kindle worlds

Summary: What if elite Mossad agent Jet had a brother? What if someone was stupid enough to try and murder him?

Rudy just wanted one last spring break hurrah before his final semester at college, but when one of his friends betrays him to the most powerful drug dealer in Jamaica, he knows he’s in trouble.

Rudy’s only chance at survival is in the hands of his sister, an elite Mossad assassin codenamed Jet. If she wants to keep Rudy alive, she’ll have to pull out all the stops. Even if it means taking down Jamaica’s top drug kingpin all by herself.

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

J.A.: Admittedly, I’d only read the first Jet Ops Files book when I heard about the kindle world, but I was a fan of Russell’s Blog. I’d read a number of his posts on Kboards too. As soon as he announced the world, I picked up a copy of Jet which I read simultaneously while writing my story. I mostly wanted to join the world because of Russell. It had absolutely nothing to do with me being a fledgling author and knowing he’d probably promote my book to his massive audience… nope, nothing at all.

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

J.A.: The story is set during Jet’s Mossad days, and Jet is a major character. I also mentioned David from time to time, but not very much.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story? 

J.A.: I tried to stay close to the pace and action of the original stories. I love high-octane action so it was fun to write about a girl in a Jet Ski battle, taking down a tank with a knife, stopping a helicopter with a katana a thousand feet in the air, etc. When writing the story my motto was “why not?” and “would this make Michael Bay proud?”

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

J.A.: I set my book in Jamaica because I wanted it to be a sort of tropical spring break esque escapade. (say that three times fast.) I was also reasonably familiar with the location because my wife and I vacationed there before.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main characters. Why do you think readers will like them?

J.A.: There are two main characters in the story, Jet and her younger brother Rudy. I’m sort of banking on people already liking Jet.

Her brother Rudy is sort of a tossup, though I’m a huge fan of how he acts in the last chapter of the book. He’s this rich kid in over his head and his big sister has to save him from the big bad drug dealers. It was fun because normally it’s a story where the guy is saving the girl, but in this one it’s very much not.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

J.A.: I included Maya because how could I not? I mentioned David, but as this was set in her Mossad days, the other characters didn’t really exist.

7. What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works? Please market those works here!

J.A.: My story is about a girl who kicks ass and is tough but desperately wants to make a family connection. This is a theme prevalent in my Meet Abby Banks Spy thriller series and my Lillim Callina Chronicles Urban Fantasy series.

I love to write stories about girls who are bad ass or becoming bad ass. My female characters often have to overcome extreme circumstances just to survive in a world where everyone is plotting to get them. They all have unique family situations that make their stories as much about defying the odds as it does about making those familial connections.

That said, I took a lot of inspiration for this story from my second Meet Abby Banks book, The Spy Within, which launches July 20.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

J.A.: I’m a writer? That’s cool. When I was little my mom asked me if I thought I was a writer because I used words like reverberate in sentences.

I wrote my first novel in ninth grade. By senior year I’d written three. I wrote another one my first year of college before getting heavily invested in fan fiction where I wrote just over 850k words before getting kicked out of the group after a year. Me and cliques don’t fit, who knew?

After that, I rewrote my original novel and wrote another book which would become the basis of my second Lillim novel The Hatter is Mad. Then I wrote my first Lillim novel, Kill it with Magic. I sat in critique groups with it until people started telling me I should submit it to a publisher. (Keep in mind I’d written something like 2 million words at this point, 90% of which was rubbish)

Starting in 2011, I sent it out for two years, amassing over 150 rejections. (I kept a spreadsheet.) Then I stuck it in a drawer for two years and wrote Hatter is Mad and the beginning of Fairy Tale. I gave up on Fairy Tale and wrote half of what would be my first Abby Banks book, mostly as an exercise to tease one of my critique partners who went on to become a huge selling author for Penguin.

Keep in mind, since 2011 I’d been following the rise of self-publishing and had actually formatted Kill it with Magic for kindle way back then, but felt like I was giving up by not seeking a traditional publisher and also being overwhelmed by trying to find a cover artist and such.

So in 2014, I was looking through my old stuff and decided to give Kill it with Magic a try in the self-publishing world because it wasn’t doing anything in my drawer. I got two new critique partners and went to work on it and Hatter is Mad. By this time there was a lot of information out there, and I spent nearly all of 2014 getting ready for my launch. I failed miserably.

But I decided I’d be successful even if I had to write a million damn books. I was going to write them anyway, after all. I’m still not successful by any means, but my sales are increasing now that I have put out a novel a month since January and gotten a better editor.

This brings us to now, I guess.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books…Authors are often some of the most interesting people I’ve met, although admittedly I don’t get out much.

J.A.: I’m an engineer by trade and have a degree in chemistry. Those are super interesting facts. I’m one of those weird people with the uncanny ability to focus on a task until it’s done.

I wish I could say I’m interesting, but really, I’m not. Although I did get both Stan Lee and Dean Koontz to sign my cast when I broke my arm in seventh grade.

I did spend most of my high school career playing pen and paper RPG games, but I didn’t run many of them. I was more the player everyone hates. You know, the one who has read all the rulebooks and actively tries to cheese the system.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

J.A.: I believe people lie to get what they want, and the less consequences someone has for his actions, the worse those actions would be. I find it incredibly naive to think people with billions of dollars and no consequences act in a way that would be in my best interest.

Hell, even people I directly influence don’t act in a way that is positive for me most of the time. It’s silly to think that someone who regards me as less than the amoeba under the toenails of an ant would act in a positive way toward me.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

J.A.: I just finished my ninth novel Death’s Mantle which is about the four horsemen of the apocalypse trying to stop Ragnarok. I just wrote up the outline for the book I’m going to write next which is All Wrapped Up. It’s the sequel to the book I just put out in June titled Under Wraps which is about a time traveling werewolf stuck in ancient Egypt. After that, I’ll write the third Abby Banks book, Spy for the Spiers.

I was sad the other day because I had an idea for a super hero series and wrote out a series outline, and the outlines for the first of seven books. Then I realized I won’t be able to fit it in until sometime next year…

How to get in touch with J.A.:

Also, my first book, Kill it with Magic, is currently permafree on Amazon. My website is http://www.jacipriano.com/. My facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JACiprianoAuthor. My mailing list where people can sign up to get a free short story: http://eepurl.com/bj7_8f.

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Lynda Filler has been a regular participant in spirited Facebook discussions with me for almost as long as I’ve been shaving (or that I can remember, which is probably closer to the truth). She’s a non-fiction author, funny, spirited, and literate, and has an awesome cover for her contribution to the JET Kindle World. And here she is in all her glory!

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Lynda: I’m a lover of kick-ass guys and girls. JET is the warrior I know I was in past lives. That conversation is best had over a glass of white wine at the local beach bar. I got hooked on all your books Russell after reading an ASSASSIN book set in Punta de Mita. Don’t ask which one. I’ve read them all…and every other book you have written. I’m a SUPERFAN!

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Lynda: I decided KOSOVO was too tame for JET. The weather sucks. She’s bored being a housewife. And then Matt disappears. JET grabs Hannah goes back to Uruguay to grab the rest of the diamonds. And the action picks up from there.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story?

Lynda: JET-EXPOSED is definitely fast paced. JET and Hannah are on the run again. But thanks to connections she made in Israel while cross training with Navy Seals in Mossad, she’s not alone for long.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Lynda: JET –EXPOSED starts in from Huatulco Mexico up the coast to Puerto Vallarta, MX, Whistler, BC, Seattle WA, Sedona AZ, Paris FR and Shanghai China. Why? Because that’s how my JET likes to roll!

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like him?

Lynda: Luke Raven is a brilliant high-tech billionaire—he’s every woman’s dream man.
He’s super powerful, hands in all things U.S government; and has clandestine control of the worlds’ satellites.

Raven’s team consists of a group of highly decorated ex-navy Seals. Raven, and Zach-his number one man, met JET when they cross-trained with her in the MOSSAD.

Luke’s mission is to find the Cyberspace thieves who’ve hacked into the US Office of Personnel. The trail leads to Archenemy Sying in Shanghai whom Raven suspects had his wife and child murdered.
I expose a more vulnerable side of JET. She kicks-ass, has fun, and takes a few willing prisoners along the way.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

Lynda: I included JET and Hannah. I wanted to bring them in from the cold! Matt has to disappeared.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works?

Lynda: I have three novels in progress. My current published works are non-fiction. The Love Fix, Love Rehab and I (Spy) Love. These are urban/free verse books of poetry written about Love, Warriors, and Passion. They are available on author page Lynda Filler at Amazon.
http://goo.gl/RaHHQO

You can find me on Facebook on my page Lynda Filler Author.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

Lynda: I’ve been accused of living in a fantasy world my whole life. The difference is sometimes I find myself living what I write. Or writing what I live. Do we call it fiction or autobiography? I think I’ll leave everyone guessing.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books.

Lynda: I was a Nun for a year! That’s always a great opener in a conversation.

I love to travel, experience the world, study people.

I’m totally happy alone.

I love road trips that have no time limit and not necessarily a destination.

I’m also a photographer and a painter.

I could pack up my life in fifteen minutes and live anywhere that interests me. My friends tell me my life is a movie.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Lynda: Of course I believe it and maybe even know it to be true. But as Luke Raven would say: Enough said.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

I have three completed novels that are in editing stages. One has a character I incorporated into JET-EXPOSED.

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Steven Konkoly is an author who needs no introduction. His Black Flag and Perseid Collapse series routinely top the charts in their categories, and I wrote a novella for his Perseid Collapse Kindle World that was an absolute hoot, and sold pretty decently (Ka-CHING!) thus far. That experience convinced me to open up the JET world to other authors – that and a voice that usually tells me to kill the neighbors or skeet shoot off the roof after I’ve had a few too many. But this isn’t about me. It’s about Steven, who’s a good friend and a skilled author, as his sales stats clearly show. Here’s Steven talking about writing in the JET Kindle World:

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Steven: After the third finger on my left hand was snipped with a bolt cutter by a cartel thug hired by Jose Cuervo (I suspect that’s not his real name), I decided to cut my losses (pun intended) and write the damn novella. At least that’s what I think happened after spending happy hour at Acapulco Joes with Blake in Cabo…all I really remember is a shrill whistle sound and my head being yanked backward. Somehow they repaired my fingers (with no scars) so I could sign the contract, or so I was told.

On a rare serious note, I have been a fan of the JET series since its inception. JET and my covert ops based Black Flagged series share similar features, particularly the one I will exploit in my novella, JET BLACK.

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Steven: JET BLACK links directly to Maya, the main character/female Mossad agent in Russell’s hit series. The novella will open with Maya and her team poised to assassinate a Russian mafia boss at a Caribbean Resort. The mafiya kingpin has been courting Iranian agents known for aggressively shopping the Russian WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) market. The Mossad wants to kill (literally) any possible deal in progress. At the same time, a Black Flagged hit team led by Jessica and Daniel Petrovich (Mr. and Mrs. Smith team from my novels) move on the same location, pursuing a target familiar to Black Flagged readers—Dr. Reznikov. The collision of these two groups will leave deep cuts, bloodstained walls and lots of mangled bodies…along with a new partnership.

The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story?

Most of the story will explore the different types of sunscreen used by the Petrovich’s and members of Maya’s team before they attack their targets. I also describe different tropical drinks in excruciating detail. The last few pages are action packed…unless my editor wants me to explore their wardrobes. Never mind, that was the first draft before Jose visited me with a few suggestions.

Readers of both series will seriously dig JET BLACK. Action, adventure, black ops, gritty descriptions of close quarters combat, high tech gear…this will feel very familiar readers.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Steven: JET BLACK is set on Punta del Este in Uruguay at a luxury resort. Dr. Reznikov has recently emerged from exile (imposed by his new employer) and demanded a luxury vacation prior to being whisked away to another unknown, and likely squalid, location. Since the Black Flagged team specializes in South American ops, they were a logical outsourcing choice for the CIA.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like her?

Steven: Jessica Petrovich is a former CIA deep cover operative, with a very shady past. Psychologically unstable, but pathologically practical, Jessica and her equally pragmatic husband form a lethal black ops duo that most targets never see coming until it’s too late. The Petrovich’s work like a well oiled machine, but they are far from infallible. They typically work with a hand picked team of operatives from the core Black Flagged unit…quirky operatives that keep the operations interesting.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

Steven: Maya. Because I want to write a girl on girl scene. Hand to hand combat between Jessica and May, you freaks. I don’t write erotica…not under my real name.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works?

Steven: Hard choices in difficult situations—mostly grey areas. I don’t believe in black and white version of any story, so I typically make the journey a little difficult for readers. I want you to work a little trying to separate the good guys from the bad guys. Sometimes there’s very little difference.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer.

Steven: I have a very unorthodox career. Prior to seven years ago, I had never considered writing a novel, short story or heaven’s forbid…a poem. Quite inexplicably, I decided to write a story about a family in self-quarantine during the worst pandemic in recorded history. I spent 3 years writing The Jakarta Pandemic, which quickly found a readership. A year later, I penned the first of four Black Flagged books, featuring a protagonist character that didn’t currently exist in the genre. The series took off right away, and I never looked back. Well, that’s not exactly true. It took me a while to get to the point where I felt comfortable quitting my day job and taking up this venture full time. Not to get weepy or anything, but Russell Blake has been there since the beginning…we’ve “grown” up together as Indie authors, and I owe a great deal of my success to his wise tutelage. I’d be even more successful if I ignored his “drink before noon” advice.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? What makes you interesting outside of your books?

Steven: I’m going to be really lazy with this question. I just copy pasted my “author description.

Steven graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1993, receiving a Bachelor of Science in English Literature. He served the next eight years on active duty in various Navy and Marine Corps units.

From leading Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations as a boarding officer in the Arabian Gulf, to directing Close Air Support (CAS) as a Forward Air Controller (FAC) assigned to a specialized Marine Corps unit, Steven’s “in-house” experience with a wide variety of regular and elite military units brings a unique authenticity to his writing.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Steven: Absolutely. So much goes on behind our backs…far more than the Snowden leaks exposed. I believe he only scratched the surface. CIA, Mossad, Russian SVR and contract paramilitary groups (for hire)—to name a few groups I feature—run a constant assembly line of operations around the world. I don’t get overtly political in my books, but I think they stand for themselves…not everything done in the name of a sovereign nation is in the best interest of that nation. I’ll leave it there.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Steven: After finishing JET BLACK, I will turn all of my attention to FRACTURED STATE, my newest thriller series set in the year 2035. Quick synopsis: In the year 2035, California’s drought has reached epic levels, forcing the state to consider an unthinkable, desperate option to survive. Secession from the United States. In the quasi-socialist, surveillance-state known as San Diego County, Nathan Grimes, a district water reclamation engineer, will stumble into the middle of an epic battle to decide the future of California, and ultimately the nation.

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Kim Cresswell is a delightful talent whose Whitney Steel series has made a splash with adventure thriller enthusiasts.  She’s got varied interests, writes well, and is a hell of a lot of fun to talk to. With that, I’ll let her take center stage:

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Kim: I’ve always been a huge fan of the JET series and when I saw the opportunity to write a story with one of my favorite characters I jumped on it. No. I pounced!

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story?

Kim: Action. Adventure. Thriller. It’s a fantastic mix of genres. I’ve always been told to write what you enjoy reading.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Kim: OBLIVION is set in California, Las Vegas, Panama, and Colombia. I chose California because I needed a nuclear plant located on the west coast for the story. Las Vegas was chosen because it’s my two main characters usual stomping grounds. Colombia worked well due to the drug cartel and was also an interesting setting choice to explore as a haven for terrorists coming from Yemen.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character(s).

Kim: Hal Decker and Angela Donahue are my two crossover characters. They were first introduced in RETRIBUTION (A Whitney Steel Novel – Book 2) and met during a covert mission in Colombia while Hal was helping a good friend save his fiancee after she was kidnapped by the drug cartel.

Hal (36) is a former FBI agent, elite sniper and an ex-marine. He’s a mellow kind of guy with soft voice and has a serious vibe to him. People who meet him aren’t sure if he is friend or foe. He’s brilliant and cunning. He reminds me of a younger Ron Perlman playing the character Luther Braxton in the TV show; The Blacklist.

Angela is thirty-three years old and ex-US military intelligence (surveillance/reconnaissance) who worked intelligence operations in numerous overseas environments as well as in South and Central America. She’s also the go-to-girl you call to help get you out of a hostile territory during a dangerous mission. Her specialty—exit plans. She’s pretty good at kicking butt too which creates a little conflict with JET.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

Kim: I decided to use JET and Hannah in OBLIVION. I wanted to show the softer side of JET as a mother who is forced into making a difficult decision to leave her daughter behind with strangers while she tries to stop a terrorist attack.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works?

Kim: The major theme in story is the will to survive. Whether it’s a character who is an alcoholic or a character who’s risking her life to stop a terrorist attack—in the end it’s all about survival.

I think it’s also the main theme in my other works as well. My books all have very strong female leads who have to fight to survive one way or another.

• REFLECTION (A Whitney Steel Novel – Book #1)
• RETRIBUTION (A Whitney Steel Novel – Book #2)
• Lethal Journey (A Short Novel Thriller)

Web Site: www.kimcresswell.ca

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Cresswell/e/B00B5LKAXA/

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

Kim: Even though I’ve written off and on all of my life, I began my publishing adventure with my romantic suspense, REFLECTION, back in 2008 after I landed my first agent. Signing the agent contract was so exciting. A big-time-thrill-ride especially after I had queried hundreds of reputable agents. Finally it had happened!

Well not quite…

A few months later, the agent decided to close her agency in Toronto due to personal reasons.

So I began my agent query process again in early 2009. Two months passed and then I received a representation offer from Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. I was thrilled!

But…

The economy crashed in 2010 and traditional publishers were hit hard. Some vanished. Some restructured and others decided it was time to jump on the e-publishing bandwagon. The publishing world was changing.

After my agent exhausted all major traditional publishing avenues my manuscript was sent out to e-publishers.

Then I received a wonderful letter of praise from a “biggie” e-publisher suggesting I rewrite the story to fit their line as a category romantic suspense and re-submit. There were many sleepless nights trying to decide if I should rewrite the book.

I decided not to do the rewrite. The story was an action-packed suspense with a romantic element and it was going to stay that way.

Now I self-publish all my fiction stories under my KC Publishing Imprint. I love the control I have over my own work from cover design to choosing my own release dates.

Russell: Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books…Authors are often some of the most interesting people I’ve met, although admittedly I don’t get out much.

Kim: I have far to many interests to mention. From music to law. I think what is most surprising to many people is that I’m gamer girl. A gaming junkie. Have been since the 80s. I’m a die-hard PC gamer who plays first-person shooters, adventure, fantasy, and RPG’s (Role Playing Games). I’m not your typical mother and grandmother. Just ask my kids and grandsons!

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Kim: I do believe this is the world we live in and have been for a long time. With all the horror going on in the world it’s basically kill or be killed. As long as these covert operations are used to protect us and our security…why not? I think it would be naïve to think these types of missions haven’t happened, aren’t happening right now or are something new. As more dangerous threats pop up over time it makes it difficult to gauge what exactly the future holds.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Kim: I’m working on the first book of a four-book paranormal thriller series; Deadly Shadow (The Assassin Chronicles). The book features veteran FBI Agent Victory McClane and government assassin, Derrick Lynn, who has some pretty interesting paranormal abilities that make him unique and untraceable.

I’m also outlining the third book in the Whitney Steel Series which will release in the spring/summer of 2016. I promise it will be another crazy-action-injected-ride for investigative reporter, Whitney Steel

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Scott Langrel and I have been buds on FB for years, and he’s a talented author in his own right. We hit it off on the right foot, and when I came up with the bright idea of a JET Kindle World I thought of Scott as a natural fit. Even though not typically an action/adventure author, leaning more to the paranormal, Scott bravely took on the task of working in the world, and the result surpassed my expectations. Here we’ll get to know Scott and find out a little about what makes him tick:

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Scott: When I first heard that Jet would be opened for Kindle Worlds, I was hot to jump into the proverbial pool. I like the series–the action, the exotic locales, and the characters. Though I write in a different genre, I thought it would be neat to write a genre-bending story which incorporated some of my characters with yours.

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Scott: Unstoppable puts Maya into a world I’m more familiar with–a world in which things aren’t quite what they seem, and where the unbelievable often occurs. But she’s still Jet, with all of her abilities and assets. I wanted to see how an action icon would react when I threw a few supernatural elements into the mix.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story? 

Scott: I generally write supernatural suspense. My books aren’t strictly horror–think Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series, for example. They’re more action or thriller than horror.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Scott: Unstoppable takes place mostly in Louisiana, mainly because I’m not a world-hopper like some people I know. I might not always stick to “write what you know”, but I’m generally limited to writing about places I know. It’s hard for me to set a story in a location I’ve never even visited.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like him?

Scott: Well, we already know readers like Maya, hence your selling of upteen gazillion books. My main character is Jack Clay, a man with an extensive military and police background. Jack is a Cajun whose last assignment involved working with a special unit which investigated and infiltrated cults, before something happened that changed his life forever. He’s a good guy with a big heart who happens to carry the weight (or fate, as he sees it) on his shoulders. He just wants to do good, and I think readers will be able to connect to him.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

Scott: Maya is, of course, one of the main characters. Other characters are mentioned, but do not play a significant role.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works?

Scott: That’s going awfully deep for a hillbilly like me. I guess I tend to write about evil and what motivates it. In this case, it’s a thirst for revenge brought on by years of pain, frustration, and anger. But I also like to write about what happens when you open Pandora’s Box, then find that it can’t be shut again.My Finn McCoy books often use paranormal beings as substitutes for real evils being perpetrated by man right now, as we speak. The world can be a dangerous place.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

Scott: I’ve always loved reading and have attempted to write–with varying degrees of success–from a young age. I’d almost given up until Amazon revolutionized self publishing. They made it a viable option, not simply a time-wasting act of vanity.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books

Scott: I’m as boring as the day is long. Hanging out with me would be a sure-fire cure for chronic insomnia. But I do like beer. A lot. If I wasn’t a writer, a taste-testing job in a brewery would suit me just fine.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Scott: I think we’re really screwed if we don’t all get together and put an end to the current Politicians Gone Wildcraze. Government has grown so large it’s now like a wildfire–existing only to feed itself. There’s no sympathy for the common man. We elect these idjits to represent us, not to rule over us. And the whole alien cover-up thing really pisses me off. Don’t get me started.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Scott: Next will be the seventh installment in my Finn McCoy Paranormal Thriller series, which will feature Jack Clay from the novella. After that, I’m hoping to give ol’ Jack a shot at his own series, if the readers connect with him.

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Toby Neal needs no introduction. Her books are regularly on the bestseller lists and she has a fanatical readership that’s growing by the day. Her Lei Crime Series struck a chord that resonates with many, and she masterfully blends mystery, thriller, and romance into a seductive tropical cocktail. She agreed to sully her reputation writing in the JET Kindle World, for which I am endlessly grateful. Now let’s cut to the chase and see what Toby’s got up her sleeve:

http://tobyneal.net/

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World? 

Toby: I have long been a fan of Russell Blake and his Jet books. When I got my own Kindle World for the Lei Crime Series, I asked Russell to write for my World. Due to scheduling, he wasn’t able to—but I couldn’t resist the challenge to explore the Jet World!

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Toby: My novella, Nightbird, is a spy/suspense/romance set in the Jet Ops Files days, when Maya is being recruited to the Mossad by a profiler code-named “Benjamin.” Maya has an older sister, Dr. Lila Weiss, a neurobiologist and part-time ballerina, who has been separated by divorce and their father’s death. Maya, soon to become Jet, doesn’t remember Lila—but Benjamin sees her potential and recruits her as a Mossad agent.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story? 

Toby: Nightbird is a spy/suspense/romance with a layered mystery, a tangled web of family backstory, action and sabotage, and a simmering, bittersweet romance.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Toby: My main series is set in Hawaii, so it was a blast to write a story set in Israel and Paris. I’ve been to Paris, but not Israel, and I had a Jewish writer friend, Laurie Hanan, who’s married to an Israeli and lived there many years, read for me for authenticity. I always do research and have experts read for me—readers have come to count on learning new things from my books while being entertained, and Nightbird is no different.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like her?

Toby: Lila’s a sensitive, brilliant, idealistic scientist who wears her heart on her sleeve, has been sheltered all her life, and dances ballet to express her passion. She speaks seven languages and is physically brave, but doesn’t have Maya’s ruthlessness. She moves cautiously into the shadow world of Mossad, seeking a connection with her sister and with Benjamin, and wanting to protect her country. I fell in love with her and I think readers will to. She developed into someone I want to keep writing about for a long time!

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works? Please market those works here!

Toby: The theme of a strong female protagonist coming into the fullness of her power and passion is something that I have explored in most of the Lei Crime Series and their ancillary novels. Overcoming the past, fighting for justice, the power of love to heal and good overcoming evil are all ongoing themes in my work. If you’re interested in an action-packed police procedural mystery series that’s a cross between Michael Connelly and JD Robb, but set in Hawaii, start the Lei Crime Series with Blood Orchids!

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books?

Toby: I have a background in psychology. I’m a licensed clinical social worker, and diagnose people and do mental health therapy. Recently, the books have been doing so well and demanding so much of my time, that I’ve cut way back on my mental health work to write these psychologically-complex villains and those who hunt them. In addition to my work and writing, I enjoy life in Hawaii beach walking, hiking, diving, doing photography and volunteering in a nonprofit for children.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Toby: I’m working on Bone Hook, Lei Crime #10, as well as a memoir, some romance under my pen name Anna Skye, a narrative nonfiction travel book, and a new techno-thriller that Russell was kind enough to blurb for me, Wired In. I am never short on books to write! Check out my work at http://www.tobyneal.net/ and I hope you enjoy Maya’s sister Lila’s leap into the spy world in Nightbird! And as a special thank you for your blog readers, I’m going to gift a copy of Nightbird when it releases to one of your commentors! Just leave your comments and I’ll pick a winner, and with your permission, Russell will give me your email so I can do so. Good luck, all, and happy reading!

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Kim Cano and I have been friends for several years, and she’s gone from fledgling author to accomplished one with three novels under her belt and more to come. Her approach to the JET world is more of a women’s fiction background than the type of action thriller of the original series, which should make for a refreshing and unexpected take on the theme.  With that preamble over, I’ll turn the floor to Kim:

Kim Cano’s website is http://kimcano.com/

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Kim: I read all the books in the JET series and thought it would be fun to get involved.

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Kim: Yes. Jet Rescue is about Lawan, the ten-year-old girl Jet rescues from Bangkok, Thailand’s sex district in Jet – Betrayal, so the scenes where Jet and Matt are with Lawan in that book are the same, but the rest of the story is about Lawan’s time at the Top Cat club and her eventual escape with Jet and Matt.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genre(s) do you explore in your story?

Kim: There’s still some action since Jet and Matt are around, but it’s more about the relationships between the characters: Lawan and the two other children at Top Cat, and how Lawan connects with Jet and Matt.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Kim: I set mine in Thailand and Laos because that’s where they were in Jet – Betrayal.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like her?

Kim: Lawan is a ten-year-old child who experiences hardships and tries to take them in stride while hoping for a better life. I think everyone has felt that way at some point and will find it easy to care about her.

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET? If so, Why?

Kim: Jet and Matt are included, and while Jet leaves town to get Hannah back, Lawan leaves Thailand with Matt.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works? 

Kim: The major theme is inner strength. Jet is a strong woman, and Lawan is a strong child. I like to write emotionally-charged stories featuring women who struggle but succeed. My three women’s fiction novels are: A Widow Redefined, the story of a young widow’s journey through grief and the transformational power of friendship, On The Inside, a novel about a middle-aged woman who is sentenced to two decades in prison for committing white collar crime, and Eighty and Out, a book about two sisters who make a pact not to live past age eighty.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

Kim: I always wanted to be a writer but got wrapped up in my regular job, which I was good at but I didn’t like. When the company closed and I had time off, I realized half my life was over and I hadn’t even tried to do the thing I wanted to do most, so I started writing my first novel.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books?

Kim: I’m an animal activist, and I like to read, snuggle with my cat, and travel whenever possible. I’m also addicted to HGTV’s House Hunters International.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Kim: Prior to reading the Jet series (and all the other Russell Blake books) I suffered from a kind of naïve optimism. I didn’t pay much attention to politics and spent my time like most Americans, shopping and having fun. Now that I’ve learned more about how the world really works, I’m afraid.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Kim: I’m working on another women’s fiction novel called His Secret Life.

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Claude Bouchard is an acclaimed indie author who’s been a buddy of mine for years, even though he’s French (okay, French-Canadian, which is almost, well, never mind). I was thrilled when he agreed to write in the world, and yes, cocktails might have been involved, but don’t cheapen this. I’ve read a bunch of his novels, and can honestly say they’re fun action thriller romps that leave you wanting more. And with that, without any further ado, here’s the description of his contribution to the JET – Kindle World, followed by an interview with him:

Nasty in Nice

Some believe there is no such thing as coincidence… But there is.

Four months of peace and tranquility have gone by since the last attempt on their lives, leaving Maya and Matt increasingly confident their enemies are truly part of the past, their biggest worry, deciding their next destination as they travel Europe with three year old Hannah.

Vacationing in Paris with her long-distance partner, Dominique, Canadian operative, Leslie Robb is thrilled to receive a call from friend and colleague, Chris Barry, inviting the two women to join him and his wife at a lavish rented villa in Nice.

On the Deep Web, a covert meeting takes place, twelve of the world’s most efficient assassins, brought together to eliminate Maya and Matt, once and for all.

As the dozen killers begin their quest to locate their targets, a chance encounter takes place in Nice, turning the quasi-guaranteed biggest payday of their careers into their biggest nightmare.

 ~ ~ ~

Russell: How did you come to be interested in the JET Series Kindle World?

Claude: Sometimes, timing is everything. It was June 1st, the day I officially released Sins in the Sun, the eleventh of my series, and I was mulling over ideas for the next one which I planned to base in Nice, having just returned from there. Shortly before dinner, I was skimming through the Facebook timeline and saw your post regarding the JET Kindle World… EUREKA! I saw immediate possibilities of melding my clandestine operatives with those from your Jet Series and Nasty in Nice was born.

Russell: Tell us how your story links to the JET Series. Characters, setting, specific event? Is there any crossover or meetings between your characters and any of the original characters?

Claude: My series revolves around a discreet government agency which deals with undesirable people, often via unorthodox methods. Considering Maya’s and Matt’s pasts with the Mossad and CIA and their adventures since leaving the intelligence field, getting my crew involved with them makes perfect sense. In summary, Maya, Matt and Hannah have been visiting Europe for a couple of months without the annoying attempts on their lives which previously plagued them. By sheer coincidence, they cross paths with my characters vacationing in Nice just before a new group of killers comes gunning for them. My characters join forces with yours and what follows is a whole lot of fun.

Russell: The JET Series books are fast-paced action and adventure stories. What genres do you explore in your story?

Claude: My series has been a solid blend of mystery, thriller, suspense and action and adventure throughout and Nasty in Nice will be no different. Fear not, your characters won’t be bored.

Russell: The JET series has been set all over the world… the Middle East, Asia, South American, the Caribbean, etc. Tell us about where you set your story, and why?

Claude: I enjoy traveling and have taken to setting my stories in locales I’ve visited over time. Having returned from Nice a couple of days before learning of the JET Kindle World made my setting choice easy.

Russell: Tell us a little about your main character. Why do you think readers will like him?

Claude: Chris Barry, now in his early fifties, is a good-looking, fit, intelligent and charming operative who made a fortune in his former corporate life. Leslie Robb, one of Chris’ colleagues, is a tall, thirty-three year old redhead with killer looks and lethal talents who happens to be a lesbian. What’s not to love?

Russell: Did you decide to include any of the main characters from JET (Jet / Maya, Matt or Hannah?) If so, Why?

Claude: Nasty in Nice can be viewed as another adventure in the JET series so it made perfect sense to include all three main characters as they pursue their quest for a quiet, peaceful, normal life.

Russell: What major theme comes across the clearest in your story? Is this a theme found consistently in your other works?

Claude: In the same vein as the JET series, the major theme of my story is that of good overcoming evil. The main reason I was intent on participating in the JET Kindle World as soon as I learned of it was because that very theme is the underlying basis of my Vigilante series. I legitimized the concept of vigilantism as of the second book with the introduction of my government agency which has since successfully dealt with all things wicked.

Russell: Share some of your story about becoming a writer. Long version or short version. You decide.

Claude: While seeking employment in 2009, I pulled out my first three manuscripts which I had written from 1995 to 1997. Following rereads and edits, I published them and began writing my fourth then another and so on. Somewhere along the way, people started buying my books and I realized I no longer needed a job. I had one. I was a writer. Twelve novels later with more to come, I’m quite pleased with how things have turned out.

Russell: Do you have a background related to your writing? Interests? What makes you interesting outside of your books…Authors are often some of the most interesting people I’ve met, although admittedly I don’t get out much.

Claude: Most of my corporate career was in human resources management which may explain why my novels involve murder and mayhem. I did do quite a bit of business writing over the years which may have helped with those funny things like spelling and punctuation. Interests include painting, playing guitar, cooking and travel. I’ve been told I’m witty which is better than being witless. I don’t know how interesting I am though people rarely run off screaming in frustration after spending time with me. I too don’t get out much which allows me to save a lot of money on my wardrobe.

Russell: JET is set in a world where many governments including Israel and the U.S. have covert operations including false flag attacks and assassinations. Do you believe this is really the world we live in? If so, what are your thoughts on the future?

Claude: Since the world we live in is run by man and man tends to be selfish, greedy and manipulative, I do believe this really is the world we live in. As for the future, will man eventually destroy the planet due to the aforementioned characteristics? It’s possible and, if it happens, I hope it’s well past my time. See what I did there? I was selfish.

Russell: What are you working on next, aside from the novella in the JET Series Kindle World?

Claude: Unlike some people I know *cough*, I generally work on one book at a time and then move onto the next. Since I used Nice as the setting for my contribution to the JET Kindle Worlds, I may have to go on another trip before I can write anything else.

Claude’s website is http://www.claudebouchardbooks.com/

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