Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "kidnapping"
Book Review: Severed Threads, by Kaylin McFarren
The story opens during a diving salvage operation with experienced divers and treasure hunters Sam Lyons and Chase Cohen. Though they’re working on the Griffith wreckage, Sam believes the site also contains the wreckage of none other than the Wanli II—the Ming Dynasty Emperor’s lost dragon ship containing an ancient figure head, a fierce dragon in gold leaf and preserved in resin for all posterity—the gift Mai Le intended for her lover.
Unexpectedly, however, things turn bad for Sam while he’s underwater: he suffers cardiac arrest for no apparent reason. Indeed, the circumstances surrounding his death appear more than a little mysterious.
Chase, who had loved him like a father, feels responsible and doesn’t know what to make of it. Did something malfunction or did something scare Sam down there? He'd been an experienced diver with over 20 years of experience under his belt. What had Chase missed? Sam was the only man Chase had allowed himself to trust. He and his daughter Rachel were the only two people he really cared for. But now all had changed: Sam was dead, and Rachel would forever blame him for his death.
Move four years forward. Rachel Lyons, Sam’s Daughter, is working at a grant foundation. All is pretty quiet and routine in her life…until she’s approached by a museum director asking for a grant to conduct another diving salvage operation, run by none other than Chase’s Trident Ventures.
Though Rachel has no intention of helping Chase, Chase is set on convincing her. Since the operation focuses on discovering the Wanli II, if they succeed, her father would receive his long overdue reward and the museum would fund a permanent exhibition to honor his memory.
Yet, Rachel is still hesitant. Then, a twist of fate puts Rachel's brother in danger, forcing her to change her mind about funding Chase's project. Chase is more than suspicious about her sudden change of heart, but he isn't about to say no to this opportunity which could help him leave his mark upon the world as a renowned treasure hunter.
Thus, she grants him the money and insists on joining the underwater expedition. Can she put aside pride and work with Chase on a daily basis?
Severed Threads is an engaging, entertaining read! I've always enjoyed stories about lost treasures and underwater archaeology and this one didn't disappoint. The hero and heroine are realistic and sympathetic and there's a sizzling chemistry between them. The plot is believable with a fair share of exciting twists and turns. I found the workings of a grant foundation and a diving salvage operation quite interesting and informative. Pacing is fairly quick with a nice balance of action, dialogue, description and the inner thoughts of the characters.
In short, Severed Threads is an exciting novel featuring danger in the high seas, romance, action and adventure, murder, and even a sprinkle of the paranormal for good measure. Recommended.
Unexpectedly, however, things turn bad for Sam while he’s underwater: he suffers cardiac arrest for no apparent reason. Indeed, the circumstances surrounding his death appear more than a little mysterious.
Chase, who had loved him like a father, feels responsible and doesn’t know what to make of it. Did something malfunction or did something scare Sam down there? He'd been an experienced diver with over 20 years of experience under his belt. What had Chase missed? Sam was the only man Chase had allowed himself to trust. He and his daughter Rachel were the only two people he really cared for. But now all had changed: Sam was dead, and Rachel would forever blame him for his death.
Move four years forward. Rachel Lyons, Sam’s Daughter, is working at a grant foundation. All is pretty quiet and routine in her life…until she’s approached by a museum director asking for a grant to conduct another diving salvage operation, run by none other than Chase’s Trident Ventures.
Though Rachel has no intention of helping Chase, Chase is set on convincing her. Since the operation focuses on discovering the Wanli II, if they succeed, her father would receive his long overdue reward and the museum would fund a permanent exhibition to honor his memory.
Yet, Rachel is still hesitant. Then, a twist of fate puts Rachel's brother in danger, forcing her to change her mind about funding Chase's project. Chase is more than suspicious about her sudden change of heart, but he isn't about to say no to this opportunity which could help him leave his mark upon the world as a renowned treasure hunter.
Thus, she grants him the money and insists on joining the underwater expedition. Can she put aside pride and work with Chase on a daily basis?
Severed Threads is an engaging, entertaining read! I've always enjoyed stories about lost treasures and underwater archaeology and this one didn't disappoint. The hero and heroine are realistic and sympathetic and there's a sizzling chemistry between them. The plot is believable with a fair share of exciting twists and turns. I found the workings of a grant foundation and a diving salvage operation quite interesting and informative. Pacing is fairly quick with a nice balance of action, dialogue, description and the inner thoughts of the characters.
In short, Severed Threads is an exciting novel featuring danger in the high seas, romance, action and adventure, murder, and even a sprinkle of the paranormal for good measure. Recommended.
Interview with Rudy A. Mazzocchi, author of EQUITY of FEAR
Rudy is best known as a medical device and biotechnology entrepreneur, inventor, and angel investor, with a history of starting new technology ventures throughout the U.S. and Europe. He's been privileged to have the opportunity to see the newest innovations in healthcare and work with some of the most brilliant researchers, scientists and physicians in the industry.Authoring more than 50 patents, he has helped pioneer new companies involved in cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, ophthalmology and even embryonic stem-cell development. Through these efforts, he has become the recipient of many technology and business awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in Healthcare and the Businessman of the Year Award.
Combining these experiences and opportunities, with thousands of hours of travel and long evenings in hotel rooms, he found the initiative to start writing a collection of medical thrillers based on true events, known as The EQUITY Series. The first book of which is entitled "EQUITY of EVIL" (released March 5, 2012), and the second entitled “EQUITY of FEAR� (released March 25, 2013).
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Q: Tell us why readers should buy EQUITY of FEAR.
: EQUITY of FEAR is the second novel in The EQUITY Series, following the award-winning thriller, EQUITY of EVIL. These bold, controversial thrillers combine both business and medical science based on true events and/or current technologies under development. They not only inform the reader about life-changing innovations that could positively effect each one of us, but also reveal the dark and often frightening aspects of these technologies that can be manipulated to control our minds and souls. Society needs to prepare for how to best deal with such new innovations.
Q: What makes a good medical thriller?
: I believe that the readers of medical thrillers are sophisticated readers who are looking for more than the conventional storyline found in mystery or suspense novels. Medical thrillers are designed to incorporate medical science and technologies that could impact everyone, unlike the mystery novel where the reader is an observer, along for the ride. A good medical thriller triggers the reader to think “this could happen to me�!
Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?
A: I usually write when I find the opportunity, which is most likely on a long trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific flight, or during long evenings in my hotel room. I tend to start writing “scenes” according to the story that’s running non-stop in my head, and then stop when I need to dedicate the appropriate time to researching a topic, place, or clinical application.
Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?
A: It’s a rewarding platform for me to talk about the new innovations that I see around the world without divulging specific confidential information. It also allows me to openly explore the “why-nots� and “what-ifs� that often creep into my mind. It is then most rewarding when others find the results of such efforts informative and entertaining!
Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?
: I seem to get more advice regarding publishing and promoting, than I do writing, but the best advice I’ve ever received was to “write what you know�. This seems intuitive for non-fiction, but I found it to hold true for fiction writing as well. When you call on life experiences and knowledge, it’s much easier to craft those challenging scenes and to instil more realism.
About the book
Researchers and scientists in the U.S., Russia and Japan compete in a new technological race to control memories, fear, and pain in the minds of the world’s populace. At first the race is rooted in purely scientific ambitions, such as that of space travel or in the era of industrial revolution, but it evolves into something much more sinister.
Here is yet another dark world where scientists experiment on orphaned children rather than rhesus monkeys, where torture and pain become just another set of data points and lives are discarded for the sake of owning the ability to control how man perceives and processes fear.
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Book Review: EQUITY of FEAR, by Rudy Mazzocchi
Once again author Rudy Mazzocchi ventures into the shadowy world of controversial medical technologies. In his first thriller, Equity of Evil, the author revealed a dark world involving abortion, human trafficking and organ cultures. In this his latest instalment and 2nd book in the series, Equity of Fear, he boldly delves into subjects of the re-wiring of the brain to eliminate fear and the alteration of memory. Fascinating and terrifying stuff, to say the least.
Dr. Frank Moretti is CEO of Recon Innovations, a company that is developing a new technology designed to help millions of patients get rid of irrational fears, such as the fear of heights or darkness. He is also working on a neuroplasticity program designed to rewire the brain and restore the memory of Alzheimer’s patients. It all sounds like the perfect way to contribute to science and help humanity.
However, the USA, Russia and Japan are secretly competing for this technology, for a nation that would be able to control fear and pain in the minds of the people would also be able to create a supreme, invincible army.
Roman Citrano, a member of the Recon Board of Directors (also the protagonist in book 1 of these series), warns his friend Frank about the possible sinister repercussions, but Frank decides to move forward and license the technology to other countries. For this purpose, he flies to Japan with his teenaged son Joey—a big mistake, for soon both fall into an evil vortex of international intrigue where sadistic, unscrupulous doctors experiment on orphan children in the name of science, and where father and son have to fight for their lives.
This was a great read! First of all, the science behind it, which the author so skillfully describes and explains, is both absorbing and horrifying. It truly reminds us of the two very different fac
ets of science and what can happen when greed, ambition, and plain and simple human nature get in the way.
The story moves pretty quickly in spite of all the ‘science talk.� I really liked the three main characters, Frank, his son Joey, and Roman, and felt compelled to stick with them to see how they were going to get out of their difficult predicament. I especially enjoyed the character of Joey; he really added spunk to the dialogue and situations. The Japanese scientist villain is well rounded, and I appreciate the tact and responsibility of the author in describing the Asian culture in the book. The ending is satisfying and utterly surprising.
One last word of caution, Equity of Fear has some scenes that are quite violent and graphic in nature, so this isn’t a read for those of you faint of heart.
Find out more on Amazon:
Dr. Frank Moretti is CEO of Recon Innovations, a company that is developing a new technology designed to help millions of patients get rid of irrational fears, such as the fear of heights or darkness. He is also working on a neuroplasticity program designed to rewire the brain and restore the memory of Alzheimer’s patients. It all sounds like the perfect way to contribute to science and help humanity.
However, the USA, Russia and Japan are secretly competing for this technology, for a nation that would be able to control fear and pain in the minds of the people would also be able to create a supreme, invincible army.
Roman Citrano, a member of the Recon Board of Directors (also the protagonist in book 1 of these series), warns his friend Frank about the possible sinister repercussions, but Frank decides to move forward and license the technology to other countries. For this purpose, he flies to Japan with his teenaged son Joey—a big mistake, for soon both fall into an evil vortex of international intrigue where sadistic, unscrupulous doctors experiment on orphan children in the name of science, and where father and son have to fight for their lives.
This was a great read! First of all, the science behind it, which the author so skillfully describes and explains, is both absorbing and horrifying. It truly reminds us of the two very different fac
ets of science and what can happen when greed, ambition, and plain and simple human nature get in the way.
The story moves pretty quickly in spite of all the ‘science talk.� I really liked the three main characters, Frank, his son Joey, and Roman, and felt compelled to stick with them to see how they were going to get out of their difficult predicament. I especially enjoyed the character of Joey; he really added spunk to the dialogue and situations. The Japanese scientist villain is well rounded, and I appreciate the tact and responsibility of the author in describing the Asian culture in the book. The ending is satisfying and utterly surprising.
One last word of caution, Equity of Fear has some scenes that are quite violent and graphic in nature, so this isn’t a read for those of you faint of heart.
Find out more on Amazon:
