Tag Archives: cyber-thriller

The Enigma Factor (The Enigma Series Book One) by Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkey Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A cyber security tester and genius looking to find solace in his work after the loss of his mother finds his world turned upside down when he is targeted by cybercriminals in authors Charles V. Breakfield and Roxanne E. Burkey’s “The Enigma Factor”, the first book in The Enigma Series. 

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The Synopsis

Jacob Michaels, computer network security-tester extraordinaire, tries to settle into a quiet life of work to polish his technology skills after the death of his mother.

Cyber-criminals are hunting for new victims when they target the brilliant programmer to try to seduce into joining their cause. More people are hunting him than just the Russian cyber kingpin.

As Jacob sets off to find those who target him, he discovers other technologists’ views which puts him in direct contact with previously unknown global experts.

Buzz, when looking for the easy way inadvertently crosses the line to the dark side then begs his best friend Jacob for help. Jacob, brilliant as he is may not have enough experience to win this on his own. Of course, having your identity erased makes helping anybody else secondary to your problems.

Jacob battles against global cyber masterminds using his knowledge of programming, identity theft, and hacking, but learns more about security and encryption when he connects with the distractingly beautiful encryptionist Petra.

Jacob’s challenge is how to keep ahead of the criminals and identify who to trust.

In their debut TechnoThriller, The Enigma Factor, award-winning authors Breakfield and Burkey weave a complex tale of danger, intrigue, and international cyber combat. They use a relevant technology foundation, then layer on travel, romance, humor and mystery

Like rust, the cat and mouse game of the new cyber warfare age never sleeps.

The Review

This was a tense and adrenaline-fueled cyber-thriller! The authors did an incredible job of making the narrative and characters feel alive and vibrant on the page. The amount of detail and experience the authors have in the world they have created feels truly authentic, due in large part to their own work in the world of cyber security and high tech. This authenticity helped elevate the narrative and keep readers invested with every twist and turn. 

I was immediately enthralled with the character development in this book. The shocking loss early on for the protagonist leads to so many different questions that keep the reader invested, from who his unknown family truly is to who the shadowy organization is that is hunting him down. The way the authors are able to infuse so much humanity and emotion into a tech-heavy narrative and keep the reader invested in the protagonist’s journey helped make the mystery of this book that much more engaging. 

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, entertaining, and action-packed, authors Breakfield and Burkey’s “The Enigma Factor” is a must-read cyber-thriller. The tension and atmosphere the authors create and the rich world-building the story takes on make this story truly one of a kind. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today! 

Rating: 10/10

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About the Authors

Breakfield is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He’s also a fan of wine tastings, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking. 

Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments. She works with customers all over the world focusing on optimized customer experiences. Rox writes white papers and documentation, but found she has a marked preference for writing fiction. 

Together these Texas authors create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, as well as young and experienced adults. They bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today in exciting stories. Visit their website for more information and free stuff. 

https://www.enigmabookseries.com/
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Terminus by Proto Dagg Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

In a not too distant future, a young man living in a divided city discovers a powerful new street drug and a growing movement, leading him to become the center of a battle for the soul of the city in author Proto Dagg’s “Terminus”.

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The Synopsis

Following a period of violent unrest, the city of Terminus is divided into color-coded zones – each block outside of the green zone brings citizens deeper into unguarded chaos. At an exclusive green-zone club, Matt hears about a new street drug called Peace. Receiving a cryptic invitation, he attends a series of ceremonies that uses the entheogen to bring about transformative experiences. As the movement grows across the zones, Peace threatens the powers who control Terminus, and Matt finds himself at the center of a struggle for the soul of the city.

The Review

The author did such a fantastic job of creating a narrative that was both entertaining and thought-provoking. The themes and genres that were meshed so well together all kept their identities while still creating something new and unique. From the futuristic, cyberpunk style setting to the tone and background of a Wolf of Wall Street style cast of characters to begin the narrative and a spiritual awakening and rebellious bio-punk storyline, this novel truly created something unique that readers will be eager to devour in one sitting.

The unique thing about this novel was how the narrative become the heart of this book. Typically the cast of characters will become the focal point of this kind of storyline, but the story itself was just so unique and the writing style was so thoughtful, that readers will just feel themselves getting drawn further and further into the rabbit hole that is this plot. The world-building and mythos of this futuristic world and the society the author built within this city were brilliantly written as well.

The Verdict

Gripping, breathtaking, and thought-provoking all at once, author Proto Dagg’s “Terminus” is a must-read novel of 2022 for all fans of cyberpunk and bio-punk. The twists and turns this narrative takes and the exploration that the narrative takes the characters on through some spiritual awakening moments will have readers enthralled with this story. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

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Interview With Author Jerome Preisler

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1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

When I was about ten or eleven I started writing a kind of science fiction/fantasy/horror novel. I suppose it was a kind of escape; I was not the happiest of kids. I wrote the beginning in longhand, but after a couple of months taught myself to type on an old manual typewriter that was sitting around in my room. The book wound up being exactly 138 pages, single-spaced. I’ve been writing ever since, with long lapses until I hit my late twenties and decided to really make a go at doing it professionally. 

2) What inspired you to write your book?

Well, in the case of Net Force, which was a previously existing—if long dormant—bestselling franchise,  it’s kind of different from a novel I would conceive entirely on my own. I was initially asked to relaunch the series, but the whole process took a while, and there were extended lulls before it all came together. Finally I made a big push to convince everyone involved that the time was right to get it done, cybersecurity and the evolution of cyberspace being very much at the forefront of our collective awareness nowadays. It took a lot of work and patience, but here we are, happily!

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3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I have three epigraphs. One quote is from President John F. Kennedy: “What unites us is far greater than what divides us.”

I like the word “theme” better than “message,” and if the series does have a theme, JFK put it very succinctly. We’re living in a time of great challenge. Political, moral, ethical, environmental, technological, social … this is a hinge-point in terms of our very survival and evolution as a species.  If humanity’s going to make it, we’re going to need heroes of all nationalities and ethnicities and genders to stand up against the forces that threaten our freedom … and our existence.

That’s where Net Force comes in.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve written books of almost every type, and like working in many different genres. I don’t think of Net Force as being one thing or another … to me it’s just a thriller, with elements of mystery, suspense, cyberpunk and other categories. I get to use my whole toolkit, and that’s part of the fun.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

Hands down, it’s Kali Alcazar. But I wouldn’t ask her anything in particular. I’d just want to have a long conversation with lots of good, strong coffee for us to drink. Kali is 28 years or so and going on a thousand; an old, old soul. There are oceans of depth to her. You could know Kali for years and still feel she’s a mystery. But there’s a core certainty about her, a knowingness, that’s rock solid. Once Kali makes a decision, she never questions it, never second guesses herself. That’s very different from how I’ve been most of my life, though I’ve gotten more like her in recent years. Kali’s someone you can depend on in extreme moments. At the same time, she isn’t infallible. She is who she is by choice, and some of those choices have taken her down difficult roads. But she’s true to herself and her values and the things and people she cares about. If she’s on your side, she’ll stand with you through any hardship and danger … but don’t cross her or you’ll regret it!  

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

To be completely honest, I’m not convinced social media works that well. It still seems to me that one good radio or tv appearance is worth any number of tweets or Facebook posts. But I’m keeping an open mind and staying at it, so let’s say the verdict’s still out.


7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

If you really want to write, be disciplined, and don’t sit around waiting for inspiration. I love baseball and always use the analogy of a batter getting in his daily repetitions, or reps. Hitters need routine, they need steady, regular at-bats. Sit them for a few days, and they slip off their game. My father toiled in a factory most of his life, a garment sweatshop, and what I got from him was my work ethic. He never missed a day of work in his life and I admire that. You do it every day. Doesn’t matter how you feel. You get up and go to work.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon? 

I finished the first Net Force enovella—a prequel that spotlights Kali and CIA manhunter Mike Carmody—last August. It’s called Eye of the Drone and will be out in June and it kicks butt. And I’m currently writing my second Net Force novel, which will be released in the autumn of 2020. Last but not least, I have a Civil War narrative history about a colorful character named Will Cushing that’s due out in October 2020. So, thankfully, I’m keeping busy!

Net Force: Dark Web Review
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About the Author

Jerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS series.

His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.

Among Jerome’s recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing’s Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.

Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.

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Net Force: Dark Web by Jerome Preisler Review

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I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A series of terrorist attacks emerge just as a brand new Cyber-Security Task Force emerges, and must prove themselves by stopping this powerful new threat in author Jerome Preisler’s action-thriller, “Net Force: Dark Web”. 

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The Synopsis 

The return of the cutting-edge thriller series Net Force, created by Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik and written by Jerome Preisler.

The number one threat to our nation’s security is in cyberspace. The new US president wants to tackle the urgent problem head-on and launches a top secret line of defense: Net Force. But before the organization can be announced, the country is hit by an unprecedented, two-pronged terror attack.

Not yet empowered by Congress nor embraced by a dubious intelligence community, still untested, unproven and officially unnamed, Net Force’s elite group of cyber experts and field operatives must lead the fight against the ongoing waves of hacks while tracking down the mastermind. Their failure could mean global catastrophe. Success may lead them to become the highest-level security agency in the United States.

A story that seems ripped from tomorrow’s headlines, Net Force: Dark Web relaunches one of the most prescient thriller series at a time when cybersecurity is more vital than ever.

The Review

An exciting relaunch of a series co-created by icons Tom Clancy and Steve Pieczenik, Net Force: Dark Web is an exciting thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seat throughout the entirety of the novel. Full of action from the book’s first pages, the story is equal parts narrative and character development, giving readers plenty to engage with throughout the novel. 

Employing the same beloved military action, espionage and thriller aspects of any good Tom Clancy novel and incorporating modern day technological warfare and diving into how intimately technology has become a part of our everyday lives, the author does a brilliant job of analyzing our dependence on technology and the next era of terrorism and security around the world. As technology and our society evolves, so to will those seeking to use the good aspects of technology for their own nefarious purposes. 

The Verdict

A well-written, lengthy yet action-packed and engaging read. Author Jerome Preisler has done a marvelous job of creating a cast of characters that feel real and personal enough for readers to feel connected to, like one protagonist named Kali, who’s story evolves greatly from the first page of this novel all the way to it’s end. With the United States facing a dangerous new threat, with government officials in the crosshairs and cyberthreats everywhere, it’s up to a new elite task force to stop the threat before its too late. Find out for yourself why this is the next chapter of an exciting new action-thriller series by preordering your copy of Jerome Preisler’s novel “Net Force: Dark Web” today! 

Rating: 10/10

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About the Author

Jerome Preisler is the prolific author of almost forty books of fiction and narrative nonfiction, including all eight novels in the New York Times bestselling TOM CLANCY’S POWER PLAYS series.

His latest book is NET FORCE:DARK WEB (November 2019), the first novel in a relaunch of the New York Times bestselling series co-created by Tom Clancy. Forthcoming in May 2020 is the enovella NET FORCE: EYE OF THE DRONE.

Among Jerome’s recent works of narrative history are CODE NAME CAESAR: The Secret Hunt for U-boat 864 During World War Two, and FIRST TO JUMP: How the Band of Brothers Was Aided by the Brave Paratroopers of Pathfinders Company. His next book of nonfiction, CIVIL WAR COMMANDO: William Cushing’s Daring Raid to Sink the Invincible Ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle,will be published by Regnery Books in October 2020.

Jerome lives in New York City and coastal Maine.

https://www.jeromepreisler.com/

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