WHOOPS.....

….that should be "break"...now you see why I needed the break....more later

I apologize.....

….for such a long absence. I was taking a bread (e-gads), was it that long?

No title yet, but it involves Jake and Sam Jenkins (head of FBI) stumbling on a mystery disappearance of a well known DC judge and his wife. Their retirement cabin in Jake's mountain community is found empty by Jake and Sam during a leisurely mountain bike ride. A hastily written note will start them on a search to solve this mystery...….

Giving Thanks!

On this day Barbara and I are thankful we have each other...almost 60 years of marriage has taught us much. Mostly it is to be kind and tolerant to all. 

Our mountain is covered with snow, and soon it will be several feet in the forest. We do a lot of reading; watching recorded movies, and of course football and basketball games.

I thank you all (now more than 1100), who in just the last 2 weeks have visited my web site, and have purchased one of my four published books at Amazon.

We wish you all a very merry Christmas.

  

America needs the prayers of all who want to save her

Our country is sinking into a morass of complacency. She needs to be lifted up by those who want their country to be great again. Please support efforts to right the wrongs committed by the past administration!

Available now

Pass along to your reader friends who might enjoy a light read in the MYSTERY genre, or maybe get a small Christmas gift for those readers....

The latest Jake Vincent mystery now available at Amazon: "The Awakening"

NEW TITLE AVAILABLE SEPT 23RD AT AMAZON.

THE NEW JAKE VINCENT MYSTERY available est. Sept 23rd. at Amazon and all book sellers.

Third posting "The Awakening" - excerpt 4/6/17

The contractor assassin had accessed his shooting perch for the second night. He and Moose were on air at the moment. A tiny ear bud ran to a miniature high tech RF communication transmitter/receiver mounted on a chest harness. Moose had supplied the routine movements of this Jake Vincent. His contract called for reporting on his movements outside the hotel Lexington. The roof of the Federal Aviation Authority was about 50 yards from the corner of Independence Av and ninth street south west. The exact place where Vincent turned to head back to his hotel completing his routine evening walks. It was a perfect sniper’s vantage point. If the word came, the assassin would be ready to fulfill his contract and quickly disappear. Tonight he watched through his powerful scope as his potential target passed by. If required, it would be an easy job to take out Mr. Vincent

EXCERPT FROM LATEST JAKE VINCENT MYSTERY

Sam nodded toward the agent to his left. “Thanks to Bill here, we’ve been contacted through a third person with positive feedback on our anonymous ex-biker search. It looks like a meet can be set up. No cameras or recording equipment of course. Our guy is willing to trust me on this. See guys, it pays to lead the stellar and perfect life.” There was some chuckling around the table. “He also is not willing to talk directly to any FBI personnel. Jake has volunteered to be an independent contact intermediary in this.” Sam smiled at Jake and announced, “He has been made aware that the contact will not reveal any info until he has been able to 1) pick the meet site, and 2) is allowed to frisk our person using his electronic sweep tool.

“The biker community seems to know about Jake. We are grateful Jake for your offer of service.”

Jake waived a hand in a dismissive gesture.

Jake's New Mystery Novel

1. 
   
2. Jake's next mystery adventure: The Awakening....an excerpt:
3. 
   
4. “A place to start might be a private talk with a trusted ex-biker member. That may sound like an oxy-moron, but some of these guys finally see the light and realize they want out; start a family, and get respected full time employment. It could be risky, but if you do thorough background checking, you could hit the mother lode of information.”
   Sam raised his glass as a toast. “To a productive week Jake. I’m anxious t...o hear your suggestions about improving the physical security at the Hoover Building. Maybe you could be doing a little internet investigation into some of these biker clubs.”
   “It could work if we find the right guy. Making the contact would be tricky, and it would only have a chance of success if an anonymous, blind meet could be arranged. I doubt any ex-biker cooperating with Feds would want to be seen with anyone that may be working for the FBI. Barb, to put it mildly, would not be happy if I agreed to get involved with killer bike gangs.”
5. 

QUESTION ABOUT WRITING YOUR BOOK???

I'll be happy to answer any questions from new authors. I am currently writing my 4th work, and think I have experienced all the 'ups and downs,'...happy to answer any questions...just post them as a comment ON THIS BLOG.

MYSTERY AT HAINS POINT HAS BECOME "THE AWAKENING"

Excerpt from Ch 9:

It was 8:00 P.M. and dark on the streets of our nation’s capital.  The temp had dipped to the high forties as winter seemed to be getting firmly ensconced in the District. A figure in a dark down parka, and navy blue watch cap stood under the awning of a darkened shop across the street from Jake’s hotel. He intently watched Jake as he sat at a lobby bar table writing in a notebook. It was at this time that he took his evening stroll before turning in for the night.

Jake motioned for the waiter; signed his bill; stood and put on his coat and baseball cap. He pushed open the glass lobby door; shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, and emerged on the sidewalk.

Jake’s tracker took careful notice to check once more to verify the route this Mr. Vincent took on his nightly walk. It was almost exactly one mile. He would walk west on Pennsylvania Av; south on 14^th street; across the National Mall; turn east on Independence Av.; north across the Mall to Pennsylvania Av., then west back to the Lex Hotel. The watcher grabbed a quick cup of coffee; moved a few store fronts east on PA Av., and waited. Vincent emerged on his way back to the Lex, in exactly the same time he did every night. It was time to plan an encounter with the subject and pose the question to him. The watcher moved in behind his target. Just as he was a few steps from the hotel, the watcher turned up his collar; picked up his pace and brushed past Jake. “Excuse me, I apologize.”

EXCERPT FROM "Mystery at Hain's Point"

from the new Jake Vincent Mystery novel......

“Cmon Sam, the IRS? They committed a serious breach of trust. If you ask me, this group of criminals has earned complete disgust from our tax-paying citizens. I would think that an agency as powerful as the IRS should be above reproach. At least the head of this agency should have been canned as soon as it was discovered that they were targeting conservative groups for punishment.  If this ‘murder contract for hire’ path turns out to be real, the dick-heads at the IRS should be major targets. OK, I’m just venting.”

Jake has a contract to inspect some FBI facilities in DC and Virginia.

CHAPTER ONE...3RD JAKE VINCENT NOVEL.....

Mystery at Hains Point

The fog of deep sleep was lifting. I opened one eye and found my face crushed deep into my pillow. Sheesh, is that drool? I grunted and did a quarter, slow roll over. The early morning light was visible through the ceiling skylight. The branches on the tall Ponderosa pine outside in our forest were swaying in a light breeze. I guessed it was about 6:15 a.m. Another sunny day in paradise. Propping myself up on both elbows, I opened the other eye and grunted again. Barbara blindly swung her arm in my direction. “Quiet.”

I ducked, and said, “Are you awake?”

“I am now Sherlock,” my wife of fifty years moaned. “Go back to sleep Jake. We’re retired, and nothing is on our agenda today…p l e a s e. Murph and I want to sleep in.”

Murphee, our Yellow Lab was plopped between us. Hearing his name, the big guy raised his head wondering if he was expected to participate in any activity that would happen when Mom and Dad climbed out of bed.

“Come on Murph, its pee-pee time in the forest.” Barb looked at me with a disgusted look.

“He knows what to do Jake. No need to talk to him like he was a baby. It’s a routine for him every morning!” Murph was already downstairs sitting by the sliding glass door to our rear deck. I threw on my robe; shoved my feet into a pair of old deck shoes, and trudged after him.

“I’ll make coffee and hurry back up. Maybe we can snuggle.”

Barb, in a raised voice, shouted, “I’m locking the door. Both of you stay out!”

“Is that a definite no, and your final answer?”

“YES…brilliant deduction Sherlock!”

Why did I feel rejected? I guess because I was. I thought of that TV show with Larry David, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ Probably good advice this morning. Some mornings when I was feeling particularly mischievous I would let Murph run back upstairs and launch his eighty five pounds of bulk onto the bed. ‘Time to get up’ I would shout. This morning I concluded this would be a bad idea, and decided not to ‘jump the shark.’ My version meaning my wife of fifty years was the shark, and I was…well, the victim!

Murph was wagging his tail, eager now to go out and do his business, as he knew his breakfast would be waiting for him when he decided to come in. I opened the door and ‘Old Yellar’ bounded out. He stopped suddenly with one foot raised. He and our morning deck visitors stared at each other. A White-Tail deer and her fawn were poised over the pots of flowering Petunias. This threesome had had a couple of morning meetings. All were frozen stock still. I figured Mom and baby were about ready to eat my flowers and now Mom was studying this ‘dog-creature’ to determine if there was any danger. The deer slowly backed up. They turned and walked off into the forest…a planned feast for another day. My ongoing battle of wits with our mountain deer population would continue.

Murphee ignored them and took his usual ‘pee path’ through several 150 ft. tall Ponderosa pine and Douglas firs. I called after the deer, “You won’t like the flowers. I sprayed DEER-OFF on them last night.” The smell of the repellant was awful, and the spray bottle said, ‘Guaranteed to keep deer, rabbits, and other critters away from your garden plants…blah, blah.’ After dousing the plants, we had to stay off our beautiful Redwood deck for at least 2 hours as the smell was just terrible. I observed that even the squirrels and Stellar Jays vacated the air space around the potted plants.

The morning sun, rising over our mountain, was slowly punching shafts of dusty light through the thick forest of tall trees. I walked over to the potted flowers and checked to see if the DEER-OFF did its job. All seemed OK, or else it had not been tested yet by our community of White-Tail deer.

I walked back into the kitchen and pulled the coffee press from the cabinet. I opened the Tupperware container of ground French Roast coffee; dumped a large spoonful into the press; refilled the kettle and hit the ON button. The water quickly boiled and I poured it into the press…love that wake-up smell of fresh coffee. Murph had come back to the deck and was ‘clicking’ his nails on the glass door. I let him in; filled his food dish with a couple of cups of mixed wet and dry dog treats. His tail, now wagging furiously, was banging into my leg. I pressed the hot water through the grounds and inhaled the aroma of my morning cupa. “Come on Murph let’s check the news. Mom’s locked us out of the bedroom.” On quiet mornings like this one, Old Yellar and I would sometimes try to catch another forty winks. Not a good idea this morning.

I pointed the remote and the TV blinked on. A news reporter was standing in front of the White House. A banner at the bottom of the screen said ‘JUST BREAKING.’

The talking head sat atop the body of an attractive, blonde female newscaster. My favorite news station delivered the most accurate reporting of world news…well mostly, and hired the smartest and best looking reporters. “Not that we notice such things, huh Murph?”

“Good morning everyone. We have just received a report released by one of America’s leading research think tanks. It addresses the growing observations, by many of our nation’s more influential vocal critics, of the deteriorating social and economic well-being of the United States. There is a growing negative view and diminished respect for our country from world leaders. A significant political polarization is occurring in the American public. This well-published author states, and I quote: ‘America’s middle class seems to be shrinking, and median income of the majority of small business workers has shrunk by eight percent since the current Administration moved into the White House.’ The white paper goes on to document the almost weekly increase in federal regulations that are choking the life out of the incentive for new business start-ups. This engine of America’s success has been seriously short-circuited. The entrepreneurs of our great country are putting growth plans on hold as they take a ‘wait-and-see’ position on what they broadly define as an ‘anti-business White House’…definitely a bad sign for the hope of future economic prosperity, and the average worker’s dream of a better life.

“The report goes on to say in its conclusion that their research indicates that main-stream America is beginning to demonstrate a ‘We-have-had-enough’ attitude, to which the country’s leaders had better pay attention. It concludes by stating that the study has shown a growing national divisiveness that is alienating our citizens along political and social lines. The liberal left is voicing the words ‘Global Oneness’ of all economies with open world trade and open borders.

“An organized anti-America plan seems to secretly be a topic of discussion behind closed doors.  

“The question being raised in some power circles, albeit small in number, is: Could our Federal Government’s move toward exerting more control over its’ citizens by unpopular, over-regulation and tax increases, be fomenting the seeds of a revolution? This subject promises to be front page news in our country as many of the reported federal executive actions so mirror those inflicted on the early colonialists by England.

“The study also finds, that in addition to the worsening economy, citizens put ‘security’ as number two on their list of major concerns. The weakening of our military, survey subjects say, is cause for great concern. Respondents have said they view the anti-military establishment as dangerous, and an enemy of America.”

I grabbed the TV remote control and clicked the OFF button just as ‘Watson’ was coming downstairs.

Murph had jumped up on the couch next to me. He figured with his usual potty excursion into the forest; meeting the deer, and a breakfast, things were quieting down enough to allow some couch time.

I gave the big guy an ear scratch which always motivates him to roll on his back for the obligatory tummy rub. “Ya know Murph, you’re definitely spoiled.”

Thank you Face Book Friends, and Amazon readers

Sales of my new title, MYSTERY ON THE SEINE, are growing nicely. The GOOD NEWS is that this short sequel has boosted sales of the first Jake Vincent mystery novel: MYSTERY AT DEADFALL LAKE!

...meanwhile the 3rd Jake Vincent mystery is coming along slowly...

READ THIS LOCAL BEST SELLER

MYSTERY AT DEADFALL LAKE .....

...The first of the Jake Vincent mysteries...then read the sequel, MYSTERY ON THE SEINE!

The 3rd Jake Vincent mystery book is being written at this moment. Jake is temporarily working in Washington D.C. under contract with the FBI. He and his friend, FBI special agent Sam Jenkins, encounter some violent crime that seems to be pointing at a revolutionary mind set that is beginning to grip the nation.......

LET THE MYSTERY BEGIN....

Jake snagged his single roll-aboard bag from the Dulles International airport luggage carousel, and headed for the arrivals exit. Sam said he would pick him up in a gov’t car with a bright red 8x10 inch card on the dash board. The bitter cold wind whipped the light snow sideways into his face.

Jake muttered to himself, “Jeez, I forgot how miserable D.C. could be in the winter.” He remembered being stranded in town on a Friday because the snow-removal system in our nation’s capital couldn’t handle even the six inches that fallen that afternoon.

“Jake, over here!” Jake shielded his eyes and turned to locate Sam’s whereabouts. Just then a big, ugly Ford van skidded to a stop in front of Jake, splattering a mix of snow and mud on Jake’s shoes.

“Shit,” Jake muttered. “So much for the professional polish and shine I paid 20 dollars for at SFO airport.”

Sam had rolled down the passenger window and was waving the big red card at Jake. Jake slid open the van’s side cargo door and threw in his bag.

“Doesn’t the FBI have any decent, normal sedans Sam? This thing screams FEDS!..and you’re by yourself. That’s a bit unusual isn’t it?” Sam had the heater-defroster at full blast, and Jake was rubbing his hands together in front of a dashboard vent.

“Our work while you’re our guest will remain very low-key. It will all soon become clear.”

America in Decline

In Jake's new adventure (a story in progress), his extensive professional experience in the design of facility anti-intrusion security systems is called upon by his good friend Sam Jenkins, FBI supervisor in Washington D.C.

America is experiencing a growing divisiveness punctuated by propaganda and hate. Most informed individuals secretly recognize the cause, largely, as being intentionally perpetrated by the current 'anti-America' agenda of the White House. Certain people are turning up missing or dead! The FBI is taking the lead in trying to identify targets, and most importantly, the persons responsible. The homicide rate in D.C. has quadrupled. Could there be some connection and collusion between top government officials and a sophisticated criminal element? Who, in our country, would want to damage America, and why?

THE STORY OF THE "MYSTERY AT HAINS POINT" is proceeding...watch for it!

"COMING SOON!"....well I hope.

A new Jake Vincent novel is under way...

The FBI in DC SEEKS Jake's professional advice on updating anti-intrusion systems at various gov't sites in Washington. A dead Supreme Court Law Clerk turns up and a wide-spread and lethal plot against certain Federal employees is discovered.

Jake Vincent, and the FBI are beginning to suspect that a rogue element of society may be saying, "WE'VE HAD ENOUGH!"  America seems to be awakening!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Readers

Many thanks to "Mystery Genre" READERS. You folks have given a great WELCOME to our newly published title, Mystery on the Seine...the sequel to Mystery at Deadfall Lake.  

The new book is selling well, and "...Deadfall Lake" sales have jumped by 20%...

Both titles can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all independent book stores.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!