There’s no better way to come up with settings for books than to get out and see the world. I recently visited Isafjordur, Iceland and Nuuk, Greenland. It’s a beautiful part of the world, especially in summer. I was very close to the Arctic Circle…so stay tuned for some cold weather action in Dark Vector!
The Perfect Assassin Kindle Sale - Only $2.99!
The Kindle version of The Perfect Assassin is on sale for $1.99 for the month of June, so there’s still a few days left to take advantage. If you haven’t learned where David Slaton got his start, there’s no better time.
Ward Recommends: In The Garden Of Beasts
I found this account of a diplomatic family’s front row seat to the rise of the Third Reich fascinating. Larson has a knack for digging into historical turn points and presenting them with the aura of a thriller. In the Garden of Beasts details not only the rise of the Nazi Party, but also the world’s blindness to what was happening in 1930’s Berlin.
The atmosphere of the period, in all its bizarreness and impending horror, is captured brilliantly.
Back In Black Has A Mystery For Everyone
I had great fun coming up with a contribution for this short story anthology. Inspired by the songs from AC/DC‘s bestselling album, Back in Black contains ten murder mysteries, including a new Jack Reacher original by Andrew Child. The third collection of the Murder and Mayhem series, Back in Black features one story for each of the songs on the seminal hard rock album. My own contribution: What Do You Do for Money Honey.
This book showcases ten brilliant mystery writers at the top of their game, including Reed Farrel Coleman, Heather Graham, Tori Eldridge, and Andrew Child. Back in Black has a mystery for everyone!
My Next Novel: Available February 2025
I’m really looking forward to the release of Dark Vector next February. This is still a David Slaton book, but I’m introducing new characters. My research took me to some interesting locales, and I also incorporated a few technologies that I think everyone will find fascinating.
In the wilds of Siberia, a top-secret Russian fighter goes missing on a test flight. The Russian Air Force begins a search, oblivious to their error: they are looking in the wrong spot. The pilot, Colonel Maksim Primakov, has crash landed during an attempted defection.
The new chief of CIA clandestine operations, David Slaton, wants desperately to find him, but only one man is in a position to reach Primakov—Tru Miller, a rookie operator. Slaton plots a rescue deep inside Russia, not realizing that he will have to outfox the one other man who knows the truth. Victor Strelkov is a general in Russian intelligence. His search for Primakov is deeply personal—and if he doesn’t succeed it will cost him his life.
Soon a small group of Americans, including its top female test pilot, Kai Drake, find themselves hunted in the wilds of Russia. Their survival will depend on one thing—just how resourceful and lethal they can be.
A New Anthology: Back In Black
This anthology was a really fun project. Ten short stories are drawn loosely from the song titles of AC/DC’s iconic album. There’s a new Jack Reacher story from Andrew Child, and entries from bestselling authors like Heather Graham and Tori Eldridge. My own entry is a stand alone tale of a DNA heredity test gone wrong. It’s an easy read and available for preorder now!
Ward Recommends: Masters Of The Air
I recently began watching Masters of the Air on Apple TV.
As a pilot I’m particular to details when it comes to aviation, and this series gets it right. I have never flown a B-17 (maybe someday?) but the cockpit scenes strike me as highly authentic. The banter among the crew, the way they run routine checklists, and their responses under fire are spot-on depictions of combat flying.
Squadron life, too, is displayed realistically. When the pilots land after a mission, their first stop is to the debriefing area to record perishable information. The mortality rate for bomber crews in the European theater during World War II was off the scale, and the varied ways that the crewmen deal with the stress is evident. Some drink to blow off steam, others isolate. Those on the ground—friends, family, mechanics, and commanders—also have to deal with the trauma.
All in all, I give Masters of the Air a solid thumbs up!
A New Series: Now Available For Preorder
Big news! Dark Vector is now available for preorder, and will be hitting the shelves on February 4, 2025.
This book is a transitional story. David Slaton, the perfect assassin, still figures prominently, and will continue to do so, but new characters are being introduced. Primary among them is Truman “Tru” Miller, a new operator in the CIA’s Ground Branch. Here’s a rough sketch of the story:
In the wilds of Siberia, a top-secret Russian fighter goes missing on a test flight. The Russian Air Force begins a search, oblivious to their error: they are looking in the wrong spot. The pilot, Colonel Maksim Primakov, has crash landed during an attempted defection.
The new chief of CIA clandestine operations, David Slaton, wants desperately to find him, but only one man is in a position to reach Primakov―Tru Miller, a rookie operator. Slaton plots a rescue deep inside Russia, not realizing that he will have to outfox the one other man who knows the truth. Victor Strelkov is a general in Russian intelligence. His search for Primakov is deeply personal―and if he doesn’t succeed it will cost him his life.
Soon a small group of Americans, including its top female test pilot, Kai Drake, find themselves hunted in the wilds of Russia. Their survival will depend on one thing―just how resourceful and lethal they can be.
Character Quote: Assassin's Mark
Ward Recommends: The Orphan X Series
The Orphan X series by Gregg Hurwitz.
This series is addictive, and one of the few series I would recommend starting from the beginning. I’ve really enjoyed watching this cast of characters grow, and the interactions between them are more dynamic with each book.