But is it really the government conspiring? A shadowy group led by a man called Raven lurks in the wings, manipulating events for his own benefit.This sci-fi thriller is a bridge between the author's "Detectives Chen and Castilblanco Series" and the "Clones and Mutants Trilogy." In the novel, Agent Scott is witness to a nurse's murder. Ortega was supposed to meet the nurse for a story. The two connect and soon have people pursuing them as part of a cover-up to the murder. Scott had already decided that she'd be spending her retirement days alone, but Ortega creates another option, as they draw close for protection and make a desperate attempt to figure out what's going on.Scott is another example of the author's ability to create a conflicted woman who is smart, determined, and good at solving problems. She appeared in several of his detective books, but this is her show she will make the most of it, as she unravels the whole conspiracy. If you're reading this, thank you. Not many people find recognize me as an author of many genre fiction novels. Maybe it's because my name is too common-I thought once about using a pen probably should have. Maybe it's because I don't get many reviews. (It's not hard to write one once you've read one of my books: just say what you like and dislike in a few lines, and why.) I know you have many good books and good authors to choose from, so I'm honored and humbled that you are considering or have read some of mine.You're here on Smashwords because you love to read. Me too. Okay, maybe you're here to give someone the gift of an entertaining book-that's fine too. I love to tell stories, so either way, you'll be purchasing some exciting fiction, each book unique and full of action and interesting characters, scenes, and themes. Some are national, others international, and some are mixed; some are in the mystery/suspense/thriller category, others sci-fi, and some are mixed-genre. There are new ones and there are evergreen ones, books that are as fresh and current as the day I wrote them. (You should always peruse an author's entire oeuvre. I find many interesting books to read that way.)I started telling stories at an early age, making my own comic books before I started school and writing my first novel the summer I turned thirteen-little of those early efforts remain (did I hear a collective sigh of relief?). I collected what-ifs and plots, character descriptions, possible settings, and snippets of dialogue for years while living in Colombia and different parts of the U.S. (I was born in California and eventually settled on the East Coast after that sojourn in South America). I also saw a bit of the world and experienced other cultures at scientific events and conferences and with travel in general, always mindful of what should be important to every fiction writer-the human condition. Fiction can't come alive-not even sci-fi-without people (they might be ET people in the case of sci-fi, of course).I started publishing what I'd written in 2006-short stories, novellas, and novels-we'd become empty-nesters and I was still in my old day-job at the time. Now I'm a full-time writer. My wife and I moved from Boston to the NYC area a while back, so both cities can be found in some novels, along with many others in the U.S. and abroad.You can find more information about me at my website: I'm

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