BOOKS
Madness in Liberia
Fiction
In a fourteen-year span (1989 to 2003), two catastrophic civil wars ripped apart Liberia. A nation formed by freed American slaves with a dream of justice and seeking the liberties that all people deserve became instead a nightmare land ravaged by a despot’s crimes against humanity.
President Charles Taylor is thrown out of power, yet his diabolical son attempts to wreak havoc and return to control. A small team of Marines is sent in to collect information on Taylor’s war crimes and quickly becomes entrapped in a deadly game where there are no rules…only the madness that is consuming Liberia.
Author's Comments
As I entered Liberia, I had no context for the sheer magnitude of the two civil wars that had ravaged the small West African nation. During the eighteen hours travel time from Okinawa to Liberia, I immersed myself in everything that I obtained in the short two-day window that I had to deploy. My ten months on the ground taught me a life lesson in humility. I had observed devastation in Iraq. However, those experiences were not even close to the cataclysmic violence that tore apart Liberia. Blown-out buildings inhabited by squatters littered Monrovia’s landscape.
I wanted to write a fiction novel based upon stories that I had heard and several realistic events that I observed firsthand. By understanding the historical context of Liberia’s relationship with America and the aftermath of two civil wars that nearly decimated this small nation, we can all better appreciate the true blessing of freedom.
Book 1 in the Tom Russell Series
Book 2 in the Tom Russell Series
Crisis in the Congo
Fiction
CIA officer, Tom Russell, was sent back to Africa to track down illegal Uranium shipments that originated out of the Congo. Quickly, he discovered a nation haunted by its past as a former Belgian colony and the brutality of a ruthless thirty-two-year reign by Joseph Mobutu. Russell is shocked after the arrival of his former girlfriend, an Israeli Mossad agent. With the assistance of several retired CIA operatives, Russell managed to navigate through corrupt officials and extreme danger. Russell cheated death and struck a blow against an international arms syndicate after he eliminated a large stockpile of high-grade Uranium destined for the black market.
Author's Comments
“All roads in Africa lead to the Congo” was a phrase that I had heard from a distant relative who served in the Central Intelligence Agency during its tumultuous years. He gave me a book titled “Chief of Station, Congo” written by Larry Devlin whom he replaced in the Congo. For years I had heard the stories and vivid accounts of the brutality inflicted by the Belgians and the assassination of the former Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba. When I studied at the Joint Forces Staff College, I gained access to the declassified CIA cables out of the Congo during this tumultuous period. What I discovered was that the CIA viewed Patrice Lumumba as a communist and his murder at the hands of a Belgian Major had occurred just days before John F. Kennedy took office. JFK had different thoughts on Lumumba than President Eisenhower. In my research, I found Lumumba to be a patriot who wanted to dissolve the rule of Belgium King Leopold II and kick westerners out of the Congo. With vast rare earth minerals, the Congo could have been the world’s wealthiest nation; however, Mobutu took control after Lumumba’s death and thrust the Congo into utter chaos that still grips the nation today.
I wrote this fiction novel to relay some of the historical contexts of the Congo as well as bring attention to the plight of the mountain guerillas, government corruption, the influence of former colonial powers in Africa, and the impact of weapon’s grade uranium on the black market.
Ebola Odyssey
Fiction
Liberia emerged from the chaos of fourteen years of civil war (1989 – 2003) that shattered all government functions. The West African nation slowly recovered – schools reopened – and the populace had a sense that their tumultuous pain was behind them. What they did not fathom was the impact of the world’s deadliest virus that spread like a raging forest fire. Ebola had been accidentally unleashed as a criminal organization attempted to weaponize the horrific disease.
CIA and MI6 operatives were sent to dismantle the international criminal network and destroy the weaponized Ebola, only to be ultimately saved by a female Mossad agent. In the midst of a region and society ravaged by abject poverty and the virus, the operatives are in a deadly match with former KGB agents, Hezbollah operatives, and an Al Qaeda cell as they fight to stop a pandemic that could kill hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people.
Book 3 in the Tom Russell Series
Author's Comments
As the 2014 Ebola outbreak raged in West Africa, I could not help but think of the impact on Liberian society. In the ten months that I resided in Liberia, I observed a nation healing from the rabid violence that nearly crippled this small nation formed by freed former slaves. Many Liberians considered themselves America’s “little brother,” and in my heart I felt tremendous anguish as reports of the near-apocalyptic event arrived. I wrote this fiction novel to raise awareness of Ebola, and the impact upon post-war-torn Liberian society.
In my research, I discovered a diabolical plan envisioned by the Soviets in the early 1960s to weaponize Ebola along with other dangerous pathogens. Bringing the issue of using Ebola as a weapon of mass destruction made me realize the potential terrorist threat. Linking the ability to weaponize Ebola with the desire of Hezbollah to destroy Israel made we conjecture that a catastrophic biblical event would occur.
COMING SOON
South Sudan Rising
Fiction
In 2011, South Sudan emerged as a new nation; however, instability gripped those who sought independence. Massive oil deposits were discovered on the Ugandan border, and an international crime syndicate sought control over them. Illegal weapons flowed into the region embroiled in a war against rogue elements of the Sudanese Army. Along the border with the Central African Republic, rebel factions under the leadership of the world’s most notorious war criminal, Joseph Kony, ransacked villages in cross-border raids. A specialized team comprised of CIA and MI6 operatives initiated covert operations to eliminate a Hezbollah arms dealer and capture the infamous Joseph Kony. However, the mission was nearly jeopardized as an emerging terrorist cell sought to destabilize the new South Sudan government while ethnic violence erupted.
Author's Comments
This fiction novel will be released soon.
Kony 2012 was plastered on bumper stickers and became an overnight global slogan. When I first heard about it, I immediately recognized the name and new it was not a political action committee. Joseph Kony has eluded capture for decades and some activists profess that he had help from the Central Intelligence Agency. The flow of illegal weapons into the region has fueled cross-border raids from the dense jungle within the Central African Republic. Kony must be captured!
When the South Sudan government was established, I had applied for a position to mentor the new Minister of Defense – luckily I did not get the job as the government was nearly toppled in civil unrest. In my research of the region, I understood one important thing that Sudan wanted control of the liquid black gold - oil. I thought of the potential conflict if another massive oil field was discovered in the region governed by South Sudan that would reshape control of the region as non-state actors jockeyed for position.
When I reflected upon neighboring Uganda, I would be remiss not to remind readers of the flamboyant Idi Amin and the 1976 raid on Entebbe Airfield by Israeli commandos. I recalled one part of the plan that involved parachuting naval commandos and inflated rubber rafts into Lake Victoria. To open this novel, I used that concept to insert the CIA and MI6 operative into the region.
Africa's Child Soldiers / Lost in Darkness
Nonfiction
In 2011, South Sudan emerged as a new nation; however, instability gripped those who sought independence. Massive oil deposits were discovered on the Ugandan border, and an international crime syndicate sought control over them. Illegal weapons flowed into the region embroiled in a war against rogue elements of the Sudanese Army. Along the border with the Central African Republic, rebel factions under the leadership of the world’s most notorious war criminal, Joseph Kony, ransacked villages in cross-border raids. A specialized team comprised of CIA and MI6 operatives initiated covert operations to eliminate a Hezbollah arms dealer and capture the infamous Joseph Kony. However, the mission was nearly jeopardized as an emerging terrorist cell sought to destabilize the new South Sudan government while ethnic violence erupted.
Author's Comments
This non-fiction novel will be released soon.
I had read about child soldiers and saw the movie “Blood Diamonds” several times, yet it never resonated until I saw first-hand the anguish in their eyes. In the streets of Monrovia, I saw many former combatants who waited for hopes of a job. Destitution resonated in their eyes as they were branded for life. The plight of these kidnapped boys has been well documented, yet the one thing that has emerged that many have not discussed was Al Qaeda’s recruitment strategy. Africa has become a fertile recruitment ground for terrorists.
When I arrived in Liberia, I wrote in my leader notebook an anonymous quote, “Doped up soldiers in the spoils of war – dresses, wigs, construction helmets, and swimming goggles – fired on civilians and rival factions with equal disdain.” As I traveled throughout this ravaged nation, I understood more about the aftermath of war and the long-lasting impact on society. Violence ripped apart the fabric of society especially as child soldiers were directed or faced their own execution.
Voctrad Unmasked
Fiction
After the fall of the Soviet Union, many former KGB members languished as they lost control and prominence. A new international crime syndicate, code-named Voctrad, emerged to threaten the existing world order. A new base of operations was established in Libya, yet operated globally with a major stake in Africa’s affairs as a new battleground over illegal weapons, black market uranium and illicit diamonds emerged. The deadly skills these assassins possessed helped Voctrad gain control. In rapid fashion, governments were destabilized and senior leaders assassinated. The United States, Great Britain, and Israel responded with deep cover operatives to respond against the threat of global domination from this criminal syndicate.
Author's Comments
This fiction novel is in development and coming soon.
When I visited Moscow in the spring of 2002, I observed many former Russian military asking for handouts. In a street bazaar, I found the uniform of a former Soviet general and contemplated the purchase. At the Naval Academy, I had studied the Russian language for several years and was able to understand most of the inscriptions on the uniform, especially the one for the KGB -Комите́т Госуда́рственной Безопа́сности. As I walked around the outside of Lenin’s tomb, I had a triumphant feeling that the evil Soviet empire had been defeated.
What I did not comprehend at the time was the emergence of the former KGB thugs into more lucrative positions controlling black market uranium, illegal weapons, and untraceable diamonds. In West Africa, I had heard rumors about Russian business ventures that were potentially backed by former KGB operatives.
The code name Voctrad is a fictional name that I had derived for this loose band of former KGB mercenaries and spies who sought to regain control of the world order through brutal tactics.