Wicked Disclosure is a very naughty little novel, and so the likelihood of it being turned into a feature film is, well, very far fetched. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t envisioned what my dream cast would be if it ever were to be made into a film. I write all of my books as though they are movies. Every scene plays through my head like it would on screen and I’ve given a lot of consideration to the actors I’d choose if given the chance.

Sabine Cowan

“The only way to get what you want from a man is through sex. Whether you use it as a bribe, as a threat or as a promise, it’s the only real power a woman has. Anyone who tells you different is full of shit.”

Caity Lotz can definitely pull off the commanding and sultry look of my fiery Sabine. I could see her in Sabine’s signature pencil skirts and five inch stilettos with her hair piled up on top of her head and her lipstick a deep, dark red. She’d pull all eyes to her no matter what room she walked into and would send the message that she gets what she wants no matter what.

Trent Brooks

“I’m going to make you beg, baby, but not tonight. Tonight I’m going to f**k your brains out.”

This is Dave Franco, brother of James Franco and, OMG, so sexy! A perfectly tempting younger man for Sabine. He has that dark dangerous look about him but when he’s smiling he’s completely disarming. There’s a youthful charm about this guy that I think would appeal to Sabine quite a lot. With Sabine on his arm, can someone say power couple?

Adam Lancaster

“You got it, boss.”

I have a soft spot for Adam (so much so that he’s getting his own book) and I wanted to pick just the right actor to play him. Adam is a big teddy bear with a heart of gold. He’s loyal and very skilled at what he does, namely, protecting Sabine. I think Channing Tatum could do this character justice. He’s got the right kind of muscles and can definitely pull off sexy while giving that strong bodyguard vibe.

Roy Miller

“Keep your dick and every other part of yourself away from that witch. She’s nothing but trouble.”

Every book needs a bad guy, right? Benicio Del Toro is the perfect villain for this book. Just one look from him and you know you’re in for a world of hurt. I can see him as the CEO of Morgan and Miller, mentor to Trent Brooks and nemesis of Sabine Cowan. He does sly and devious extremely well and when he loses his temper, well, it’s a fury that you’ve got to see.

Contest

To celebrate my new release, I’m giving away a $25 GC for Amazon!
Enter my giveaway here: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bc3156ea10/?

Wicked Disclosure

Pushing his boundaries was always her plan. What she didn’t expect was how much she’d love it when he pushed back.

Trent Brooks is young, hungry and on his way to the top as a newly appointed Lead Communications Officer at Morgan and Miller, a conglomerate of family brands. After the death of the company’s CFO, Trent is dispatched to navigate a delicate situation involving the deceased executive and an escort agency known as Kitty Calls.

Sabine Cowan is the take-no-prisoners owner of Kitty Calls, who has no use for men other than for her business and her personal pleasure. When Trent presents her with the confidentiality agreement, she dismisses it. But instead of dismissing him, she decides he may be just the type of fun she’s been hungry for.

When compromising photos of Sabine and Trent together are leaked to the media, both of their worlds explode, just in very different ways. Sabine is used to being painted as a sexual deviant. Trent, not so much. With his reputation and his career hanging in the balance, he’s determined to figure out who’s behind the leak.

Screwing Sabine Cowan is every man’s wet dream, including Trent’s. Falling in love with her, however, is not what he bargained for. Exploring the depth of their passion in whatever way she wants could destroy him completely, but his quest for the truth may be something worth dying for.

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About the Author

Angela Addams is an author of many naughty things. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios and likes telling stories about normal people getting down and dirty and falling in love. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela also spends a lot of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations.

She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder, and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.

She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband, children and four moody cats.

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When I was last here, (April 6 to be exact), I chatted about my linked erotica titles, His Purchase and His Filly, before turning to what still consumes most of us—Coronavirus or whatever name you call it by. I mentioned that my son’s cancer surgery had been canceled at the last moment. We had no idea when it could be rescheduled. Well, two weeks ago he got The Call and a week ago today he underwent 7 hours of surgery. The operation took place in a major hospital five hours from where we live. Pulling rank, he and his brother insisted that Mom stay home and said brother would take, stay there, and retrieve him. (They actually spouted some nonsense about my ‘advanced’ age putting me in a high-risk category.)

I’m hugely relieved to report that the patient is home and recovering. (We live together.) We went to the local wound center yesterday where the nurse practitioner said the surgeon’s work was the best she’s ever seen. No infection. Wounds from laparoscopic surgery healing. He still has a long road ahead of him, but something happened to me on the way home I want to share.

For the first time since the diagnosis a year ago February, I truly want to write. I need to! I’ve pounded out words to meet contracts and because that’s what I do, but my heart and concentration hadn’t been in it. Now the damnable tumor is gone from the body of one of the two most important people in my life! (Of course, his brother is the other.)

I’d wondered and half-believed the drive, the need to create, that has always been a vital part of me was gone. I’d never get it back. That writing came in such a poor second to the risk to my son’s life that my career longer mattered. But it was there all this time, waiting for my mind and heart to unlock.

I’m more than halfway through my latest story. Diving back into it today will be a celebration. I want to share that celebration with readers. This is what I’ve come up with. If spanking stories are your thing and you’re one of the first five readers to contact me at VonnaWriter@gmail.com and mention you saw this on Deliah’s blog, I’d love to send you a free copy of either His Purchase or His Filly. No strings attached but if you leave reviews on Amazon and are so inclined, that would be wonderful.

To give you an idea what you’d be getting, here are a couple of Amazon links plus cover images.

His Purchase: https://www.amazon.com/His-Purchase-Society-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07FNHM37V/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=His+Purchase+by+Vonna+Harper&qid=1587579243&sr=8-1
His Filly: https://www.amazon.com/His-Filly-Society-Book-2-ebook/dp/B07FNHRK6S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=228PI8UYUL3CT&dchild=1&keywords=his+filly+vonna+harper&qid=1587579211&s=digital-text&sprefix=His+Filly%2Caps%2C220&sr=1-1

So I’m sitting at my table at the big Shameless Book Con sale with copies of my Brewing Love series spread out in front of me. A browsing shopper pauses. “What are these about?” she asks. “They’re about a craft brewery in a Colorado mountain town,” I explain. “The brewmaster is the heroine of the first book, Love On Tap, and her brother, who also brews, is the hero of the second book, Saison For Love. They’re both trying to get their brewery back on its feet and find a little romance along the way.” “Oh,” says the browser. “I don’t like beer.” And off she goes. Sigh.

There’s this prejudice about beer: it’s not romantic. Wine is romantic. Champagne is romantic. Even whiskey is romantic (go figure). But beer? Not so much. Maybe it’s all those “bro” commercials featuring guys watching football and getting soused. Maybe it’s the image of beer as part of masculine rites of passage. For whatever reason, nobody seems to think of beer as part of a romantic evening. Add to this the fact that American beer manufacturers seem to have given up on marketing beer to women, and you can see that beer’s a hard sell in the romance department.

But I live in Colorado, aka Craft Beer Central, and I’ve seen lots of women drinking beer, serving beer, and brewing beer. Moreover, I’ve seen lots of couples nuzzling over their steins and grabbing their growlers to go. In real life, in other words, beer is just as likely to lead to romance as any other form of alcohol.
I got interested in doing a series built around a craft brewery as I started visiting some of the local breweries in my town. It takes less time to brew most beers than it does to make wine or whiskey, and it’s not as expensive to establish a brewery as it is a winery. Thus a lot of craft brewers are young people with a talent for brewing and a yen to share their unique beers. That’s the situation with Antero Brewing, my mythical brewery in the equally mythical Antero, Colorado (full disclosure: Antero bears a striking resemblance to the real Crested Butte). Antero Brewing was founded by a brother and sister duo, Bec and Liam Dempsey, along with their good friend and financial backer Colin Brooks. But Colin took off after a couple of years, along with his money. Love On Tap dealt with Bec’s struggle to keep the brewery afloat based on a barrel of imperial stout. She gets some help from Denver brewpub owner Wyatt Montgomery, who manages to save Bec from disaster while the two fall in love. In Saison For Love, Liam confronts his own crisis when he tries to find a way to stay in Antero and convince his own lady love, Ruth Colbert, to give him another chance. In the end, he wins by brewing a special saison just for Ruth.

Wild Love, the third book in the trilogy, begins with the return of Colin Brooks. Bec and Liam are both justifiably furious with him for leaving them in the lurch. And to compound his problems, Colin has lost all the money he had to invest. He has to prove himself to the Dempseys and everyone else associated with Antero Brewing. It’s a tough situation, and the only thing Colin has going for him is Peaches Guidry, baker extraordinaire and collector of lost souls. Colin must prove himself to the Dempseys and show Peaches he’s worthy of her love. And beer plays a big part in his journey to redemption.

So here’s the thing: these are books about people facing tough situations and coming through. And finding love along the way. You can read them even if you don’t like beer. On the other hand, if you’re open to some new tastes, you can find out some bits and pieces about beer and how it’s brewed and how it can make food taste a little better and love work a little more easily.

Beer and romance. Trust me, it’s a winning combination.

Wild Love can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google Play.

As I’m an erotic/steamy romance writer, the title of my post can only refer to one thing: the Cone of Learning. Ha, ha. Made you look.

One long ago Easter from my childhood, I made a Sunday School craft that continues to have a lasting impression on me almost fifty-five years later. What I recall is the first part of the tri-fold craft showed Jesus’ body being laid in the tomb. The second part depicted the stone rolled into place. The third showed the tomb empty. I remember thinking “How was that possible?” Precisely the point of the lesson: it was a miracle. I remember being hit with a sense of wonder like a flashbulb going off. Why is it the recollection of that craft has the same impact on me now when I’m sixty-three years old as it did when I was seven or eight? The answer is the Cone of Learning.

I came across this concept when I trained Sunday School teachers. Developed in the 1960’s by Edgar Dale, the Cone of Learning posits these points: people generally remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, 30% of what they see, 50% of what they see and hear, 70% of what they say and write, 90% of what they perform. In other words, the deeper you go, the longer it lasts. As I think back on that Sunday school craft, I’m sure I heard the story being told while I colored and cut and pasted in the company of other children doing the same thing. I probably read or repeated bible verses, too. That simple little craft took me deep into the cone.

The Cone of Learning takes on new meaning for me now I’m a writer. As I revise and edit my stories I have to do all I can so the 10% my reader recalls is truly memorable. This is why we writers are encouraged to show don’t tell, to evoke as many of the senses and to get as deep into the character’s point of view as possible. Think about the stories that have stuck with you. Think about passages you read over and over again to relive some delicious thrill or surprise. Your senses were engaged by sensory-rich sentences and settings. Emotion coursed through you as the character’s thoughts and feelings became your own. These authors took you deep and impressed you in ways that guaranteed you’d remember the 10% of what you read long after you put the book down.

With this in mind, my goal is to write thrilling, evocative and emotionally satisfying stories, stories so striking that fifty-some odd years later, the 10% my readers recall will be as fresh and impactful as my recollection of that Easter Sunday School take-home craft.

“$5.00 Kiss of Life” from First Response

Trapped by the small-town conventions imposed on her, a pastor’s spinster daughter finds rescue in the town bad boy’s very public kiss…

Excerpt from “$5.00 Kiss of Life”

Loose lips sunk ships during the war, Bev. And still do. Only now the ships are voter registration drives and lawsuits and attempts at economic self-sufficiency. It’s not Nazi spies listening and betraying but law enforcement officers who first tip-off Klansmen and other night riding types then stand by as they target the Negro lawyers, teachers and ministers who educate and encourage the folk of color to claim their rights. It’s not Tokyo Rose undermining Negro pride and confidence but those among our own people who choose the safety of their present limitations to the risks of a future determined by the freedom of true independence. Loose lips sink ships, Bev…and they still do.

You’d expect the ones oppressing you to do all they could to keep you down. But for members of the race to sow envy and fear and suspicion so as to undermine efforts to uplift the race was most distressing.

And most familiar.

A good reputation was the battleship in need of protection where she lived. To keep it afloat peer pressure, tradition and societal expectation waged a constant battle against the loose lips of gossip and scorn and lies.

As the daughter of the town’s minister she’d experienced the looks and the whispers and the dressing downs that kept her in her place. The freedom garnered by her one small rebellion – becoming the town librarian rather than the dutiful wife of her father’s associate pastor – turned out to be as limiting as the choice she’d rejected.

Preorder – https://amzn.to/3dRvwLE

Author Contact –
Twitter: @ mscottauthor1
Website: www.michalscott.webs.com

It’s been a little more than a month since I began self-isolating. I’m an introvert, so staying home isn’t that difficult for me. It’s the stress surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic that I’m having a harder time with. It’s the worry about family and friends, the wondering when this thing will finally end and what it will mean for the world when it does.

There is no going back. This pandemic will change us all, not only individually but the entire world.

Humans are creatures of habit, and me more than most. I miss the little things in my weekly routine—breakfast out, running errands, stopping in at the coffeeshop/bookstore, going out for lunch and a movie, seeing my family. Little things, and certainly not important in the grander scheme of what is going on right now, but I still miss them.

But there are things I am doing to keep my spirits up and find joy. If you’re struggling with stress, there are things you can do that might help. First and foremost is to be gentle with yourself. These are unprecedented times. We don’t exactly have a playbook for this.

1. Call family or friends. Being alone can be tough for some people. I talk to someone in my family daily. Some days, I talk to all of them. It keeps us connected even though we can’t be together.

2. Discover a new show on TV, Netflix, or another streaming service. The last couple of Saturdays, I’ve binged on Netflix shows—Next in Fashion and Messiah. Two totally different kinds of shows. I’ve made Saturday a sleepy, do-nothing-much-of-anything day. If you have kids, it’s tougher, but maybe you can find things to watch as a family.

3. Exercise. It’s tough right now with having to stay inside. I’ve started walking around my apartment and I walk whenever I’m on the phone. If you have a yard, getting outside will certainly help. It’s cold here and there is still snow on the ground.

4. We all want to stay informed, but there comes a time when you need to turn off the TV and shut down social media. I’ve started turning on music. It can be soothing. If you want to rock out or have a dance party, that’s good too. Whatever works for you.

5. Journal. Get your thoughts down. It’s a way to help you work though what you’re feeling and going though. It can also be a record of this historic time that we’re living through.

6. Meditate. There are plenty of free programs or you can search YouTube. Or you can simply turn everything off, close your eyes, and simply breathe.

7. Cook or bake, if you’re so inclined. It’s a great activity if you have kids at home. I don’t do much of it because it’s only me at home. Too many cookies is not a good thing for my waistline.

8. Go online and check out some of the free video tours of famous museums and galleries being offered.

9. Find a new hobby or pick up an old one. If you’re not sure what you’d like to do, go online and look around. Between Pinterest and YouTube there’s not much you can’t find. And if you don’t have the money for a hobby, it’s still fun to watch other people and see what they’re creating. My sister has pulled out all her partially finished projects and is either finishing them or using the materials for a new one.

10. Housework. Yes, I said it. If you’ve been putting off a project, now may be the time to tackle it. Maybe not major home renovation but cleaning out a closet or the garage. I figure when this is over there are going to be tons of yard sales as people unload stuff they no longer want.

11. Draw a hot bath, sink into the water, close your eyes, and relax.

12. And finally, my go-to when my stress level is high is books. I wouldn’t make it without them. I’ve read some new ones and gone back and read old favorites.

If you like paranormal romance and are looking for a new read, you might want to check out Fury Unleashed, the first book in my new Forgotten Brotherhood series.

Fury Unleashed
Forgotten Brotherhood, Book One

Maccus Fury, a fallen angel, is trying hard to keep his sanity. Seems being an assassin might be catching up with him. Now, Heaven, or Hell, has sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. Lovely. She’s pretending to seduce him, and he’s okay with that. She’s smart and snarky—but she has no idea what she’s walked into. And he’s more than peeved that they only sent one person. They’re going to need an army if they want him dead.

Morrigan Quill is one of Hell’s bounty hunters. She sold her soul to keep her sister safe, and now she’s working off her contract by catching bad guys and dragging them back to hell. When Lucifer makes her a new offer––that’s definitely too good to be true—she can’t say no. All she has to do is kill a powerful and crazy-hot fallen angel, who will totally kick her ass in battle.

Good thing he won’t see what’s coming next.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M1NQ88
Entangled: https://entangledpublishing.com/fury-unleashed.html
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fury-unleashed-n-j-walters/1136398720
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fury-unleashed-1
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/fury-unleashed/id1498471438

About the Author

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: https://www.njwalters.com
Blog: https://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Sign Up: https://eepurl.com/gdblg5
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/njwalters
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/n-j-walters

UPDATE: The winner is…Michelle Willms!
*~*~*

©Diana Cosby 2020

While attending a writing retreat several years ago, Sir Stephan MacQuistan woke me up, told me that he was a Knights Templar, and demanded that I write his story. Stephan’s story turned out to be, Forbidden Legacy, where he meets the heroine, Katherine, and became the first of five books in The Forbidden Series.

I’ve loved writing each story in The Forbidden Series, the inspiration for each as unique as the characters. In Forbidden Knight, I had the vision of the heroine, Alesone, shooting an arrow a breath’s width before the hero, Sir Thomas, into a tree. The idea made me smile as I knew it’d take a strong heroine to do such an outrageous act, one that’d outrage the hero with her daring, but also leaving him, however much he wished otherwise, to admire her daring. At that moment, I knew I’d found the perfect inciting incident to brainstorm the remainder of the story.

The inspiration from Forbidden Vow came when after I gave a key note speech in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As we were sitting around the dinner table, the wonderful couple I stayed with told me about how early in the 1900s, women would write to sailors. If the service member had a girlfriend or pen pal, he’d pass the letter to a sailor without either. I found that bit of information interesting, and then thought, what my hero comes across his friend who is mortally wounded, who is now, unknown to his former friend, an enemy, who is carrying a missive to a noble that he’s the man’s daughter’s betrothed. The hero realizes the man’s intended is Lady Gwendolyn, whose castle the hero is trying to infiltrate for information for King Robert Bruce in preparation for an upcoming attack. When his former friend dies, Sir Cailin takes the missive and pretends to be her betrothed with the intent that once he’s gained the necessary information about the stronghold, he will leave. The moment the idea came to mind, I knew it was the perfect base to begin brainstorming for Forbidden Vow.

I’m always trying to think of unique ways for the hero and heroine to meet. A thought came to mind while I was out walking, “What if the heroine, Elspet, robs the hero, Sir Cailin, then due to circumstance, is forced to return to the hero and convince him to help her in her goal?” And, the idea for Forbidden Alliance was born.

I loved writing The Forbidden Series. Each story means so much to me, so when it came time to write the last book, I wanted to ensure it was very special, more so as it’s dedicated to my amazing daughter. I had a lot to achieve in Forbidden Realm, I needed to find a storyline worthy of the series, plus create a strong heroine for Rónán. Hence, Lathir’s character was born. I was blessed in that Lathir came to me a complete character, intelligent, passionate, and determined. The perfect match for Rónán. So, I devised a plot where they faced numerous and at times seemingly impossible odds, but in the end, not only allowed them a happily ever after, but a complex story laden with surprises, that I sincerely hope readers enjoy.

About the Author

A retired Navy Chief, Diana Cosby is an international bestselling author of Scottish medieval romantic suspense. Books in her award-winning MacGruder Brothers series have been translated into five languages. Diana has spoken at the Library of Congress, Lady Jane’s Salon in NYC, and appeared in Woman’s Day, on USA Today’s romance blog, “Happy Ever After,” MSN.com, Atlantic County Women Magazine, and Texoma Living Magazine.

After her career in the Navy, Diana dove into her passion – writing romance novels. With 34 moves behind her, she was anxious to create characters who reflected the amazing cultures and people she’s met throughout the world. After the release of the bestselling MacGruder Brothers series, The Oath Trilogy, and the first four books of The Forbidden Series, she’s thrilled with the release of book #5, Forbidden Realm.

Diana looks forward to the years of writing ahead and meeting the amazing people who will share this journey.

Contest

***ONE winner will be drawn from everyone who posts on my guest blog post about, ‘Forbidden Realm, The Story, The Series Inspiration,’ on Delilah’s blog between 15 April 2020 – 26 April 2020. The winner will receive a mug and tote.

Diana Cosby, International Best-Selling Author
www.dianacosby.com
The Oath Trilogy
MacGruder Brother Series
Forbidden Series: Forbidden Legacy/Forbidden Knight/Forbidden Vow/Forbidden Alliance/Forbidden Realm

UPDATE: The winner is Debra Guyette!
*~*~*

ZERO HOUR (Heroes Rising, Book #2)
They are always heroes, whatever the situation
**Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of DESPERATE DECEPTION (Heroes Rising, Book #1)

My love affair with SEALs began… I think with the movie about them, but then I watched the series on television every time it was shown. And of course, now we have SEAL Team, to which I am addicted. How can you not be in love with dedicated warriors whose motto is: “The only easy day was yesterday.”

I’ve been writing about SEALs off and on for a long time, as part of my fascination with military heroes. But then I met former SEAL sniper Jack Carr, himself a best-selling author of The Terminal List series, and I was inspired even more. I discovered they are heroes in many, many ways. Especially as they struggle to fit into society again. Things change, life changes, and they have to find a way to change with it.

That’s how my series HEROES RISING was born. I wanted stories to show the struggle to find new footing yet at the same time be dedicated to the ideals of the SEALs. Sheriff Alex Rossi is rebuilding his office in the Crazy Mountains of Colorado, an office that was riddled with corruption, except for one deputy.

Slowly, he has reached out to other SEALs out of the service and searching for a new niche in life. I hope I am able to show the quality of these men despite their circumstances, and how that always rises to the surface.

You can find all the books in Elle James’ Brotherhood Protectors World.

Oh, and one other thing. I held a contest in my reader group to have a character in one of my books named for you. The winner is a longtime fan, Teresa Fordice. I hope I did her proud.

ZERO HOUR

Teresa Fordice didn’t want to go, rogue but.…

Arms manufacturer Reed Morgan’s secret money man is dead and wild rumors of a dangerous plot are floating. Tasked with finding out what it is, ATFE agent Teresa Fordyce must flee for her life. She ignores the order to come in from the field, instead she runs to Montana and the place where Morgan’s secret plan is being hatched. But finding Jesse Donovan there, the man who walked out of her life, complicates things even more.

He might have left the SEALs but the memories of battle still haunt him…

The recurring nightmares made Jesse Donovan walk away from the best woman he ever met but now Fate has thrown them together and he has a chance to redeem himself. Can he get past the memories to help her on her mission to take down a man who may be plotting against the country?

Zero Hour…

What is it? When is it? What is Reed Morgan planning? Can Terry and Jesse find out in time and can they stop him? And what will happen with them after that? Can he walk away again? Will she let him?

Get Zero Hour here!

Excerpt from Zero Hour

“Have a seat.” He indicated one of the two chairs in front of the desk.

“Am I in trouble?” she asked at once.

“Only if you say no.”

She studied his face, trying to discern if he was kidding or not.

“Okay, tell me what’s up.”

“We have a problem, and we’re running out of solutions.”

Terry lifted an eyebrow. “What kind of problem and how can I possibly solve it?”

“We’ve had our eye on Reed Morgan for some time. You know who he is, right?”

“Yes, I’ve read about him. Former military. Left the Army and opened an arms manufacturing company, which has grown to be a monster. Lots of guesses on where his financing came from. Outspoken critical of the government, which he calls too liberal.”

Max rubbed his jaw. “That’s the guy.”

“Then yes, when I joined the ATFE I was aware he had been a priority for some time.”

“Yeah, we’ve had our eye on him, watching his activities. The watch on him has been bumped up several notches in the past year. You know Morgan is considered a hard-liner. Among many other things, he’s been lobbying hard to overturn some of the recently passed gun laws, and his disdain for the government is well-known.”

“The whole agency knows Morgan Arms Manufacturing is one of the largest businesses of its kind in this country. They also own retail stores, plus they supply some of the arms to our military and even more go overseas. Lots of rebellions going on in the world. But I’m guessing you called me in here because something has pushed this to the forefront.”

“It has.”

“I know he’s spoken loudly about what he sees as the failure of America to enforce its laws, and the subsequent rise of crime.” Terry shook her head. “About the increasing numbers of what he called ‘soft’ laws that barely punished the criminals. But speaking out isn’t a crime, although for some people I think it should be. So, what’s changed here?”

“Our sources tell us Morgan Arms is suddenly buying a lot more steel, plastic, and aluminum than usual,” he told her, “so a lot of questions have floated in the air. That was the first thing that caught the director’s eye.”

“Has his client list increased?” Terry asked. “Have his orders from overseas clients gotten bigger?” Max rubbed his jaw. “After all, there is always a rebellion going on someplace and some army, legitimate or otherwise, that needs weapons. Or maybe they’re preparing to release a newly designed instrument. Or finally, is there another reason we don’t know that means trouble for everyone? I agree none of those possibilities are appealing. That’s for damn sure. But buying more raw materials and railing against the government isn’t a crime. If it was the jails would be full all the time.”

“True,” Jaeger agreed. “But here’s something you don’t know. For some time, Morgan’s been gathering a group together, first his closest friends and then people who we think share his beliefs about the way this country is run. You know there have been attacks by these off-the-wall militia groups and, based on what we learned, we’re afraid Morgan’s plotting another one. Anyway, over a year ago we managed to plant someone in Morgan’s group. We needed to find out what the hell was happening. He’s deep undercover, and sometimes we have to wait weeks for a word from him, which doesn’t help..”

“Damn!”

“No kidding. When my guy does get word out to me, he says Morgan’s running this like it’s the military, which is what we figured. I think Morgan’s made this group his own private militia, kind of an outlaw posse comitatus. He also has three or four specially selected men who he calls his ‘guard’ who watch the rest of them like hawks. He’s been making trips recently to the land he owns in Montana, a spread in the Crazy Mountains. Each time, he takes a few of his group with him. Our undercover got taken there once. He managed to get a message out that they train. All day. Every day. Exercise. Firearms. Hand-to-hand combat. And they study explosives.”

“Explosives.”

“Yeah, but they don’t actually detonate anything. I’m sure the neighbors would complain.”

“Still… Are they preparing for war?”

“That’s what we need to know. And it’s been a while since our guy communicated with us.”

“He must be in danger. If Morgan finds out who he is, he’ll kill him.”

*~*~*

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