Enforcer (56 page)

Ugh. No.

But think about it… a team that travels for half of its schedule. And the other half is at home where all the teams travel to you. That can make for some interesting situations (smuggling humans, drugs, technology, lots of stuff).

Right. Leave the poor readers alone, they want to go do something interesting.

Thanks for reading!

Travis Hill

March 5, 2014

December 13, 2014

THANKS & EXTRAS

A special thanks to Helen Ivan. Helen is a nice young law student from Bucharest who took time to answer some really stupid questions about Romania and the language. She gave me the translations, pushed me in the right directions on a lot of issues, and was never afraid to tell me that “that name has never existed ever in Romania.” Which made me sad a lot because the internet gave me some awesome names to use. But happy because all of the Romanian names are authentic. I’m hoping she’ll one day agree to translate it into Romanian, so I can worry about two different nations wanting to punch me in the stomach.

Yay! My wife, Carly. She threatened me with a high stick and a fight many times over the course of writing this (actually, the twelve years we’ve been married). She’s the enforcer around the house. She’s good at it too, since she has to herd and teach 100+ students nine months out of the year (and spends two of the other three months going to conferences and schools to learn how to herd and teach even better than she already does).

To Kathy Benton Estridge and anyone else who read it while it was still a bigger jumble of nonsense than it turned out to be.

As always, Killswitch Engage and DevilDriver, the two bands who get me through each book.

*****

Hey! I wrote some other books. They probably aren’t the books you are looking for, but you can check ‘em out for yourself on the next page(s).

All books are available in ebook format from all major retailers. If a title is listed free here but is not free at your retailer of choice, please email me at [email protected]. Tell me which format you need (or ereader device you’ll be using) and I’ll send it for free.
Mailing list for new releases/updates here:
http://eepurl.com/D2ktH
(
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paperback version available)

One Bad Job:
Career criminal Billy Jensen and his pals have plotted for more than a year to take down Gennady Konovalov's jewelry store. When the heist doesn't work out exactly as planned, the survivors go into hiding.

Not only are the Dolgoprudninskaya, the second largest Russian organized crime syndicate in the world, searching for Billy and his crew, but the Dolgo's biggest rivals, the Solntsevskaya, have joined forces with them in an attempt to recover the seven million dollars in stolen jewelry, cash, and bearer bonds.

After Alexi Nikolayev Petrovski, head of the Solntsevskaya in Houston, captures Billy's long-time girlfriend, the crew is left with no choice but to meet the Russian mobster on his turf. Billy learns that Petrovski isn't interested in recovering the stolen goods as much as he is in recruiting a new employee...

"One Bad Job"
is the prequel to the free short story
"One Last Job,"
available all major ebook retailers.

26,300 word / 70 page novella
Adult language / situations / violence

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Enforcer:
Eighteen-year-old Connor Dunsmore was about to begin his professional hockey career as the top NHL draft pick when an on-ice accident shattered his life's dream. Eight years and over five hundred stitches later, he's become a fan favorite as an enforcer for the Boise Bombers of the United Professional Hockey League.

Off the ice, Connor also moonlights as an enforcer for Costache Ojacarcu, the Bombers’ owner, and head of a discrete Romanian organized crime operation in the Treasure Valley. What started out as running simple errands for extra money to supplement his meager hockey salary has evolved into collection, intimidation, and retribution.

After becoming an unwilling accessory to murder, Connor's life begins to spiral out of control. When he rescues a prostitute from an abusive drug dealer, he begins to dig himself in even deeper, and soon realizes how entrenched he truly is.

Adult themes / violence / language
132,000 words / 412 pages
*
Alive, or Just Breathing:
Devin Fischer lost both of his parents when he was nine.
His controversial mother was taken from him in a freak accident. His father made him an emotional orphan that same day. Devin’s goal is to leave small-town Southern Idaho and the legacy of his mother’s sensational death behind. The only obstacles in his path are the last two years of high school, and the many enemies he’s made with his quick fists and quicker temper.

Melinda Liddy dreams of the day she can escape from the nightmare her life has become.
Her life has become a bitter tug-of-war between the need to escape from her drunken, abusive father, and her inability to leave her mother behind to face the monster’s explosive, unpredictable violence alone. As Melinda struggles to hold on long enough for an academic path, instead of becoming a runaway like her older sister Theresa, she finds a kindred spirit in Devin.

Together, they attempt to navigate the minefield of broken families, high school society, and the chaotic, sometimes confusing emotions that come with falling in love for the first time.

84,600 words / 255 pages
Mature themes / language
*
Chasing Time:
A snarky, cynical government operative is sent back in time to 5th century France, during the reign of Clovis and the Frankish Empire. His mission: to find and eliminate Dr. Barnard Jameson, a rogue scientist, before history can be significantly altered.

Finding Bertric, aka Dr. Jameson, was the easy part. Eliminating the smirking, pudgy little scientist proves to be a lot harder than he expected.

The smug doctor's plans of advancing human civilization by introducing 21st century concepts and technology more than a thousand years early sound like the ravings of a madman with a God complex... but with the possibility to avoid the Dark Ages and the stagnation of civilization for almost a millennium, is Jameson's scheme a chance worth taking?

Strong language
60,215 words / 300 pages
BONUS:
One bonus short story & the first book of a new time travel novel titled "Search Terms: Alpha" included (ebook version only).

It’s Better This Way:
Twenty-three years ago, the 'bulls' appeared in orbit and destroyed Earth's infrastructure in less than ten seconds.
These days, the alien invaders aren't as much of a problem as the surviving humans are.
Evan Greggs learns that things aren't always as bad as they seem, but sometimes the choices to be made are as murky as they are difficult.
24,000 word / 70 page novella
Contains Adult Language
LGBT Friendly

Departure:
Today is my 40th birthday. It's also my last day on Earth.
I get to do anything I want today, within reason, as long as I make it to the portal before my time is up.
What I want is to spend the day with Cara and my two young children.
I don't know what awaits on the other side of the portal, I only know that certain death awaits me here if I refuse to go.
Some light adult content
14,600 word / 50 page short story/novella (Science Fiction / Romance)
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Diabolus:
Salvatore Antonelli, a disgraced ex-bishop, and Benito Castillo, a young tech-priest fresh out of Seminary, are tasked by the Vatican to confront DAMON-1, a nuclear capable AI that claims to be Satan incarnate, returned to the physical world to bring about Armageddon.

The two clergy must battle to restore DAMON and purge Satan from the enslaved AI's core. The bishop is forced to play a deadly game with billions of lives in the balance, while the young priest must confront Satan's digital persona within the network.

The eternal conflict between good and evil, fought in the space between time, brings humanity and their AI creations to the dawn of a new age, and to the brink of annihilation.

"The Exorcist" meets "Skynet" meets "The Matrix" in this thought-provoking new science fiction thriller by Travis Hill.

66,000 words / 203 pages
Teen+ appropriate

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Ability (Omnibus):
The end of the world began on YouTube...
Brian Carter wanted to create a superior recreational substance.
Garret Stewart wanted to create the next evolution in learning.
Derry Clarkson wanted her two best friends to see reason.
What happens when the perfect drug meets the perfect technology?
Ability is a serialized urban tech-fantasy set in the near future.
Contains: Adult Language / Situations / Drug use
60,000 words / 217 pages
Search Terms: Alpha:
College sophomore Tyler Gallagher loves computers, video games, and Thanksgiving Break. He's timed the arrival of his computer components with the holiday vacation from school to blast aliens and enemy soldiers alike on his brand new, high-end gaming machine.
When the parts arrive, it soon becomes apparent that they aren't what he ordered from TechTerritory. He plays along, thinking he's the butt of a practical joke, and builds the “quantum computer.” His annoyance turns to shock when the computer powers on.
Tyler's shock turns to a mix of disbelief and wonder when he learns the strange computer can pull web pages from the near future, which soon becomes fear and uncertainty when he discovers the future might not be so bright.
"Search Terms: Alpha" is the first book of a new time travel series.
"Search Terms: Beta" available Q4-2014.
52,000 word / 150 page novel
Adult themes / language

Eight Hour Fiction #1:
Two stories inspired by a J.A. Konrath challenge to write, edit, create a cover, and publish a short story in eight hours or less.
1.
A Career Move
- A crash-landed alien tries to find his career path but isn't having much luck...
3072 word short story (
teen+ appropriate
)
2.
Capture At The Hive
- The Evil Queen Mother has finally captured General Megatron, Defender of the Galaxy.
421 word flash fiction story (
safe for children
)
Eight Hour Fiction #2:
The Eight Hour Challenge, inspired by best-selling author J.A. Konrath, is back! If you enjoyed "Eight Hour Fiction #1,” and want more of the story, look no further that this new Kindle Unlimited exclusive:
"Friends With Benefits"
(5,560 words, teen+) - Gxkxl the hapless alien is back, and this time he's found his niche as a mob enforcer for a local Russian crew. Between intimidation and polishing his comedy, Gxkxl makes a new friend to confide in.
"General Megatron #2"
(1,394 words, safe for children) - General Megatron's escape from the Doom Lord's prison of tortures is compromised by the Evil Queen Mother, but the wily general is no stranger to hopeless situations.
Stay tuned for monthly installments of the ongoing adventures of Gxkxl and General Megatron!
Eight Hour Fiction #3:
The Eight Hour Challenge, inspired by best-selling author J.A. Konrath is back!

Eight Hour Fiction #3's September entry is a departure from the usual stories about Gxkxl the alien and General Megatron (don't worry, they'll be back soon!):

1. It Only Hurts In Your Heart
-
When animal liberation extremist release the wrong group of laboratory animals into the wild, chaos ensues. In this sad, bleak tale of Mike & Janelle Chambers, told through Mike's eyes, the world winds down with a whimper instead of a bang.

3,829 word apocalyptic short story
Teen+ (light explicit language)

2. Cat Dreams
-
Ever wonder what your cat dreams about? I think about it all the time, to the point I've invented a new device capable of allowing me to experience the dreams of The Dude, my five year old orange & white tabby. There just might be some other uses for it as well...

1,349 word flash fiction story
All ages

Eight Hour Fiction #4:
Inspired by a JA Konrath challenge to write, edit, create a cover, and publish a short story in eight hours or less, the "Eight Hour Fiction" challenge is back!

1. "Mergers & Acquisitions"
(8,813 words, Teen+) -
Gxkxl is back for a final chapter (for now). With his reproductive cycle coming to an end, Gxkxl, Desiree, and Rebecca are forced to plan for an uncertain future.

2. "General Megatron #3"
(1,386 words, children's story) -
Block Seven, the galaxy's worst prison, holds more than just the galaxy's most vaunted hero. The general's luck, while tenuous at best, might have finally run out...
Eight Hour Fiction #5:
Welcome to another "Eight Hour Fiction" edition, inspired by JA Konrath's original "Eight Hour Challenge." Volume #5 is another slight departure from the usual round of short stories. This month's entry contains two novellas to satisfy your reading pleasure. Each story began as shorts for the EHF Challenge, and both have morphed into full-length novels (which are scheduled to be released before the end of 2014).