The Icarus Prediction

The Icarus Prediction: Betting it all has its price

Well written with a fast pace! ~ Review by Rae Phillips

The Icarus Prediction features a tightly written narrative that has a fast pace from start to finish, the authors writing style is fresh and exciting; it is a sharp edged read! I thought the writing style to be quite masculine and it is an intelligent novel. Similarly, it is not an overly indulgent; Gupta makes his point quickly and moves on. I found it to be an exhilarating read. Gupta has clearly done his research and certainly has insider knowledge; I loved the bit in the bio that reads…“The work is entirely fictional; however, you can draw your own conclusions"

If you are a fan of conspiracy theories and thrillers then you will enjoy this!

Book Description:

Some men fight tooth and nail through life, others seem blessed by the Gods. A Rhodes Scholar with an MBA from Harvard, Jarrod Stryker is of the latter variety—and the darling of banking world. Whatever he deigns to touch, obediently turns to gold.

But beneath the fine suit is a man with a history. The ex-CIA operative was dishonourably dismissed after falling on his sword to protect the woman he loved. The memories stay vivid, but the days of daring affairs and desert storms are long behind him. Gulfstreams and caviar are now more his style.

That is until he stumbles upon a conspiracy so great, it threatens to sever the threads of international diplomacy, and plunge the world into a dark age of chaos.

Jarrod Stryker will soon learn that the Gods can be fickle friends.

The Icarus Prediction: Betting it all has its price

Ryker’s Justice

 

Guest article by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

In the ancient Ozark hills, secrets abound in the remote valleys and caves. Jude Ryker has returned to his roots but there’s more involved than a homecoming. He’s a Department of Justice agent on a mission and there’s more at stake than falling in love. Ryker’s Justice, new from Evernight Publishing, by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy.

Excerpt:

She sang the lyrics, eyes closed, her alto voice taking the words and claiming them. Nicole made it into her song, her lament. Jude shared the raw emotions she put into it and he wanted to weep or rage. He ached to pound the steering wheel to vent his feelings, and he wanted to take her with such a powerful rush of desire that he didn’t dare trust himself to share.

Without warning, without thinking, he pulled into the parking lot of a long-closed restaurant as gravel crunched beneath his tires. As soon the truck halted, he touched her hand. “Stop,” he cried, his voice hoarse and harsh. Then Jude twisted the radio off and silence fell between them, heavy as sin, darker than midnight.

Nicole lifted her head and faced him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. “Jude?” she asked, hesitant.

Clumsy as a bear, desperate as a drunkard in search of drink, he grasped her shoulders and took her mouth with his. From the first impact, want triumphed over common sense and tenderness drowned under the powerful rush of aching need. In those moments, Jude sought to fill his emptiness, to erase his loneliness with Nicole’s vital presence. Desperation mingled with rising desire and he kissed her hard. Her mouth remained immobile beneath his and then yielded, her lips meeting his with the same hungry fire. Nicole wrapped her arms around him and held tight. Her essence, the taste of her mouth, the aroma of her hair and skin, surrounded him and he drank deep. Their connected mouths delivered a rush of pure emotion, enhanced with adrenalin. Jude kissed her until his lungs protested, until his breath came short and his body burned with want.

Something in the kiss awakened feelings he didn’t expect to have for any woman and delivered him from the abyss of his solitary life. He tasted hope on her lips and the impact skewered him, sharp and visceral. Everything he thought he’d wanted and worked for changed in those moments to a new reality. Jude broke away with more turbulent emotion than he’d had during meaningless sex. His feelings were engaged as much as his body, and the combination packed a potent punch.

He stared at her and when she smiled, his heart twisted into a pretzel knot. “Maybe I should sing more often,” she said.

 

Ryker’s Justice is available on Amazon!

Could you be a mad traveller?

"My husband recommended THE RED QUEST because he knows that I am fascinated with Soviet history. Great Job Jason! This is a very smart book. I love the way his record blends in interesting historical facts, pictures, and unique first hand accounts of the marvelous places he visited. Many times I found myself laughing: especially about the story where the builders of the church spire smashed a glass so that each shard would represent how many years the building would last, but they weren't happy when it only broke into two! Of course this part of the world is also peppered with oppression and violence which date back hundreds of years. Jason Smart's THE RED QUEST does a 10/10 job at capturing his travels with wit, humor, intelligence and facts! Please travel more so we can read another one! MUST READ!" ~ Review by Marlene - Highly Recommended

Blurb about book! (by Jason Smart)

The Red Quest is the true story of one man's mission to visit every country of the former Soviet Union.

Along the way the author:

· samples fermented mare's milk in Kazakhstan
· gets chased by hounds in Kiev
· is detained by the police in Kyrgyzstan
· travels through a snow blizzard between Armenia and Georgia
· and gets mugged by a pensioner in Tajikistan

Oh, and he also takes a side trip to a genuine breakaway state where he is almost beaten up in a border hut. All in the name of The Red Quest!

Join Jason Smart as he travels along the Red Quest through Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Russia, Romania, Moldova. Ukraine, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Poland, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and East Germany!

The Red Quest:Travels through 22 Former Soviet Republics

is available on Amazon!

US     UK     Canada

Meet The Author!

In real life I'm a 41-year-old teacher. But in my spare time I am a mad traveller. I've always been intrigued by the countries of the former Soviet Union and starting with a wintry trip to Riga, Latvia, I decided to visit as many as I could. Little did I realise that this quest would see my traversing half the planet and spending nearly all my cash reserves.

…read more on Jason Smart’s website

 

 

Excerpt – Prologue - . (Kindle Locations 59-74)

“Zis your first time in Russia?” asked the woman behind border control at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. She seemed grimly official and looked like she had not smiled since 1989. I nodded and passed my passport through the narrow gap. The thin-lipped security officer took it without comment, scrutinising my visa and immigration card as if expecting to find microfilm. Eventually she looked up and studied my face. I kept it as neutral as possible. Looking cheerful was not the correct protocol at passport control in Russia - it was a sign of something to hide.

“I vill ask again. Is zis first time in Russia?”

Under the woman's steely gaze I cracked. My mouth formed into a nervous smile. “Yes… and it's hot.”

I was referring to the heat wave. It was thirty-nine degrees Celsius in the shade. Reports of drunken vagabonds cooling themselves in the city’s fountains were beginning to hit the British press because some had drowned.

The customs official didn't understand. Her eyes narrowed a fraction. “Hot? What you mean... hot…?”

Around me, my fellow passengers averted their eyes. Swallowing hard, I gripped the metal bar in front of me to steady myself. “The weather is hot...” I stammered. “Moscow is hot.”

Time stood still. The woman stared without blinking. Finally she spoke. “Yes, I think I see... Moscow is hot.” She stamped my passport and ushered me through. I had infiltrated Russia, but it had been a close shave.

The Red Quest:Travels through 22 Former Soviet Republics

is available on Amazon!

US     UK     Canada