And so it begins again.
Holy crap on a peanut butter sandwich. It’s finally coming—she’s finally coming. Ana Karras is Ana Montilla. Ana is out of hiding and on a tear. Don’t get in her way. Don’t piss her off. Don’t betray her.
Deception is the sword of the cunning. A tool. A weapon. It’s the strategy of a provocateur . . .
It’s been far too long since I had a book on the shelves. Four years if the truth be told. The Consultant was my last release and it seems like longer than four years. Oh, I’ve not been sitting around eating bonbons and watching COVID “the world is ending” film on the internet. I did some of that, but I’ve also been writing non-stop. In the span since Jonathan Hunter ran amuck in Northern Virginia, I’ve penned near three novels.
First, a fourth installment of the Oliver “Tuck” Tucker paranormal murder mysteries, previously titled “The Ghost Gumshoe” (God, I loathe that moniker). Now, Tuck is under the banner of “The Dead Detective Casefiles.” A publisher is reviewing that one and considering picking up the whole series for a relaunch. My fingers, toes, and every other part of me is crossed. If not, I promise, Tuck’s latest, Dying With A Secret, (and the previous Dying to Know, Dying For The Past, and Dying to Tell) will be out soonest! Even if I have to self-pub and print them in my basement. Well, maybe not that extreme, but Tuck, Angel, and Bear—oh, and I can’t forget Hercule) will be solving paranormal crimes very soon! Then there is my newest work in progress that follows a down-on-his luck, aging intelligence operative trying to claw his way back from injury, heartbreak, and blame. I’m a couple weeks from finishing the first draft and then will jump headlong into editing and polishing it for my amazing agent, Kimberley Cameron. From there, who knows.
But Tuck and aging swashbucklers aren’t the story here. It’s Ana Montilla and Catalina Reyes; two strong, deadly women who never met but share one lifelong fate—to confront The Hemingway Deception. Here’s the short version:
Ana Karras is hiding among the millions in Manhattan, recovering from near-death at the hands of Cuban Intelligence. When she begins an ill-fated quest to find her missionary parents lost somewhere in Latin America, she’s haunted by her past and coerced into a new mission—to capture Catalina “Cat” Reyes, a rogue Cuban assassin bound for Washington. Cat’s mission could well start another Caribbean crisis. To avert a Cuban-American war, Ana must do the unthinkable—she must once again become Ana Montilla, the notorious FARC guerrilla. As Ana struggles to keep from devolving permanently into Ana Montilla, Cat must overcome past failures and reclaim her skills as Cuba’s top assassin—or die. Ana and Cat are on a collision course. Their paths are not separate, but one. Their pasts inexplicably linked. Their futures reliant on each other. Still, it’s the secrets kept from them that will be the end game. Two deadly women. One treacherous mission. What is Operation Perro? Why does everyone want Ana Karras and Cat Reyes dead? The answer is Hemingway.
I’ve been so fortunate to have been offered a place in the Suspense Publishing catalog. It’s been a slog getting here but well worth the wait, the sleepless nights, and the anticipation of bringing Ana and Cat to you. If you haven’t checked out Suspense Publishing’s authors and books, you should. Not just that I’ll be among them soon, but because there’s some great authors like D.P. Lyle, Joseph Badal, Paul Kemprecos, and many others to read. In the coming months, I’ll be talking a little about this author-centric house and the invaluable experiences I’m having with them. I’m honored to be here.
So, stay tuned for pre-order release dates, events, and all that goes into the PR push to get The Hemingway Deception into your hands. Over the next couple months, I’ll be blogging and talking about what went into The Hemingway Deception, and what you’ll find inside its pages and characters. There will be a few story tidbits here and there just to whet your appetite. I hope you’ll be famished for it.
Hope you see you all soon,
Tj
