Note
from Suz: Welcome to the first countdown page for
Flashpoint. Join
me here on my website each day for a short (or long!
<g>) excerpt, for photos, thoughts, reviews, musings, recommended reads,
fun links and other potentially interesting ways to pass the time until
Flashpoint's March 30th release date!
(Special note: Some readers don't want to read excerpts -- I'll be including a special "excerpt buffer" on the days that I post an excerpt, so that those readers can enjoy the countdown and not find themselves reading an excerpt accidentally! Also -- FYI, the first excerpt will be posted on Tuesday, March 9th.)
Traditionally, we start the countdown with a list of characters who appear in the coming book.
Why break with tradition now, huh? <g>
FLASHPOINT's Cast of Characters:
From Troubleshooters Incorporated:
Tom Paoletti -- CEO and CO of Troubleshooters Incorporated, a team of civilians specializing in personal and corporate security. The former Commanding Officer of SEAL Team Sixteen, Tom retired from the Navy rather than ride a desk. His organization is made up of former military personnel -- including SEALs, Rangers, Marines and SAS among others -- and former law enforcement agents -- CIA, FBI, police -- as well as an ex-con wildcard or two. Recently married to his long-time live-in love, Kelly Ashton, Tom's phone hasn't stopped ringing since he created TS, Inc., and he's actively recruiting.
Lawrence Decker -- Team Leader. A former Navy SEAL senior chief, Decker left the teams back in 1996, and went to work for the top-secret government organization known only as "the Agency." A quiet man, capable of blending in to the background, Deck has been partnered with James "Diego" Nash for the past seven years. When Decker and Nash decide it's time to leave the Agency, it's not long before Deck gets a call from Tom Paoletti, who asks him to lead a team of operatives into Kazbekistan, a tiny Middle Eastern country known in the Spec Ops world as "the Pit."
James "Diego" Nash -- Team XO (Executive Officer, or second in command). Jimmy Nash is a man of mystery -- no one quite knows where he came from or how he came to work for the Agency, but rumors abound. He's been with the covert Agency for fifteen years, the past seven partnered with Lawrence Decker, yet some still question his loyalty. Tall, dark and movie-star handsome, he's also got a reputation as a James Bond-like player among the women who work Agency Support.
Tess Bailey -- Team Comspesh (Computer Specialist). Trained to be a field operative, Tess has been working in Support at the Agency for years, waiting for her chance to prove herself. When she's turned down for a field position yet again, she walks -- right into Tom Paoletti's Troubleshooters Incorporated office. With her freckles and sweet face, she appears to be more girl next door than Bond Girl, but looks can often deceive...
Vinh Murphy -- Team Muscle and Weapons Expert. Murph spent ten years with the Marines before joining TS. Inc. He's part African-American, part Vietnamese, with just enough Irish thrown in to make things completely confusing to anyone walking into a room and looking for a guy named Murphy.
Dave Malkoff -- Team Spook. (According to Jimmy Nash: Team Freak <g>) As Nash describes him, former CIA agent "Dave Malkoff was a complete head case. He was a bundle of raw nerves in need of some serious decaffeination. And a new wardrobe. He made the MIB squad look colorful."
Other Players:
Sophia Ghaffari -- As the book starts, she's a prisoner of Kazbekistani warlord, Padsha Bashir.
Padsha Bashir -- Despite being a graduate of Boston University, the warlord with the sadistic reputation wants to keep all Western influence out of Kazbekistan.
Will Schroeder -- A reporter, on hand to cover a terrible K-stani earthquake for the Boston Globe.
That's all for now! Be sure to come back for tomorrow's installment in the Countdown to FLASHPOINT!
(Note from Suz: I'm going to try to post each new day's countdown page before 10:00 a.m. eastern time. Please be patient if I'm a little late...)
See you tomorrow!