Month: November 2022

Thank you to everyone who has continued to follow me, whether on Facebook, Twitter, my website, or an author page. After more than a decade of writing, I am still delighted when someone enjoys a story that I have written. With so many books to choose from, I am grateful to every one of you who chooses one of mine.

I’m thrilled with the early reviews for this novel. It is a book that I began writing a while ago, but set aside. Although committed to the plot, I wasn’t happy with the story’s beginning. Three beginnings later, DEADLY REPERCUSSIONS is complete and available for your consideration.

From the streets of Mexico to mountains of Wyoming, Juan Velasquez does what is needed to survive and to prosper. His belief in the rule of law is trumped by his belief in the pursuit of justice, a trait that is mirrored by his daughter and his granddaughter. And so it begins.

Deadly Repercussions

Chapter One

Short of breath from his quarter-mile run, Manuel pounded on the door. “Alejandro! Trouble is coming!”

“How long do we have?” Alejandro opened the door for Manuel and then barricaded it behind him.

“It is Jorge. He is not far behind me,” Manuel panted. “At the pub, I overheard two of his soldiers. They were waiting for Jorge and said your name. You know there is talk. Because of the following that has assembled behind you, he wants you gone. There is fear that you weld too much power and could challenge him.”

Like his brother, Alejandro, Manuel was a dual citizen of the United States and Mexico. Manuel, however, lived in Texas and worked for the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Alejandro lived in Mexico with his son, in the house where the brothers had been raised.

An accomplished gun smith, Alejandro occasionally spent his time as a runner for one of the larger street gangs in the area. Although the brothers had chosen different paths in life, their loyalty to each other overcame their philosophical differences and their ability to surreptitiously share information had helped them both more than once. 

Fourteen-year-old Juan climbed down the ladder from the loft where he had been sleeping. “Hi, Uncle Manny. What’s going on, Papa?”

“Trouble might be coming.”

Manuel helped Juan’s father lift the kitchen table, move it three feet to the side and raise the trap door that was almost invisible in the center of the wooden floor. Alejandro dashed to his bed, grabbed the quilt, and shoved it into Juan’s arms.

“Down you go,” he directed. “Don’t make a sound. No matter what you hear, stay there until Uncle Manny or I come to get you.”

As Juan climbed down the steep steps to the small enclosure, Alejandro pulled a wedge of cheese and a container of orange juice from the refrigerator and grabbed the bread from the counter. He handed them down to his son, along with three bottles of water and a flashlight.

“Take this. It might be a day or even two before it is safe for you to come out.”

“I can fight.” Juan said.

“Not yet, my young warrior. There is no more time for talking.”

 “Are they coming to kill you, Papa?”

***

“This mystery-thriller is jam-packed with loyalty, deception, betrayal, and unexpected twists and turns.” Independent Book Review.

“Through its strong plot and adept characterizations, Deadly Repercussions shows humanity at its worst, replete with flaws and faults, while also highlighting that redemption is always waiting just around the corner, and there is always an opportunity to become a better version of ourselves.” The Book Review Directory.

“… repercussions of murder resonate…a powerful saga of disparate special interests… and forces that clash as times change.” D.Donovan, Editor, Donovan’s Literary Services.

“… its special brand of suspense paired with inspections of generations that grow and change under the influence of violence and bad choices…” Midwest Book Review.

Trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K8vJ-AzjIzLomNfnU0rB2W6qT1VTNIzh/view

Link to purchase: https://amzn.to/3xcvwBa