I hope your summer is going well and that you are staying safe from COVID, hurricanes, murder hornets, etc.
It’s time for the Big Reveal #2—the cover of Blowback. Tada!
Cool, right?
Pre-order here. The cover will be updated to insert this quote from NYT bestselling author Steve Berry:
“If your thing is adventure, political intrigue, suspense, and action galore, then this is the thriller for you. Don't wait. Check it out. Now.”
Other thriller authors were also impressed with Blowback:
“Blowback is a timely military thriller that pulls no punches. Al Pessin brings the war on terror to life like few authors can.” — Ward Larsen, USA Today bestselling author of Assassin’s Strike
"The blistering and bracing Blowback is a thinking man's (or woman's!) action thriller, a scarily prescient take on current events that foretells the headlines instead of exploiting them. A riveting and relentless read." – Jon Land, USA Today bestselling author
“Don't mess with the good guys. Reading Al Pessin's Blowback is like saddling a rocket. Once it gets going, hang on for one helluva ride!” – John Gilstrap, bestselling author of the award-winning Jonathan Grave thriller series.
“Blowback is a realistic—and top-notch—boots-on-the-ground military thriller. The pages will fly by as you draw closer to the heart-thumping, action-packed climax.” – Alan Orloff, Thriller- and Derringer-Award winning author of I Know Where You Sleep
“Original, action-packed, gripping, and timely - Blowback kept me up all night. Read this. And Hollywood, take note, Al Pessin is the new Tom Clancy.” – Tony Park, international bestselling author
Whew! I’m really humbled by the reactions. And I look forward to hearing all of your reactions early next year.
So, what is Blowback about? Well, as you probably guessed if you read Sandblast, Faraz follows al-Souri to Syria. Al-Souri is now the world’s top terrorist, and if he encounters Faraz, he’ll likely shoot him on sight. It’s a cat and mouse game across the desert of eastern Syria. Along the way, Faraz meets a new cast of jihadists, including his new commander, who is certifiable, and a crew of foreigners who travel to Syria filled with militant idealism and run smack into the reality of war. One of them, a young woman from Britain, particularly catches Faraz’s eye. Meanwhile, Bridget is on site when terrorist bombs go off in Washington, goes to a White House meeting bloodied and covered in debris, and gets posted to Baghdad. She’s not so far from Faraz as the crow flies, or as the helicopter flies if there should happen to be an emergency. Will is involved, too, as is Carter, a new character I think you’ll like, and also not like.
Blowback is finished except for the proofreading. It’s set for publication on February 23. That’ll be two books published during the pandemic (barring a miracle). No book tour. No live events. No writers conferences. So, go on, flex that index finger, give a click.
Meanwhile, I’m moving along on Book Three in the Task Force Epsilon series. I still can’t reveal the title, but stay tuned. It’s scheduled for spring of 2022, which seems like a long way away...unless you’re writing it.
Also, I’m thrilled to tell you that Sandblast will be featured on the First Chapter Fun webcast on September 24 at 12:30pm Eastern Time. None other than the fabulous Hank Phillippi Ryan will talk about the book and read the first chapter. I hope you can tune in on Instagram @firstchapterfun or Facebook Live by liking the First Chapter Fun page. Please put it on your calendars, but don’t worry—I’ll remind you several times on social media.
Finally, the e-book of Sandblast is on sale on Amazon for $6.64. I know most of you have read it, but it makes a great gift! Did you see my post about the review in Stars & Stripes? Executive Editor Robert Reid calls it an “engaging….page-turner.”
You can link to that and all the other reviews, interviews and newsletters via www.alpessin.com.
Thanks for subscribing and stay safe. You can always reach me via the website or at alpessinauthor@gmail.com.