Arctic Warriors…a story about the struggle between the defenders of freedom and the forces of tyranny in America’s Northern most outpost.
The Bering Strait links the Arctic Ocean with the Bering Sea and separates the continents of Asia and North America. The U.S.-Russian boundary extends through the Strait. At the closest point 2.4 miles of open water separate the islands, thus the two greatest super powers on earth.
The importance as an invasion route is obvious. At the height of the cold war, the U.S. moved to block this invasion route by deploying naval, ground, and air defense commands throughout Alaska.
Eielson Air Force Base was a SAC facility located approximately 50 miles outside of Fairbanks, and some 200 miles from the U.S. border with the U.S.S.R. The fighters and B-52’s stationed there served to ‘check-mate’ those who would consider the Bering Strait as an invasion route.
The 562nd Air Defense Artillery defended Eielson with a ring of five Nike Hercules sites. The missiles were armed with nuclear warheads.
These nuclear birds were a constant target for espionage. Military Police Officers, trained in special tactics designed for the defense of nuclear weapons, were charged with the protection of these sites, and the personnel assigned to them. Their focus was singular, protect those nuclear warheads, and their methods were aggressive. Still, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
The Soviets recognized this and directed their efforts to breaking through the chain of defense. They flooded Fairbanks with spies, employing attractive women, who would prey on the lonely GI, gathering every scrap of information they could, in the effort to create a breach in the chain of security protecting our most effective weapons systems.
The author was a member of the Military Police Group that was assigned to the protection of the 562nd and it’s personnel. His novel, Arctic Warriors, is a fictional account of his experiences in this silent war between the world’s super-powers.
The setting is Charlie Battery of the 562nd Air Defense Artillery, United States Army Alaska. The time is 1968- 69.
J.B. opened his eyes as the slick slowed, banked left and began its descent. The doors and studded floor were covered in streaks of frost laid on by the ships dash through the frigid arctic air.
The nose of the Huey lifted a bit as the pilot flared the ship. The doors slammed back and they jumped into the night, landing on foreign soil. Scanning the tree line they waited. Nothing; the insertion was undetected.
J.B. thought, ‘their forest is no different than ours, just across the strip of water separating us, yet for me and mine this one is filled with danger.’ He gathered the squad as the Huey raced away across the Bearing.
Now they were alone. Trespassers, come to kill or retrieve a traitor.
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Ken Bangs is a native Texan who grew up in the then small town of Plano. By the time he was ten years old he knew for a certainty that he wanted to spend his life as a police officer. Following high school graduation Ken joined the Dallas Police Department and was walking a beat in downtown Dallas at the age of 19.
Ken spent 35 years in law enforcement and public safety the last twenty five as the Director of Police and Security Services for the Plano ISD. After retirement Ken and his wife Trudy moved to a farm outside of New Boston Texas where they established a home for children who were in the care of the Texas Child Protective Services. For the next ten years they devoted their lives to these disadvantaged children. An ordained minister Ken also served as the Senior Pastor for Regions Christian Center in Texarkana.
A veteran of the United States Army Military Police Corps, Ken holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice, a M.S. in Human Relations and Business Management and a Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Counseling.
Ken and Trudy have been married 45 years and now live in McKinney, Texas.
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Texas summers are no doubt some of the hottest you'll find. The heat encountered during this summer is not at all what Taylor bargained for. She's at a crossroads between childhood and womanhood, rummaging through the emotions of first love versus passion. Two young men tangle a web of needs and desires in her heart. The summer before college begins, Taylor is thrust from her childhood home in Houston to an inherited family farm on the outskirts of Schulenburg, Texas. Eric, her first love, has gone states away to play college football. Low-spirited and merely trying to get through an expectantly boring summer, she is nearly run off the road by her new country neighbor, Maxwell. Ruggedly handsome, devilishly charming and everything Taylor seeks to avoid, Maxwell does something to her emotions she's struggling desperately to interpret, as they spend the summer filled with each other. Boundaries are tested and the scales of lust tip despite hesitations. A final decision must be made. Did she ever truly love Eric? Is Maxwell simply a lustful thought, or is there more to uncover beneath the surface? One thing is for certain, this summer will change Taylor in every possible way: mind, body and soul.
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“How long until we get there?” Wherever there is.
“Not much longer,” is all he offers.
“Still not giving me a clue?” My mind is toying with ideas, but I can’t gather anything concrete. Whatever he has in store is truly a surprise.
“No, ma’am,” he grins naughtily then stupefies me with his next question. , “Everything okay in the Eric department?”
I sit stunned as fury builds in me. My face feels hot from anger. It must be red. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I utter hastily. The female voice on the phone still has me hot and bitter.
“Okay. Sorry,” he apologizes.
“You don’t need to be sorry, I just don’t want to talk about it,” I mutter. Opening up to Max about the issue will only make things worse. Besides, the day has turned into a positive, and only looks to get better. Drowning it with my childish rant over the Eric call would be a mistake, I reason. I change the subject. “Have you ever taken anyone to do whatever we’re going to do?” I prod.
“Nope. Not a soul,” he answers. I feel his eyes on me and I turn to meet them.
“Why now?” I ask with wonder.
“You’re different.” My insides melt. Different how? “I don’t know what I’m supposed to say…”
“Don’t say anything,” he answers. It only makes me appreciate him more. He doesn’t push, yet a part of me wants him to push. I’m attracted to Max and jaded with Eric. Tides are definitely turning.
Max reaches for my hand, curling his fingers over my knuckles. He doesn’t let go. I don’t pull away.
Beth Ann is a wife, mother, blogger and book lover from Texas. Her passion is writing stories that draw a reader into a world where they can become the characters and experience a gamut of emotions. When she's not writing, she loves to be home with her family and two yellow labs. In addition she's a sucker for super sappy romance movies, loves trying out Texas wines, is an avid hot tea drinker and enjoys checking items off of her ever-growing bucket list.
AUTHOR LINKS:
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/bastifflemire
Twitter: @BASAuthor
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In Rosco Jack of Gateway Farm author Ken Bangs chronicles the struggles of a castaway puppy abandoned at the gate of his farm in the piney woods of East Texas. The story celebrates the classic struggle of the less advantaged against the obstacles of life that challenge even those who are best prepared.
The story has its roots in Ken's experience in caring for disadvantaged and at risk children in the custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
After serving 35 years in law enforcement and public safety, the last 25 as the Director of Police, Security and Student Safety Services for the Plano ISD, Ken retired to Gateway Farm near New Boston and established a home for these children. Here he gave them a home, encouraged them to believe in themselves and their ability to make a life for themselves and worked to foster a hope for the future in each child.
Over the years, he watched success after success for those who caught the vision and refused to surrender to their life’s circumstances.
Then came Rosco. Dumped at the front gate in the middle of the night this three-pound runt evaded predators, outlasted the night and made his way to Ken’s house. His struggle was just beginning. Life was hard for the pup. But he refused to quit and eventually achieved his goal, a place alongside the big dogs of the Gateway Posse.
Rosco Jack is the perfect blend of fantasy, drama, humor and learning. It is a great read for the young, young at heart and for all those who love to root for the underdog.
Ken Bangs is a native Texan who grew up in the then small town of Plano. By the time he was ten years old he knew for a certainty that he wanted to spend his life as a police officer. Following high school graduation Ken joined the Dallas Police Department and was walking a beat in downtown Dallas at the age of 19.
Ken spent 35 years in law enforcement and public safety the last twenty five as the Director of Police and Security Services for the Plano ISD. After retirement Ken and his wife Trudy moved to a farm outside of New Boston Texas where they established a home for children who were in the care of the Texas Child Protective Services. For the next ten years they devoted their lives to these disadvantaged children. An ordained minister Ken also served as the Senior Pastor for Regions Christian Center in Texarkana.
A veteran of the United States Army Military Police Corps, Ken holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice, a M.S. in Human Relations and Business Management and a Doctorate of Ministry in Christian Counseling.
Ken and Trudy have been married 45 years and now live in McKinney, Texas
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LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE
BLOG TOURS
presents
EASTER'S LILY
by
Judy Serrano
It was Easter Sunday; the day Lilly’s life went from safe and comfortable to dangerously unfamiliar. Her transformation takes her from a small town girl having an affair with a low ranked gangster in the Montiago crime syndicate, to a woman of grace and fortitude married to the head of the organization.
Lilly tells the story of her life -- and the lives of her children -- with childlike innocence, yet she's desperate for security and companionship. The hint of forbidden love and betrayal that ultimately puts brother against brother adds to the suspense and intrigue. The syndicate engulfs the Montiago family as they turn each other inside out over the love of a woman. Easter's Lilly is an inspired journey from the idyllic to the darker side of self-discovery. Read as the over-privileged brothers embark on their journey that twists and turns down the road of unbridled passion in the first book of the series.
Judy's books are available in print in Hastings
and Roma's Books in Rockwall, Texas,
and anywhere ebooks are sold.
Judy Serrano holds a Master of Arts in English from Texas A&M University, Commerce. She is the owner of Make Cents Editing Service, and was an adjunct professor at a local college. Currently she teaches high school English and is a freelance writer for certain on-line publications. Judy also writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series,The Linked Series, and Ivy Vines, Visions.Although originally form New York, Judy resides in Texas with her husband, four boys, four dogs and now two cats. She sings and plays guitar when she has time and enjoys singing with her very musical family in church when she is able.
Author of The Easter's Lilly Series, Linked
and Ivy Vines, Visions.
Author of The Easter's Lilly Series, Linked
and Ivy Vines, Visions.
He makes good girls...bad.
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag. Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment: Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days. Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried. 352 pages Published April 2nd 2013 Current GoodReads Rating: 3.61 Stars My Review: I don’t read a lot of paranormal literature, but when I do I’m reading it from a contemporary romance lens. That being said my analysis might be skewed to not appreciate all the little paranormal aspects and trained to be focused in on the romance and character depth that I’m used to dissecting. Starting off, the arrogance of Dante was of course unbecoming and distracting how belittling he was. As the story went on I started realizing he had to be that much of an asshole to have the balls to tell a woman she’s ugly and what she needs to change physically to be pretty. I enjoy stories that have a realistic edge to where I can relate to the situations, but with this one I’m grateful but I’ve never met a person as rude and blunt as Dante. I can’t imagine someone could ever be “hot” enough to look down on others like he did, so it was hard to come up with what he might look like. After I got over the first chapter or so and Dante started communicating with Charlie (a girl), who was his assignment, it was a nice relief from his internal one-way conversation admiring himself. The story was a slow build as the relationship grew and small twists and turns were thrown in on a calculated basis. There was no real surprise to when road bumps happened because to me they needed to happen to keep me interested with the low the story was at. I was curious why such a selfless girl would only use her soul contract to benefit her physical appearance based on a guy’s opinion instead of helping others like her grandma and people in her charity that needed it. The story caught my interest in the second half and built its way up to the finale, but in my opinion the finale was so top heavy it was overwhelming. They mentioned sporadically about the Big Guy and Boss Man and the liberators and demons, but they did not go into enough detail for me. The end I was hit with way too many new characters I was trying to figure out their past with one another when instead it felt the only detail she cared to explore was rather on the good or bad side. I was hit with way too much at the end and with the final twist we are left with, it feels so random with how little detail was put it in, it felt rushed for the amount of action that took place. I gave it a 3.5 stars because I kept reading and it was interesting, but I don’t know if that’s because I don’t read many like that and I just wanted to see it through. I will say about boyfriend material, I do not have the heart of gold that Charlie has and I would never date someone with such a high ego that pressures you into doing things you don’t want to do and throws money at you. LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE BLOG TOURS presents THE PRISON TRILOGY by Glen Aaron Summary of Book 1 of The Prison Trilogy -- Observer: The Ronnie Lee and Jackie Bancroft Spencer Morgan Story, a tale of people, greed, envy, manipulation... even crime! When Jackie Bancroft's husband died in 1952, he left her an heiress to the income and value of The Wall Street Journal and one of the wealthier women in America. Almost 50 years later, Jackie would marry Ronnie Lee Morgan, a 50-year old gay interior decorator. Morgan was one of many clients in the active law practice of author Glen Aaron. This unusual marriage lasted until Jackie's mysterious death five years later. Throughout that period, Aaron became entwined in the personal lives and demands of the couple, along with handling many of their legal affairs. The huge money and property distributions made by Jackie to her husband, designed and handled by Aaron, resulted in a two-year federal prison sentence for Aaron. The first book in the trilogy is that story. THE OTHER TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES: "Jackie had built an invisible shield. How she felt, who she was deep inside, was insulated by what might be called "Jackie logic." In a personal encounter, she could be brutally blunt by pointing out a physical imperfection or character defect of the person she was talking to. "You're too fat. You should do something about it." "You're not my friend. You just want my money." She used innumerable clichés and platitudes for defensive purposes, designed to throw the other person off their game. Over the years, her repertoire grew with use. That "devil take the hindmost" attitude she had had since childhood gave her the confidence to not care what people thought of her. It was they who were after her, not she who was after them. On occasion, she would joke with me that this aspect of her personality was because her parents were first cousins. "Wealth, extreme wealth, attracts a type of court, as in the days of Louis XIV, that some of these people want to be a part of. It gives them meaning to be seen rubbing shoulders with others of the coterie. Even if the Queen, in this case, Jackie, is not present, there is a sense of acceptance when the court is in session, each person wondering about the others’ special relationship with Jackie. Is it more special, more personal than theirs? This is the social effect of it: The pushing and crowding for pecking-order position, to be that special one who knows the lady just a little better than the next, or to casually say, "When I was having dinner with Jackie the other night…," or to drop some other offhand remark indicating one's special privilege with Jackie. None of this is so much about money as it is about being accepted and part of an honored, moneyed circle. To the social elite, real or imagined, you are known by the clubs to which you belong and those with whom you associate. If you can claim a special or private relationship with a powerful, rich, or influential person, then you are one up on the rest of the group. You are who your friends are, whether they are really your friends or not." Buy Links Amazon Book 1 ** Amazon Book 2 ** Amazon Book 3 SMASHWORDS PROFILE Author Social Media/Web Links ****** Facebook -- Twitter -- Pinterest Author Glen Aaron Glen writes both fiction and nonfiction from his forty-year career and experience as a trial lawyer and consultant in international business and banking. His nonfiction work as the observer in The Prison Trilogy tells the tales, in chronological order, of how he came to be a lawyer for a Wall Street Journal heiress and her gay husband, and how that representation landed him in federal prison. That is the first in The Trilogy. The second book tells the story of his cellmate, Colonel George Trofimoff, serving life for spying for the KGB. The final book of The Trilogy describes the prisoners, Glen's experiences and takes a hard look at the American criminal justice system. www.lonestarliterary.com
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