Some readings from my rough draft of a new novel and a brief review of the new movie, The Courier , with Benedict Cumberbatch. To celebrate the three-year anniversary of the launch of the series A Perfect Hatred , all four books are specially priced.
We tie up all the antagonists' threads in this episode, and you get a preview of the books I'll be featuring in April--my four-book series, A Perfect Hatred. (Warning: some salty language)
More reading from A War of Deception and a brief discussion of an interesting, unclassified report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
And A Face in the Crowd. Some thoughts about Bobby Sands on his birthday, and the podcast has its own website: realspiesreallives.com .
In March, I'll be reading from my 2017 debut novel, A War of Deception , and its mini-sequel, A Face in the Crowd . Find them HERE .
I'm reading from the rough draft of a new novel, The Devil Passed By , and discussing episode 4 of the Netflix series Spycraft --"Clandestine Collection."
A final reading from the new novel, Love Death , and my thoughts on Spycraft Episode 3, "Sexpionage." Note: Though not explicit by any means, I do discuss the use of sex as a way to recruit, control, and blackmail subjects.
Alexei's incursion into The Annex is complete, and he's escaped with Gunter Metz, who wants only to see his family. A glitch at Checkpoint Charlie means Mai has to be the diversion to get Alexei safely into West Berlin--or she'll be the target. This episode is marked clean but warning for a post-sex scene between a married couple; nothing explicit.
There's mission planning, but then there's Mai Fisher's intuition. Alexei has learned to trust it, even when she strikes out on her own. Also, I discuss episode two of a new Netflix series, "Spycraft." The episode fits right in with Love Death ; it's called "Deadly Poisons."
More reading from the upcoming new novel Love Death , but also NASCAR and baseball. What? (Note: I've marked this episode "Clean," but there is a scene of a married couple in bed, post-coital.)
Mai learns something about Alexei she didn't know when she meets Kolya Bukharin.
Warning: I talk a bit about politics. Otherwise, get a glimpse into how two different spies make their approaches and pitches.
Another taste of my upcoming book, Love Death , with some history and German politics. Oooh, exciting.
Some refections on 2020 and a reading from an upcoming new novel, Love Death . Happy New Year!
My personal appreciation for John le Carre, who died this past weekend at the age of 89. Also, no podcast for 12/25/2020. Happy holidays--whichever one you celebrate or not. Be safe!
In this episode, I talk about who inspired the characters Mai Fisher and Alexei Bukharin. You'll get a little back story and an insight into how much fun writing these characters is for me.
The final few chapters--and some editorializing about Slobodan Milosevic--of the trilogy Self-Inflicted Wounds , after its conclusion with the publication of And Justice for All , book three. Tying up loose ends seldom happens for spies, but Mai Fisher generally gets what she wants. Find the trilogy HERE .
We're closing in on the conclusion of And Justice for All . Mai and Alexei wrap everything up in Belgrade and prepare to return home--but is the mission really over? And is it, as Mai promised, their last? Please note: There will be no podcast on Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy your holiday, everyone!
It's well known that Mai Fisher will risk almost anything to have a successful mission, but let herself get captured? Not the first time. Trigger warning: Mention of rape.
And Justice for All brings Mai and Alexei's mission in the Balkans to a close, but in the process, they deal with an old enemy, discover a devastating betrayal, and save a marriage--not theirs. And Justice for All is available for preorder HERE .
The final chapters of Dangerous Truths , book two of Self-Inflicted Wounds , also end on a bit of a cliffhanger. You might say all of book three is the denouement!
Some more chapters from book two, Dangerous Truths , and my philosophy on sex scenes in thrillers. That got your attention, right?
Mai and Alexei get a hint of who might be involved in the murders of the "friends of Milosevic" and someone takes care of a complication for them. More from Self-Inflicted Wounds book two, Dangerous Truths . Preorder book two HERE .
Another reading from Self-Inflicted Wounds Book Two, Dangerous Truths . Mai Fisher confirms that if it is Russian mercenaries behind the murders of Yugoslavian officials, they're a sadistic bunch, and she finds that out the hard way.
Launch day for Welcome to Belgrade (which you can buy HERE ), a resolution to our cliffhanger from Welcome to Belgrade and a few chapters from book two, Dangerous Truths, which you can preorder HERE .
Cliffhangers are a tried and true thriller trope, perhaps overused on occasion, but certainly a good way to keep a reader reading. Welcome to Belgrade is still available for preorder and launches a week from today.
Why not? Cliffhangers are one of the oldest tropes in a thriller. I try to avoid cliches, but a trope? Sometimes they can be an author's best friend. Welcome to Belgrade is available for preorder and will launch on October 1, 2020.
Episode 14! A few more chapters from Welcome to Belgrade , book one of the trilogy Self-Inflicted Wounds , and I ramble on a bit about John le Carre, British interrogation techniques, and 9/11.
From Self-Inflicted Wounds: Welcome to Belgrade (book one): Mai Fisher arrives in Belgrade for her mission to stop the political murders in Yugoslavia, unaware that Alexei has reactivated himself and is following her surreptitiously. Mai visits an old acquaintance, now a low-level Russian Mafiya boss in Belgrade to see what information he might have on the "friends of Milosevic" murders. Alexei, however, can't quite convince himself that Mai isn't behind some of those murders. Preorder Welcome t...
Episode 12! We're moving along--and the audience is growing. Wish I knew what caused that so I can keep it up! This week's episode revolves around the opening scene of the first book in my trilogy Self-Inflicted Wounds . In Welcome to Belgrade , my character Mai Fisher meets with the notorious Serbian war criminal Arkan, and he insists that they make small talk so as not to raise suspicions about his motivation in meeting her. His version of small talk, however, means bringing some of Mai's wors...
