There is an adage that urges the writer to write about what they know, and I have followed this to the letter. In addition to being an author, I have worked as a private investigator. I have also trained at two martial arts schools that specialize in Ninjutsu; Genbukan Yamato Dojo, and Bujinkan. Moreover, as a patrolman, and an ambulance driver, I have had the privilege of serving with female partners, lending me a valuable insight into the struggles that they face in otherwise male-dominated fields. But this is not all; I am also an occultist, making me familiar with things that most people would not even believe exist.😊
It is the year 1912. The Titanic is preparing for her maiden voyage, and England and Germany are locked in an arms race. Although Europe is at peace, spies on both sides are gathering intelligence in preparation for war. In the midst of this increasingly volatile situation, Sir Thomas Blackthorne and Ms. Adelaide DeMarcy of His Majesty's Secret Service Bureau, are tasked with investigating the death of a member of Parliament. In the end, it will take all of Sir Thomas's talent as a psychic, and Adelaide's skill as a Ninja, to unravel the truth, and survive…
In my opinion, this is a wonderful example of the Lady Detective genre. I found the chemistry between the main character, and her male partner, to be both charming and engaging. Moreover, the world building was excellent, and the author does a great job of presenting the mystery itself while leaving me wanting more once it was solved. It was from books like this, and the classic TV show, The Avengers, that my own series had its genesis.
After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica Speedwell intends to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry-and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb.But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. The baron offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker-a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can…
Every good book requires research, and in the case of my book, I feel that the best source for information concerning the legendary Ninja of Japan, and their shadowy Art, comes to us by way of Stephen K. Hayes, who introduced this subject to the West through his many books. The Mystic Arts of the Ninja not only showcases the weapons and the martial arts of the Ninja (which was vital in building my character, Ms. Adelaide DeMarcy) but provides a valuable insight into their mystical practices.
Ninja . . . that single word conjures up images of mystery and power. The ability to move swiftly and silently, to mesmerize one's victim, to strike infallibly, and then to disappear into the night--this is the legend of the ninja. These nearly sorcerous aspects of the ninja, as well as the exotic weapons they use, are the focus of The Mystic Arts of the Ninja. Its author, Shidoshi Stephen K. Hayes, is the sole American to be granted teaching credentials by the 34th grandmaster of the Togokure School of Ninjutsu in Japan. Going beyond the basic conditioning and training…
Again, research is everything when it comes to creating a believable series, and while this book focuses solely on Israel, and its clandestine battles with its many enemies, it still manages to capture the overall tone of international intrigue, and the wars fought in the shadows by unknown warriors. Accordingly, it served as a template for the adventures of my characters.
Mossad is universally recognised as the greatest intelligence service in the world. It is also the most enigmatic, shrouded in a thick veil of secrecy. Many of its enthralling feats are still unknown; most of its heroes remain unnamed.From the kidnapping of Eichmann in Argentina and the systematic tracking down of those responsible for the Munich massacre to lesser-known episodes of astonishing espionage, this extraordinary book describes the dramatic, largely secret history of Mossad and the Israeli intelligence community.Examining the covert operations, the targeted assassinations and the paramilitary activities within and outside Israel, Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal detail the…
Talented and clever, Dominika is compelled to become a Sparrow and use her body to serve Mother Russia. Justifiably angry, she becomes a double agent for the CIA—and in the process, finds love. Red Sparrow is an excellent example of the Lady Spy genre and Cold War espionage from the Russian side of things. More importantly, it highlights a woman’s struggle to matter in a world that doesn’t care about anything more than her gender. Red Sparrow served as a guide for creating Ms. Adelaide DeMarcy. Like Dominika, she is a talented agent and a formidable fighter but lives in a time and a place where many men ignore her talents and refuse to believe that she even deserves the right to vote, or drive a car.
THE MAJOR MOTION PICTURE starring Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Jeremy Irons.
Dominika Egorov, former prima ballerina, is sucked into the heart of Putin's Russia, the country she loved, as the twists and turns of a betrayal and counter-betrayal unravel.
American Nate Nash, idealistic and ambitious, handles the double agent, codenamed MARBLE, considered one of CIA's biggest assets. He needs to keep his identity secret for as long as the mole can keep supplying golden information.
Will Dominika be able to unmask MARBLE, or will the mission see her faith destroyed in the country she has always passionately defended?
Another research source for my book, this series lent me a valuable insight into Celtic mysticism--on steroids, and it gave me an insight into what was possible with my male character, Sir Thomas Blackthorne (although I chose to take things in a radically different direction). I heartily recommend the audio version of this book, as narrated by the talented Rebecca McKernan.
Their relationship forbidden by the ancients. They are destined to change the world.
Druid Twilight: The Loom of Destiny is an epic journey to first century Ancient Britain, a fictional story set in a pivotal historic time.
By the authority of Emperor Claudius, four Roman legions invade the island for the second time under the command of a cunning and ruthless Governor. The Generals decide that the best way to subdue the warring tribes is to destroy the cultural and spiritual support offered by the Druids. What they do not know is that there is not one, but two Druid…
The Road from Belhaven is set in 1880s Scotland. Growing up in the care of her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, Lizzie Craig discovers as a small girl that she can see the future. But she soon realises that she must keep her gift a secret. While she can sometimes glimpse the future, she can never change it.
Nor can Lizzie change the feelings that come when a young man named Louis, visiting Belhaven for the harvest, begins to court her. Why have the adults around her never told her that the touch of a hand can change everything? When she follows Louis to Glasgow, she begins to learn the limits of his devotion and the complexities of her own affections.
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy, a novel about a young woman whose gift of second sight complicates her coming of age in late-nineteenth-century Scotland
Growing up in the care of her grandparents on Belhaven Farm, Lizzie Craig discovers as a small child that she can see into the future. But her gift is selective—she doesn’t, for instance, see that she has an older sister who will come to join the family. As her “pictures” foretell various incidents and accidents, she begins to realize a painful truth: she may glimpse the future, but…
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