Five on Friday - Claude Berube

Happy Friday everyone! As usual, I'm very excited about our Five on Friday guest (I probably wouldn't invite anyone I was excited about), but let me get a couple of housekeeping items out of the way first.

This one you'll be excited about, but don't get too excited, leave and not come back! The Friday Reads contest this week involves SIGNED copies of Suspect. That's right! Plus there might be special tennis balls involved as well...

We're down to the last week for you to enter the blogiversary contest. If you haven't put your name in for that, make sure you do so soon. I'll pick a winner next Friday.

I shared this on Facebook, but for those of you not over there, here's my new favorite holiday: International Book Giving Day. And it's on the same day as Valentine's Day...how about that? Give your sweetie a book? Even better, how about giving a book to a stranger? Leave one in a special location with a little note inside maybe? Wouldn't it be fun if we all did that on February 14th?

O.k. that's all the fun links I have for you today. Let's get to the good part of today's show!

A couple of months ago, I reviewed Claude Berube's fiction debut, The Aden Effect, for Shelf Awareness. It's times like this that I'm so happy to be reviewing with them. It's very unlikely that I would have heard about Claude's book otherwise, and I'm so glad I did. I'm looking forward to following his series...his whole fiction career, where ever it may lead.

And bless his heart, knowing virtually nothing about me except for the fact that I reviewed his book, he agreed to a Five on Friday feature. So, let me turn things over to him!

1. If I could tell my 16-year-old self one piece of advice, knowing what I know now, it would be: Never play poker or billiards with anyone whose first name is a city or state.

2. The best gift I ever received was: This past Christmas I received the most unique gift from my goddaughter’s father – a replica of a liquor bottle from several episodes of the original Star Trek. I’m still trying to find some Saurian Brandy or Romulan Ale to fill it. And, yes, I’m a big Star Trek fan.

3. A skill I’ve always wanted to have, but don’t is: Fixing cars. Seventeen years of Catholic schools lacked one critical course – shop class.

4. If I won the lottery tomorrow, the first thing I would do would be: A portion of the proceeds from my novel is going to Horses for Heroes. If I won the lottery, I’d do the same and set up a portion of the winnings to go to this fantastic organization, a ranch in New Mexico which helps veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. It was founded by a former Green Beret.

5. The #1 item on my bucket list right now is: Finish my doctoral dissertation. This is a nearly life-long goal. For the past three years I’ve been researching the Jacksonian Era and am writing about the navy during that period. Just as my debut novel was published, I had to rewrite and submit the first chapter of the dissertation as well as the proposal and defend them. Fortunately it went well and I’m continuing to write the remaining chapters while writing the sequel to THE ADEN EFFECT. 

All you Trekkies are excited about that gift, aren't you? And I have to tell you, I never attended Catholic school, I took one shop class...I managed to nail my lamp to the work table. Yeah, I'll leave the fixing for the pros! And make sure you look closely at Claude's photo! :-)

Many thanks to Claude for taking time and having a little fun with us. The man is in the midst of a doctoral dissertation AND a second novel, and he still has time for us. I'm honored to be able to feature him today and I hope if you haven't already been on the lookout for The Aden Effect, you will do soon.

Have a great weekend everyone! Happy Reading! 

The Aden Effect - Claude Berube

My review of The Aden Effect first appeared in Shelf Awareness for Readers. It is appearing here with their permission. I thought I had already posted this one, so I apologize for the delay, it came out in October and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I was checking back, I discovered I had not posted it yet. So I hope you enjoy!

First line: "The first rocket-propelled grenade hit the supertanker's bow twenty feet above the waterline."

When the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, C.J. Sumner, runs into nothing but silence in her attempts to build relationships with Yemen leaders, she uses her influence to recall Connor Stark to active military duty--assigned to the Yemen Embassy. Sumner hopes Stark’s connections to people in high places will help her break down the walls of silence before Washington pulls her out of her position.

Meanwhile, U.S. diplomatic security agent Damien Golzari finds himself in Yemen while following a lead investigating the death of a State Department official’s college-aged son. When Golzari and Stark’s paths cross conflict erupts. Sumner has to convince the two head-strong men that they are on the same side and need to work together. With the lives of hundreds of innocent people at stake, the alliance becomes vital, but can they achieve it and will it be enough?

Heaped in political conspiracy, military intrigue and international conflict, Claude Berube’s debut novel leaves a lasting impression on its readers. Pirates, drug dealers, corrupt politicians and inept military leaders all contribute to a complex plot ripe with global issues and American fears.

Berube’s protagonist pair is an unlikely match. But, the straight-laced, impeccably dressed Golzari exudes as much arrogance as the non-traditional, informal Stark. And yet readers will find it difficult to dislike either man.

The antagonists of the novel are easier to dislike, but Berube is as respectful with them as his protagonists. Smart, determined and realistic, they make the novel’s action chillingly believable.

Fans of political thrillers, international espionage or military crime should not let this gem fly under the radar.

The Aden Effect is available in hardcover (ISBN: 9781612511092) from the US Navel Institute Press.