Hello, friends. It’s been a full month since I’ve blogged, but taking time off for NaNoWriMo made a huge impact on my WIP. I hope to get back in the swing of things eventually, but December will likely be sporadic for me. The company I work for is undertaking a physical move to a new location and life is chaotic right now. If you don’t see me about in the blogosphere for a few days, I’m likely up to my ears in packing and unpacking, LOL.
Today, I’m super excited to welcome friend and Story Empire author, Gwen Plano, with her latest release, The Culmination. I read the first two books in this series and enjoyed them both. I’ve already grabbed my copy of The Culmination and am looking forward to seeing how this adventurous series ends. Please welcome, Gwen!
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Mae, and for helping me launch The Culmination, a new beginning. Just a couple of days ago, it went public on Amazon and I’m super excited. To celebrate, the Kindle edition is on sale at 99¢ through December.
So, what’s the book about? The Culmination can best be described as a military thriller. It tackles difficult topics such as denuclearization, the power struggles over oil in the Middle East, as well as the ever-present danger of war. Readers will find themselves sitting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, walking in the historic Red Square, and laughing with children in an orphanage in Turkey. They will glimpse the horror of war and watch the give and take of a negotiated peace. Readers will also meet the two Heads of State who fall in love and subsequently commit themselves to creating a world in which all are family.
I never expected to write this book, but in some ways, I had no choice. The characters crowded into my office and insisted that I listen to them. In a very real way, they wrote the book. I simply tapped the keys.
BLURB:
The Culmination, a new beginning is the third book in The Contract thriller series. After an assassination attempt on an Air Force base in northern California, tensions mount. Heads of state meet to craft a denuclearization agreement. The meetings between these nuclear powers take a murderous turn. A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges and leads the characters into the heart of the Middle East, where they encounter the unexpected and find a reason for hope.
EXCERPT:
Margaret Adler, the Vice President of the United States, has flown to Moscow at the request of Russia’s president. She is met by his son, Ivan. Upon seeing him, Margaret flashes back on her experience as a soldier in Afghanistan and wonders if they crossed paths at that fateful time. Margaret begins the conversation…
“It’s possible we were there at the same time. Maybe we were in the same locale.”
“Are you serious? Really? Why would anyone willingly recall such bloodshed?” Ivan’s eyes lower, and he glances to the side.
She presses, “I keep thinking we’ve met. Would you humor me and think back with me?”
“I don’t like such games.” Ivan’s response sounds gruff, and Margaret steps back as her agents step nearer. “Besides, I’m not sure what that would accomplish. This is one nightmare I choose not to recall. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He glares at her.
Margaret nods. “I understand, of course. But if we can travel back in time, perhaps we might decide if we can trust one another.”
He shakes his head and scoffs, “I can’t imagine that to be possible.”
“Isn’t it worth the effort to find out?”
Her persistence wears down his obstinacy, and begrudgingly, he agrees. Ivan stares off into the distance.
Margaret notices his grimace and realizes he’s gone back to the battle.
She lowers her voice and says, “A shell hits the building I’m in, and I rush outside. I can’t see through the clouds of dust and debris. People scream. People run. I hate this place, and it hates me.
“I call to my men, ‘Let’s get out of here.’ There’s gunfire, and we’re unsure which direction to run. I can smell the blood, the sweat, and the fear. It’s musty and thick; it lingers and gags me. Sand and bodies lie beneath my feet. I stumble and recoil at the horror that I meet. I see a female soldier among the masses. She moans from the hit she received. I reach for her arm to pull her up, but the limb is all that follows me. I retch and call for my men.”
“Pomoch’ yey!” Ivan yells. “And my men help her. They put a tourniquet on her arm, and we move on.”
Margaret holds back the shock that she feels and looks at Ivan. He keeps his eyes closed, and he appears to be caught in a battle.
Margaret says, “Another explosion. The shell lands close to me. My face is on fire, and I get thrown backward. I can’t move.”
Ivan reacts with a gasp and reaches for his face, now frozen and white and trembling.
Margaret says, “I’m being moved—my body dragged. The Afghan Northern Alliance is helping me.”
Ivan’s jaw clenches, and he holds his shoulders rounded and slumped. Resignation floats across his face.
Margaret notices his instability. He teeters. She calls out, “Soldier, lean in. Lean in!”
Ivan leans into Margaret. She wraps her arm around him, and time becomes fluid. Ivan chokes out tears, first in agonizing bursts, and then in sobs—loud and wrenching.
Margaret draws Ivan closer. They now stand cheek to cheek, tears blending. “Ivan,” she says. “Ivan, what do you feel?”
He doesn’t respond.
Again, she asks, “Ivan, what do you feel?”
His words are halting, “Failure. I could do nothing. I was only there to arrange for more armaments.”
“All right, what else do you feel besides failure?”
He holds her tighter. “Useless. I’m barely a man now. My body has betrayed me; it is broken.”
“There’s more, Ivan. Tell me what else you feel.”
“Sadness. So many are gone. My friends, my enemies. Gone. And for what?”
“The remorse of a soldier. I understand. There’s more.”
He flounders and struggles to regain composure.
“Ivan,” Margaret says. “What more do you feel?”
He pulls her close and whispers, “I feel hope—hope that maybe the treaty will work. It has to. It must. Maybe the countries are serious about ending this horror. That is my hope.”
Margaret nods. “You’ve identified your purpose.”
Ivan clasps her left arm, and at the firm feel of the prosthesis, he jerks away.
He opens his eyes and looks into hers. “You’re the one, aren’t you? The one we stopped and helped.”
“Yes. You saved my life.”
Contact with Gwen at the following haunts:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
Book Links:
Letting Go into Perfect Love
The Contract between heaven and earth
The Choice: the unexpected heroes
The Culmination, a new beginning
Whether you’re new to this series, or have been following from the start, I hope you’ll join me in celebrating with Gwen on her release. And what a deal at .99c! Please use the sharing buttons and help us spread the word about The Culmination. Don’t forget to GRAB YOUR COPY and drop Gwen a comment. Thanks for visiting today. I wish you happy reading!
Love the sound of this! Must check out the series,. Many thanks
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Thank you, Judith, for your encouraging words. The book has become more timely than I could have imagined. 😊
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That’s good and I’m glad for you Gwen. These days we need all the help we can get. Good luck.
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Fantastic, Judith. I know Gwen will appreciate hearing that. Happy reading!
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A wonderful excerpt, Gwen. Wishing you all the best with this launch and beyond 🙂
Mae, it’s great to see Gwen and her book here today 🙂
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Thank you so much, Harmony. Your support means so much to me.💗
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Thanks for visiting, Harmony. I’m so glad you dropped by to cheer on Gwen with the launch of The Culmination!
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Good excerpt! I love how the characters crowded Gwen’s office and demanded their story be written.
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Thank you, Priscilla. The characters opened my eyes and my heart. It was quite a journey. 😊
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The best kind of characters, LOL.
Thanks for visiting, Priscilla!
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Thank you, Mae, for showcasing my book today. I am humbled and honored to be your guest. 💗
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It’s a pleasure to have you visit, Gwen. I look forward to reading the conclusion of your trilogy!
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This is a wonderful excerpt, Gwen. Can’t wait to start reading it.
Thanks for hosting, Mae, and best of luck with your move.
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Thank you so much, Joan. Hope you have a wonderful day. 😊
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Thanks, Joan. And many thanks for visiting to cheer on Gwen!
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So visceral. Congratulations, Gwen. Best of luck.
Thanks, Mae.
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Thank you, Staci. I so appreciate your support. 😊
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Gwen wrote an excellent excerpt. Thanks for visiting to cheer her on, Staci!
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I think you picked a winner, MC!
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Thank you so much, Noel. 😊
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I’m looking forward to reading it, Noelle. I know Gwen will be sure to keep me flipping pages! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Noel. 😊
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Welcome back, Mae. Thank you for doing what you do here!
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Thank you for visiting. 🙂
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Aww, thanks for the welcome back, Betsy. I’m glad you dropped by to cheer on Gwen, too! 🙂
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Great post, Mae and Gwen! And what an exciting excerpt, too! Wishing you huge success with this one, Gwen. I’m heading over to get my copy now, so there’s at least ONE more sale. 😀 Sharing! 🙂
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Thank you so much, Marcia. I hope you enjoy it. 😊
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Yay! Glad to hear you’re off to one-click, Marcia. I thought Gwen chose and excellent excerpt and I look forward to reading this one, too!
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A powerful excerpt. I can understand why he wouldn’t want to remember the horrors of war. A lot of veterans come home and try to push those memories away. Good luck with your book!
Nice having you back, Mae, and good luck with your move. Glad you got a lot of work done on your WIP.
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Thank you, Judi. I used to work with Marines returning from Iraq. My heart goes out to all our soldiers. 💗
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I agree with you about those soldiers and their memories, Judi. I am so glad their are people to help them.
Thanks for the welcome back. I made great progress on the WIP, so the break was well worth it!
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Welcome back, Mae, and best of luck with your move! 🙂
Congratulations, Gwen, on the release of The Culmination. Fabulous reviews coming in. You have so much to celebrate. Cheers to you!
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Thanks so much, Natalie. Happy holidays to you. ✨🎄✨
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Hi, Natalie. Thank you for the welcome back. 🙂
That’s wonderful to hear about reviews for Gwen’s book. I’ve got it waiting on my Kindle and look forward to reading it. Have a great day!
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I just finished The Contract a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t know that the story continued. The book sounds intense and the excerpt is riveting. Congrats to Gwen on the new release.
I’m glad you had a productive break, Mae. Welcome back, even if sporadic for now. And a special thank you for your review! I saw it a few days ago and couldn’t have been happier.) ❤
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Thank you, Diana. I very much appreciate your encouragement. 💜
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My pleasure!
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So glad to hear you enjoyed The Contract, Diana. Yes, there are three books total. I’m looking forward to seeing how Gwen resolves everything with The Culmination.
Thanks for the welcome back—and for entertaining me with Liars and Thieves. It was excellent. I’m currently reading Allies and Spies. I just need to find more time with this move, LOL!
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You made my day, Mae. Thank you. I hope your writing is going well too… I need another Clair series. 🙂
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🙂
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Another marvelous extract from The Culmination. Bravo, Gwen! Thanks so much for hosting Gwen today, Mae. I’m so pleased NaNoWriMo was productive for you. ❤
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Hi, my friend! How lovely to have you drop by and lend your support to Gwen. I agree she delivered a fabulous excerpt. I’m looking forward to reading The Culmination. And I didn’t “win” NaNo this year, but I am so happy with the progress I made on my WIP. Now to get back to it….when time surfaces again, LOL!
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Time? What is this thing of which you speak? 😲 Sigh.
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LOL!
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Thank you so much, dear Soooz. 💗
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Powerful excerpt! I’m looking forward to this one.
Great to see you back on the blog, Mae 🙂
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Hi, Jacquie I”m happy to be back and hope to be able to pop in in the weeks ahead.
I agree, Gwen delivered a great excerpt. I’ve got this one waiting on my Kindle. Happy reading!
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Thank you, Jacquie. I so appreciate your support. 💜
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I just read this. It was really moving and surprising. Xo
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Oooh, moving and surprising sounds great, Denise. Good to know! 🙂
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Thank you very much, Denise. Blessings! 💜
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What an emotion-filled excerpt from The Culmination today! Wow! Thank you for hosting, Mae. Welcome back (sort of). 🙂 Congrats to Gwen on the new release!
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Thank you so much, Jan. 💜
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Thanks for the welcome back, Jan, and also for visiting to cheer on Gwen. I think she has an awesome release, and I look forward to diving into the story!
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I’m glad everything is going well albeit crazy Mae!🤗
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Thanks, Kim. I hope to get back to “normal” within the next few weeks. Hope you are doing well!
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A super scene, Gwen. I read this book and gave it five stars. Thanks for hosting Gwen, Mae.
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Thank you, John. I’m so happy you liked the book and thought enough of it to give it 5-stars. 😊
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My pleasure, John. I’m looking forward to reading this one myself!
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😁
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Another amazing section of the story. All the best, Gwen.
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Thank you, Craig. I’m pleased you liked the excerpt. 🙂
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Thanks for visiting, Craig. Gwen delivered an fantastic excerpt!
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Lovely to hear from you Mae. Don’t take this as pressure to appear, but I’ve missed your presence around the traps. Lovely to learn a bit more about Gwen. I have a collaboration she and John Howell wrote (Contract) sitting on my Kindle, waiting to be devoured. Hope to get into it soon, and add another author to my long list of ‘must follows’!
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Wonderful to meet you, Jessica. Thank you for stopping by.
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I miss being around, Jess. It’s likely going to be another two weeks before I can surface. It’s a mammoth move we’re undertaking, and I’m key coordinator for the event. Exciting but exhausting.
The Contract is the first book in this series, so you’ve got a perfect fit waiting on your Kindle. I’m even behind on my reading these days!
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I’m feeling it might be time for my own break from the blogosphere soon. Just running out of puff and think I need a month off. Maybe over Christmas.
Hope the move comes off smoothly!!
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A lot of bloggers and authors take time off during the holidays. I think it’s the perfect fit.
Thanks for the wishes about the move. I’ve got my fingers crossed.
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Good to see you, Mae. Welcome back. I can imagine how busy you are, packing and unpacking. I’m glad you had a productive NaNoWriMo. I enjoyed Gwen’s writing and read her first book. I downloaded The Culmination. Thank you for sharing.
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Thank you for the welcome back, Miriam. It will probably be a while yet until I get back int he swing of things. So far we are still in the packing stage. Lots of fun and excitement, but it’s kind of exhausting too.
I know Gwen will appreciate hearing you downloaded her latest. I’m looking forward to reading it as well!
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So you’re working in your office physically? It’s just that so many people work at home these days. It may be a good idea to move before Christmas. Hope you’ll get a lot done!
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Thanks, Miriam. Yes, I do work physically in an office. The industry I work in (real estate) is considered an essential business, so I’ve been back in my office since late May of 2020. We will be settled in our new home before Christmas. Today and next week are the big move dates. Lots going on but it’s exciting!
Have a Merry Christmas!
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Thank you, Miriam, for visiting. I’m so pleased you enjoyed The Contract. All the best to you!
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It sounds like such a powerful book, Gwen. Best of luck with your new book baby!
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Thank you so much, Sue. Happy Holidays!
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Happy Holidays!
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Glad you dropped by to check out Gwen’s release, Sue. Thanks for visiting!
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Congratulations Gwen! I loved The Contract, so count me in for this one. Thanks for hosting and sharing this, Mae. I’m glad you were able to get a chance to participate in NaNoWriMo.
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NaNoWriMo was an awesome experience for me this year, even though I didn’t win. Thanks for the support, Mark. And I’m so glad you enjoyed The Contract and are looking forward to Gwen’s newest. Thanks for dropping by to cheer her on!
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Always a pleasure, Mae.
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Hi Mae, it’s nice to see you back and I’m glad your November writing month was successful. I have moved offices a few times over the past few years and it is painful. I got so annoyed the last time that I through everything I had away. Now I only have a few textbooks and some stationary and I’m completely mobile.
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LOL, that sounds like good mobility, Robbie. The last move I coordinated was 19 years ago and we were smaller. This move is mammoth and includes 3 tenants along with us. I can’t wait until we’re settled. 🙂
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Another exciting excerpt, Gwen! What a time of year to move the office, Mae – lots of luck!
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Thanks for dropping by to cheer on Gwen and for the well wishes with the move, Teri. So far I’m surviving. I think, LOL!
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This book sounds exciting, Gwen! I’m so glad the characters talked to you and impressed the need to bring them to life. Love that!
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I love when characters talk in our heads, LOL.
Thanks for the visiting, Flossie. So glad you enjoyed Gwen’s post!
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Mae, welcome back and great that your writing month went so well! It’s lovely to see Gwen here with the latest in the series. I’m smiling how she had no option but to write it as the characters kept coming to her! 😀 Good luck to her with the release and book!
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HI, Annika.Thanks for visiting to cheer on Gwen. I’m looking forward to reading The Culmination. And thanks for the welcome back, although it’s going to be a while yet until I can resurface. By the holidays I should be in shape….I hope.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
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