A Triple Thriller Fest

A Triple Thriller Fest

A collection of three

best-selling action thrillers

By authors

Gordon Ryan

Michael Wallace

Philip Chen

Biography of Michael Wallace

Author of State of Siege

Michael Wallace has trekked across the Sahara on a camel, ridden an elephant through a tiger preserve in Southeast Asia, eaten fried guinea pig, and been licked on the head by a skunk. In a previous stage of life he programmed nuclear war simulations, smuggled refugees out of a war zone, and milked cobras for their venom. He speaks Spanish and French and grew up in a religious community in the desert.

Synopsis of State of Siege

Tess Burgess, expert in medieval warfare, is building siege engines in France, while running a sting operation against collectors of stolen artifacts. She finds these collectors through her ex-boyfriend, Peter Gagné, heir to an oil fortune.

Obsessed with the collapse of civilization, Peter’s latest grandiose scheme is a simulated war, like a giant paintball match for billionaire survivalists, but with crossbows and catapults. He asks Tess if she is good enough to defend an actual castle against medieval siege engines. One of the world’s most notorious artifact collectors will be on hand.

Unfortunately, Peter’s friends mean to turn the play war into the real thing.

Biography of Philip Chen

Author of Falling Star

Philip Chen was born in China in 1944 and immigrated to the United States in 1949. Growing up in Washington, D.C., during the 1950s and 1960s, Philip learned both the pains and triumphs of American society at a crucial turning point in America’s history. His multi-faceted career as an ocean research engineer in the development of deep submergence systems, trial attorney, and investment banker provides the background for this very realistic science fiction thriller.  He has one Patent for an underwater mooring system to his credit.

Synopsis of Falling Star

Only One Man Can Save the Planet - But He Just Died.

In 1967, mysterious but silent objects were accidentally discovered buried deep in the ocean. Dormant for decades, they awoke in 1993, sending messages to outer space.  Mike, pulled back into a clandestine world to finish a job he had started as a young navy ensign to help decipher these messages, is brutally attacked by gangs of ordinary Americans.  He also learns that a revered friend has died. Is the death of this friend mankind’s last hope for understanding what lies beneath the waters?

Biography of Gordon Ryan

Author of State of Rebellion

“Political thrillers are in my blood.  They’re more real, than fiction.”

Gordon Ryan has been a traditionally published author since 1994 and an Indie author since 2009. Ryan was a Recon Marine in the aftermath of the Cuban missile crises. He served in Bangkok with the Air Force during Vietnam and at the American Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, during the violent 70’s. Ryan holds a Bachelors degree with Honors in Political Science and has completed graduate work in Public Administration. After his time in the military, Ryan served as a city manager and HOA chief executive officer for much of his career.

Synopsis of State of Rebellion

California is on the brink of secession and those who oppose this drastic political maneuver are turning up dead. Federal Agent Nicole Bentley is sent to discover what she can about the movement and meets up with Assemblyman and National Guard JAG officer Daniel Rawlings, a man whose commitment to his country runs deep in his blood.  Resisting their mutual attraction, they uncover a plot devised by greedy men bent on taking power at any cost.

As Colonel Pug Connor, working under the direction of the President of the United States, seeks to root out the leaders of the Western Patriot Movement—a military cadre with a chip on its shoulder—Nicole and Dan find themselves literally in the crossfire. Can they end the dispute between the various factions before they all end up martyrs for the cause?

A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat political thriller,
State of Rebellion
, Book One of the Pug Connor series, will keep you turning pages long into the night.

State of Rebellion

Falling Star

State of Siege

State of Rebellion

State of Rebellion

A Pug Connor Novel

Book One

by

Gordon Ryan

www.gordonryan.com

* * * * *

PUBLISHED BY:

Pegasus Publishing

Copyright © 2010 by Gordon Ryan

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

“It is the liberals who fear liberty …”

—George Orwell

“We need a constitutional convention in the State of California.

We need to change the framework of governance.”

—Gavin Newsom, Mayor, San Francisco,

1 Feb. 2010, Fox News

Author’s Note:

State of Rebellion
introduces a new character, Pádraig “Pug” Connor, initially a career Marine Corps officer. Pug plays a small, but very important role in Book One. His role will become increasingly central to the plot of this series as subsequent books are released. Pug is not the traditional, thrust-and-parry, seek-and-destroy protagonist of many thriller action heroes. His sidekick, retired Command Sergeant Major Carlos Castro is more that type of hero. I trust that Pug and Carlos will become a welcome addition to your list of ‘
what comes next
,” fictional characters.

Chapter 1

Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Bridge
Interstate 5, north of Sacramento, California
June, 2011

Had the gallows knot been properly placed to the side, behind the ear, Richard McFarland’s neck would have snapped, delivering a swift death. As it was, the young California National Guard lieutenant twisted and convulsed for a long, agonizing two minutes before he died.

In the predawn hours, the light was barely sufficient to see, but Otto Krueger, First Sergeant of the Shasta Brigade, a northern California militia unit of dubious intent, kept his eyes riveted to the gruesome scene. Otto’s younger companions had less stomach for the sight of Lieutenant McFarland slowly swinging in the stillness of a purple dawn.

Killing the two California Superior Court justices with a quick bullet in the back of the head had been easy compared to this assignment, but Commander Shaw had been adamant:
“Make it plain that the brigade will not tolerate traitors or spies.”

“Can’t we just get the hell out of here, First Sergeant?” one of the two men with Krueger pleaded.

The grizzled veteran pulled his eyes from the ghastly sight and glanced derisively toward the whining kid. He spat a stream of tobacco juice on the ground and returned his gaze to the body. Standing five feet nine inches and weighing one hundred eighty pounds, First Sergeant Otto Krueger was rock solid. Dense tattoos extended from beneath his rolled-up sleeves, running from biceps to wrists on both arms. His sandy hair, cropped to a uniform half-inch length, added to his appearance as a balding, but very fit, muscular man.

He looked back at the young would-be soldier who was now on his knees in the dirt, struggling to avoid further embarrassment.