Inspiration, humour, mystery and thrills.
Recently, I did an interview with Sandra Ruttan at Toe Six Press. I have no idea about the origin of the name of the blog nor where the questions came from, but it’s definitely one of the most interesting interviews I’ve done since I’ve started writing. No “normal” questions here. Find out more about Marcie Kane and Nathan Harris, who both appear in A Perilous Question and Remote Access in the interview.
You can check it out here: https://bit.ly/2ImvWNd
I’ll be at Coles book store in Carlingwood Mall on Saturday, May 19 from 11 am to 2 pm. Drop by and say hello. Oh, and grab your copy of Remote Access while you’re at it.
Reviewed by Geza Tatrallyay
A political thriller that is very current and hard to put down, Barry Finlay tackles one of the most real dangers to the world today – cyber hacking – and weaves a suspenseful narrative of believable intrigue and romance, with a recognizable likeness of the current president as the intended victim.
On a trade mission in Shanghai, a rogue US trade representative delivers to a Chinese man who had befriended him a shocking draft of intended tariffs on US imports that would devastate the very lucrative export of electronic and other goods. As it happens, the man is a well-connected cyber-hacker, and the document ends up with a hardline member of the Politburo. With the threat of significant trade sanctions about to be imposed on China, the high-level government representative instructs the hacker, Yang Lee, to ensure that the tariffs never take effect.
After doing substantial research, the hacker decides to intimidate Annie Logan, the alcoholic wife of the president’s chief of staff, to get her husband, Craig, to use his power to kill the approval process. Yang Lee takes control of Annie’s computer and threatens to ruin her and her husband unless she is able to convince Craig to stop the tariffs. Annie has trouble convincing Craig of the plight they are in, but Marcie Kane, her friend, realizes that something is tremendously wrong and gets her fiancée, Nathan Harris, an FBI consultant to take action. With the help of an FBI computer expert, Nathan and Marcie are able to control the damage and foil Yang Lee’s plans. The president signs the executive order to put the tariffs in place and Yang Lee knows he has failed and will lose face and significant business in the future, He decides that the only way he can reestablish himself is to assassinate the president at a gala dinner along with all the guests, which as it happens, include Nathan and Marcie and Annie and Craig, her husband. At the dinner, Marcie realizes the danger they are all in, but all the exits have been remotely locked.
Remote Access is a well-written, well-conceived, gripping thriller, well worth the read. Mr. Finlay has a background in government and finance and knows this world intricately. He has supplemented his experience with substantial research into international politics and the cyber world and takes us on an exciting adventure into a very possible and real political trauma.
Remote Access is published by Keep on Climbing Press.
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This story definitely has a “ripped from the headlines” feel. It revolves around a mercurial President of the United States who is both loved and hated in equal measure. His consideration of slapping China with trade tariffs leads to multiple instances of mayhem that threaten both government officials and innocent bystanders.
Finlay paints a frighteningly realistic picture of two of the things people often fear today—terrorism and cybercrime. When a freelance computer hacker, who doubles as an assassin, sets a plan in motion to make sure the US President doesn’t impose tariffs, malevolence multiplies rapidly. A secret-selling bureaucrat gets more than he bargained for. The wife of the President’s Chief of Staff has her identity stolen and her sanity assaulted. An FBI consultant and his fiancé are swept into a race against time to find and stop an unknown villain whose tactics just might be trending toward mass casualties.
The author’s pace moves at Internet speed. With the introduction of each principal character, just enough backstory is provided to heighten interest. Scenes play out cinematically. From assignations in high-priced hotels to intricate computer setups in seedy apartment buildings, the narrative unwinds, almost climaxes, then regenerates itself into a heart-stopping finale. Finlay is a skilled writer who seems just as at home with computer criminality as he is with human frailty, friendship, and hope. His story feels authentic whether he’s describing fast-acting physical paralysis or slow-moving relationship disintegration. If you like crisp, well-crafted storytelling that’s as contemporary as today, you really should log on to Remote Access.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
Remote Access will be released April 28 between 12 and 4 pm at Chapters in Barrhaven. Here’s a teaser for the book.
The US Review of Books offers “professional reviews for the people.” I will post the entire review when we get closer to launch, but for now I’m very happy to say that they recommend Remote Access.
I’m very pleased to reveal the cover for Remote Access. Here’s what BestThrillers.com has to say:
“While grounded in reality, Remote Access is a must-read with a singular sense of escapism rare in a political thriller.”
I will be signing the book at the official release at Chapters Indigo in Barrhaven, Ontario on April 28 from 12 – 4 PM.
My new book, Remote Access, which is scheduled for release this spring, is my 5th so I’ve been down the publishing road a few times. I thought I would share a few thoughts for those considering publishing a book or for others who just have some interest.
There are three options available: traditional, self publishing and a hybrid of the two. The best option depends on your writing goals. Is it a career? A hobby? No matter what it is, it’s every author’s dream to be traditionally published by a big publishing house, have their book promoted and sit back and watch as millions of dollars in royalties roll in. There are definitely benefits, such as widespread distribution, marketing and mainstream exposure and the credibility that comes with all that. There is also a downside.
Just be aware that it’s rare that a traditional publisher will publish an unknown author and it’s almost always preceded by finding an agent and more rejection letters than you can count. IF it does happen, the reality is that unless you are a big name author or your book is the best the publisher has ever laid eyes on, your work could languish near the bottom of the pile for a long time before it sees the light of day. The publisher may pay an advance, which comes out of your royalties, and the percentage of royalties you will receive on sales is markedly lower as a result (remember the publisher wants to make money from your book). Your book may not look the same either when it is published. You may be asked to make a number of changes before it goes to print.
The second option is self publishing. This is the easiest and quickest route to follow and the one that pays the most royalties. You need a good cover, a good book description, an editor and a quality book if you want people to keep buying. You are totally in control and because of that, you will spend a lot of time marketing your book. Your royalties are yours to keep. Marketing is a lot of work and you will lose all the benefits of traditional publishing.
A third option is hybrid publishing. With this option, you get some of the benefits of traditional publishing, including distribution and the publishing house brand on your book, which might help with mainstream promotion. You are still required to do much of the marketing. The author shares the upfront costs with the publisher (editing, cover design, formatting). The cost to the author may or may not be as significant as self publishing. The author’s share of royalties is somewhere between self publishing and traditional. The publisher wants to recoup their share of the upfront costs plus they want to make some money on sales.
My personal experience has been with all three options to a certain extent. I’ve followed my own advice and sent out a handful of queries to agents and got a handful of rejections from those who responded. My goals are different at this stage in my life so admittedly, I didn’t spend a lot of time on it. I published one of my books initially with a hybrid publisher and my experience was not the best. The value added by this particular publisher wasn’t apparent to me so I got my rights back and self published the book. Still, I found a hybrid publisher recently that came highly recommended and that seemed to have high quality standards. They accepted my manuscript and they spent a lot of time answering my questions. I think they would have been a good fit for me, but I was already down the road of self publishing Remote Access (the book was edited and formatting done) so the timing wasn’t right.
In the end, I have chosen the self publishing route for all my books. It fits my goals and I don’t mind the marketing aspect. For my thrillers, I’ve hired a marketing guru who has been pretty successful in promoting the e-books. I do book signings and my own promotion for my print copies.
My suggestion is to assess your goals and the pros and cons and choose the option that works best for you. At least go into it with your eyes open. I still believe authors owe it to themselves to try to find an agent to pursue their dream. You never know, you could have a bestseller on your hands. Check out Query Tracker as a first step to finding an agent. If the hybrid solution is best for you, make sure you pick one that will do what they say they are going to do. Do your due diligence. There are many vanity publishers who will publish anything for a price and do nothing for you. Avoid them! If you decide self publishing is best for you, be prepared to do your promotion and make sure your book is the best it can be.
No matter which route you choose, be proud of your published work.
I’m celebrating my 100th review on Amazon for The Vanishing Wife today and as an added bonus, it’s a 5-star! The reviewer had this to say: “Very good story. I couldn’t put it down.”
Many thanks to those who have read my books and especially to those who have taken the time to leave a review! It means so much to an author to have their book reviewed and it helps other readers decide whether they would be interested in the book or not. It doesn’t have to be long…just a rating and a few words help.
For those looking for something else to read, my second thriller, A Perilous Question, is available on #NetGalley to read free for a month and my new political thriller, Remote Access, will be out in the spring.
Thanks again, everyone!