

Ah well, I guess it had to happen. Down here in God’s Own (New Zealand, or Newzil as we Kiwis call it), buried as we are at the bottom of the world, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security – to believe our isolation protects us from terrorism, Big Brother and snooping spy agencies.

While our Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) refuses to say whether it transmits information from American spy satellites to the US, information leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Ed (Snowden) suggests our listening stations are indeed  used to collect data from American spy satellites overhead.

Protestors at Waihopai spy base, New Zealand

It was NZ Herald reporter Isaac Davison’s article of August 6 that first got my interest over this whole sorry business. He reported security experts fear GCSB’s Waihopai base (here in NZ) is used to process data from an American mass surveillance program – a program “which is capable of secretly accessing emails, online chats and internet browsing histories from around the world”.

The article quotes computer forensic investigator Daniel Ayers, who founded IT security firm Special Tactics, as saying the leaked documents showed the global scale of the US spy program.

Here’s more from the article:

…New Zealand’s spy bases were already used to collect intelligence from the South Pacific and relay it to Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners – the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Mr Ayers said the leaked document hinted that New Zealand could be a conduit for data intercepted by US spy satellites.

“Does that red dot on the map signify that Waihopai is being used to ‘downlink’ intercepted data from other countries? If that’s the case, then it’s pretty big news because I don’t think that’s been publicly discussed by the Government. It means our role in this is greater than we knew.”

He said it also raised the possibility that US agencies were intercepting New Zealanders’ communications.

Former GCSB senior adviser Damien Rogers said the revelation that an XKeyscore server was located in New Zealand was not in itself significant. But it prompted questions about where data from the mass surveillance programme went and who had control over it…

For the full article go to: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/privacy/news/article.cfm?c_id=546&objectid=10908642

We raise many of the concerns highlighted by Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange before him, in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising). Yesterday’s blog at https://morcanbooksandfilms.com/ highlights some of these.

We set the tone in The Ninth Orphan, book one in the series. Here’s an excerpt from The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):

“…The emerald green eyes that stared back were full of strength and determination. They were also tinged with sadness – for a life their owner had never experienced.

Studying his reflection in the safety of his hotel room, Nine noticed the mirror had flecks of mold on it as well as fingerprints from other guests.

Lamenting his foiled transaction with the Chinese in Kensington Gardens earlier that morning, he still didn’t know which agency had interfered. It had been a serious setback for his plans. He knew there’d be another opportunity to trade with the Chinese, however.

After he’d given the police the slip at Saint Yeghiche Church, he’d gone to the East End. Then, once satisfied he’d shaken his pursuers, he had checked into this inconspicuous hotel and immediately set about establishing a new identity for himself.

Nine knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the Omega Agency would already know he was in London. He was only too aware Omega had people planted on the inside of all Western intelligence agencies. It was a no-brainer his fellow Omega operatives would be coming for him.

The contents on his flash drive were far too valuable for the agency to give up on.

The fugitive agent reminded himself it was imperative he presented a different face to the world each time he ventured out.

He made a silent vow to make good use of his vast array of disguises. Be like a ghost and they’ll never catch you.

The Ninth Orphan is available as a trade paperback and kindle ebook via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

P.S.  I liked one wag’s comment on TV last night. He said our GCSB is a misnomer and should be renamed GCBS…and we all know what BS stands for!

Happy reading! –Lance

 

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In today’s issue of Truthdig.com, columnist Robert Scheer asks “How do you justify criminally charging a government contractor for revealing an alarming truth that the public has every right to know?”

Scheer claims, “That is the contradiction raised by President Obama now that he has, in effect, acknowledged that Edward Snowden was an indispensable whistle-blower who significantly raised public awareness about a government threat to our freedom.”

Scheer says it’s unfortunate the president didn’t have the grace and courage to concede that precise point and remains committed to imprisoning Snowden instead of thanking him for serving the public interest. He reckons WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange nailed it when he (Assange) said, “Today, the president of the United States validated Edward Snowden’s role as a whistleblower by announcing plans to reform America’s global surveillance program”.

                                        

                                               Edward Snowden                                   Julian Assange

Here’s some of the more telling excerpts from Sheer’s Truthdig.com article:

While boasting, “I called for a review of our surveillance programs,” Obama avoided the obvious fact that this review was compelled not by a sudden burst of respect for the safeguards demanded by our Constitution but rather Snowden’s action in making the public cognizant of the astounding breadth and depth of the National Security Agency’s spying program.

Once again, Obama managed to blame not those responsible for government malfeasance, himself included, but instead the rare insiders driven to do their duty to inform the American people. “Unfortunately, rather than an orderly and lawful process to debate these issues and come up with appropriate reforms, repeated leaks of classified information have initiated the debate in a very passionate but not always fully informed way,” he said.

How disingenuous, to put it mildly. Without the leaks, there would be no reforms. We, the voters, couldn’t initiate a debate about the wisdom of this extensive spying because the government officials who authorized it, from the president on down, kept us in the dark.

For Scheer’s full article go to: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/restore_honor_and_pardon_edward_snowden_20130813/

Regardless of the rights and wrongs of Snowden’s actions, or Assange’s for that matter, Scheer does have a point when he asks how Snowden can be condemned for revealing information “the public has every right to know”. But, hey, maybe I’m missing something here?

We’d like to know what you think. Drop a line or leave a message on our blog.

It is a tricky one this ‘freedom of speech vs national security issue’ and I know there’s no simple answer. We raise some of these very issues in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising).

           

Here’s some relevant quotes from The Orphan Trilogy:

* “Factual reporting is all too often propaganda designed to provoke certain reactions from the masses.”

* “Each administration sold out on the most lucrative issues – oil, banking, drug trafficking, arms sales.”

* “The Omega Agency had infiltrated the highest ranks of the CIA.”

* “The only salvation for civilization lies in the creation of a world government.”

* “Kentbridge was certain all of the US presidents since JFK had been puppets.”

* “One could place a monkey in the White House Oval Office and everything would run just fine.”

* “Why else do you think we are permanently at war in various regions all over the world?”

* “Why is it the citizens of this country, one of the richest on earth, get poorer each year?”

The Orphan Trilogy box set is available via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGGM05U/

Happy reading! –Lance

  

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Book three in The Orphan Trilogy resumes five years after book one, The Ninth Orphan, ends. It’s an action-packed finale in the life story of Nine, the ninth-born orphan, whose idyllic lifestyle is shattered when his son is abducted by operatives of the Omega Agency, the shadowy organization that once controlled every aspect of his life.

With an average review rating of 5 out of 5 Stars on Amazon, The Orphan Uprising is attracting some stellar comments from reviewers…“A heart tearing, mind splitting, gut churning crusade,” according to Welcome Home Soldier Reviews; “An extreme roller coaster ride of emotions,” says My Scribe World; “Constant action and very fast paced,” according to J.Winstead.

Here’s an excerpt from The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy, #3):

Nine studied his opposite closely. For once, he seemed to be telling the truth. He motioned to Naylor to move over. The old man gave up his seat for Nine who resumed reading, scrolling through the file’s contents at the rate of a page a second just as he’d been taught to do as an operative-in-waiting at the Pedemont Orphanage.

With every page, his concern for Francis grew. The document contained a litany of medical horrors that ranged from never-before attempted organ and face transplants to unsanctioned cloning procedures and flat-lining experiments. Medical and scientific text was supported by graphic photographs of subjects – children and teenagers – who had been subjected to these experiments. Some were grotesque in the extreme.

Nine opened the second confidential file. It was headed Medical Laboratory #1 and related to Omega’s secret lab in DRC, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Scrolling through the pages of this file, the former operative could see it made for equally gruesome reading. If anything, the scientific experiments being conducted at the DRC lab were even more horrific than at the lab in Greenland.

Naylor fidgeted nervously as Nine continued reading. He could imagine what was going through his rogue operative’s mind.

The awful reality of what Francis was going to be subjected to slowly dawned on Nine. It was clear he’d been abducted for some sort of experiment. But what? He looked up at Naylor and pointed his Glock at his head. “Talk old man. And make it good. Tell me why you took my son.” With that, he pulled a mini-digital recording device from his pocket and placed it on the desktop between them. A red light indicated it had been recording all along. “You’ve already hung yourself, so you might as well tell me everything.”

Naylor’s eyes were drawn to the recorder. Tearing his eyes away from the device, he could tell from the expression on Nine’s face that there was murder in his heart. He had to control the sudden pressure in his bladder to prevent himself from pissing where he sat. “I can explain.” He took a deep breath. “You’re the only one of the Pedemont orphans who has a child. Coming from a mixture of your exceptional genes and your wife’s regular genes, Francis has unique DNA. He’s a one-of-a-kind.”

“What will be done to him exactly.”

Naylor hesitated. Nine waved his Glock menacingly, prompting him to continue. “He will assist our cloning program,” Naylor continued. “He’ll undergo a range of tests- -”

“Tests? What tests?” Nine was growing more alarmed by the second.

“I don’t have specifics, but they’ll be scientifically conducted and monitored by Doctor Andrews’ team.”

Nine could feel his disbelief and anger growing in equal measure. He felt like his head was about to explode. Irate beyond words, he jumped to his feet and pistol-whipped Naylor, leaving the old man’s face cut and bloodied. “You bastard!” Nine swore at the Omega boss who now lay groaning on the carpet. “Just what gives you the right to play God with my son?”

As Nine remonstrated with Naylor, he didn’t hear the faint sound of someone behind him until it was too late.

The first that Nine realized something was wrong was when he tried to sit up. He couldn’t. And he had a splitting headache. When he attempted to open his eyes, the light was blinding and everything seemed to be spinning.

As normality slowly returned, Nine realized he was lying on the floor of Naylor’s den. It dawned on him he’d been bushwhacked and he cursed that he hadn’t been more attentive.

The staffer he’d seen outside was now standing alongside Naylor, talking to someone on his cell phone. He was holding Nine’s Glock in his other hand and he surveyed the intruder as he spoke. Naylor was gingerly dabbing at his bloodied face with a tissue.

 “He’s conscious now,” the staffer said into his phone. “Don’t worry, he won’t give us any more trouble.”

“Tell them to get here fast,” Naylor said, glaring at Nine. “I want this son-of-a-bitch in secure confinement at HQ.”

“Get here quick,” the staffer said before ending the call. He turned to Naylor. “They’re only ten minutes away.”

Nine guessed the staffer was referring to reinforcements from Omega. The former operative knew once he was interned at Omega’s underground HQ, he’d never be seen again. And neither would Francis. He realized he had to escape within the next minute or two. How to distract them? A desperate plan came to mind.

Naylor remembered the mini-recorder on the desktop. Its red light indicated it was still recording. He picked up the device and hurled it against a wall, smashing it. 

Nine chuckled. “You realize I’m also wired,” he lied.

Naylor looked down at him, horrified. He hadn’t considered that someone on the outside could have been listening to the conversation these past few minutes. If that was the case, he knew he was finished. Naylor turned to his staffer. “Search him.”

The staffer handed the Glock to Naylor. “Shoot him if he tries anything, sir.”

Naylor trained the Glock on Nine as his staffer bent down to frisk the intruder. That was the opening Nine had been waiting for. He reached up, grabbed the staffer by his ears and pulled his head down. At the same time, he raised his own head sharply off the floor, effectively delivering an old fashioned Liverpool Kiss, or head-butt, knocking the man senseless.

 

To order The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy, #3), or view the Amazon reviews, go to:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFC66DM/

For more about this and other Morcan novels go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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Book one in The Orphan Trilogy explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, NSA, MI6 and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families. It exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few.

The novel’s antagonists are members of a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. Timely considering recent intelligence released by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Could something like this ever take place? Or is it taking place right now?

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In The Ninth Orphan an orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

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Here’s an excerpt from The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):

Nine glanced at his reflection in a nearby wall mirror. Perplexed green eyes stared out of a pale, serious face which was framed by dark, curly, slightly longish hair. His was a face that didn’t look lived in.

Handsome in a dangerous sort of way, he had the appearance of a man permanently at war with his inner demons. Despite this, he looked slightly younger than his thirty one years. Only his eyes revealed any sign of his true age; they were haunted – as if they’d witnessed one too many tragedies.

After drying himself, Nine approached the table, selected a scalpel and proceeded to make a three inch incision in the fleshy portion of his left forearm. Although he’d never operated on himself before, the incision was quick and neat. Even so, the blood flowed freely and immediately soaked the towels beneath his arm.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he cut through the flesh until the scalpel’s wickedly sharp edge came into contact with something metallic. “Got you!” he hissed through clenched teeth. Using a pair of tweezers, he clamped the metallic object and extracted it from his flesh. The blood-stained object, which was almost two inches long, was a miniature tracking device in the form of a microchip.

Placing the device on a towel, he selected a surgical needle and thread, then proceeded to stitch himself up. Nine found this part of the operation even more painful. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he struggled to sew himself up using one hand. Only by jamming his wounded arm between his hip and the table was he able to compensate for not being able to use both hands. Ten long minutes and thirty stitches later, he was done.

As a final act, he bandaged his wound. Limited as he was to using one hand, this took several attempts before he got it right. Nine straightened up and took several deep breaths to fight off the pain and feelings of nausea he was experiencing. He shuddered involuntarily.

Nine was knowledgeable enough about human anatomy and medicine to understand the nerve hypersensitivity he felt was an entirely normal post-surgery symptom.

Despite the pain and light-headedness, he gathered his things – including the tracking device, surgical instruments and bloodstained towels – bundled them into his backpack and checked out of Baguio Mountain Hotel. In the establishment’s car park, he headed toward a rental car and jumped in. After starting the engine, he wrapped the microchip in several sheets of tinfoil before driving off…

…Twenty three red dots flashed at various places on a digital map of the world. The dots represented the locations of the Omega Agency’s field operatives. Carrying out high-level black ops on all seven continents, the twenty three operatives included males and females of almost every race.

The red dots confirmed only two Omega operatives were currently in Asia. Seventeen, a blonde female, had recently landed in Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Nine’s dot, which only a short time earlier had mysteriously vanished before reappearing, indicated he was also situated on Luzon.

Omega director Andrew Naylor and veteran agent Tommy Kentbridge studied the digital map grimly. Neither looked happy as the two dots in the Philippines rapidly converged.

Physically at least, the two officials were chalk and cheese. Naylor was a short, but dapper man in his late fifties. His skin was badly pock-marked and he had a lazy eye which people found disconcerting as they could never be sure if he was looking at them or someone else. Unfortunately for him, his personality matched his appearance.

Fifty-three-year-old Kentbridge looked like someone who could take control of any situation. At six foot one and with a commanding presence, he quickly earned the respect of all who came into contact with him.

 

An audible groan from Naylor confirmed what Kentbridge already knew. The director was seething at the latest turn of events.

Kentbridge had seen enough. The results of the past few hours had made him sick to his stomach. Hiding his concern, he swiveled his chair and surveyed the Omega Agency’s headquarters. It was a hive of activity as usual. Scientists, IT specialists, political analysts and other high-ranking officials were on duty. Sworn to secrecy, each was the best in his or her chosen field.

Although it looked like the interior of any corporate headquarters, Kentbridge knew appearances in this case were highly deceiving. For a start, these headquarters were located one mile below ground, hidden beneath a long-since abandoned hydro dam in south-west Illinois.

The secret facility was not only off limits to the general public, it was completely off the US Government’s radar. In fact, like everything else connected with Omega, knowledge of its existence was beyond any government.

 

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is a regular visitor to Amazon’s bestseller lists. It’s available as a kindle ebook and trade paperback.

To order this novel, or view the 85 Amazon customer reviews, go to:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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Books 1, 2 and 3 in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising) have an average Amazon reviewer rating of 4.6 out of 5 Stars.

Readers seen to like the fact we merge fact with fiction, illuminating shadow organizations rumored to actually exist in our world. The trilogy reveals a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. It has a poignant, romantic sub-plot.

4 Stars

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

The Ninth Orphan: An orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.             

4.7 Stars

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/

The Orphan Factory: This coming-of-age spy thriller novel is a prequel to The Ninth Orphan. It’s an epic, atmospheric story that begins with twenty-three genetically superior orphans being groomed to become elite spies in Chicago’s Pedemont Orphanage and concludes with a political assassination deep in the Amazon jungle. Embark on another frenetic journey with Nine, the ninth-born orphan, as he goes on the run across America.                                               

5 Stars

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFC66DM/

The Orphan Uprising: In this sequel to The Ninth Orphan, Nine’s idyllic lifestyle is shattered when his son Francis is abducted by operatives in the employ of the Omega Agency, the shadowy organization that once controlled every aspect of his life. Desperate to find Francis before Omega can harm him, Nine soon finds he’s up against his fellow orphans – all elite operatives as he once was – who are under orders to kill him on sight. He must call on all his former training and skills.

 4.4 Stars

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGGM05U/

The Orphan Trilogy: This controversial, high-octane thriller series is available via Amazon as a box set (3 books in 1) at a discounted price. It explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, NSA, MI6 and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama, Queen Elizabeth II as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families. The trilogy also contains the kind of intimate character portraits usually associated with psychological thrillers.

 

Happy Reading! — Lance & James

 

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