Choosers of the Slain

Former SEAL Michael Harmon (Ghost, Kildar) has a pretty good life. He's settled down in the country of Georgia and built a solid commando-quality militia out of his local retainers. The Keldara have an ancient history of being first-class mountain warriors and all they needed was a few million in modern weapons and training to bring them up to speed. Now, with the Keldara keeping the area safe from Chechen raiders, and the various other terrorists that want Ghost's head on their wall, he can settle back, relax in his harem and drink a few beers. However, a US senator has a problem. A "major financial contributor's" daughter has been kidnapped into the labyrinthian depths of the Balkans sex-slave trade. The US government has been unable to find her and the Senator is _very_ interested in changing that condition. Five million dollars interested. As Ghost and his Keldara warriors blast a gaping hole through the middle of the trade, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to the mission than a "poor missing waif." There's a rot underneath, and the stench is coming from the very floor of the Capitol. Being at war with Albanian gangs is one thing. Taking on Washington is a different ball game. But Ghost never believed in fighting fair.

John Ringo had visited 23 countries and attended 14 schools by the time he graduated high school. This left him with a wonderful appreciation of the oneness of humanity and a permanent aversion to foreign food. The author chose to study marine biology and really liked it. Unfortunately the pay is for beans. So he turned to database management where the pay was much better. His highest hopes were to someday upgrade to SQL Server at which point, he thought, his life would be complete. But then Fate took a hand: John became a professional science fiction writer and since his publisher assured him that all science fiction authors became immensely successful, he was given the standard "rich and famous" contract and only had to pledge his soul. Since that fateful day, he has published numerous science fiction novels at a rate that amazed and offended his publisher, who hadn't intended him to get that rich and famous. He also has done stints as an op-ed writer for the New York Post and a guest commentator for Fox News, thus ensuring the loss of what little soul was left. With his younger years spent in the Airborne, cave diving, rock-climbing, rappelling, hunting, spear-fishing and sailing, the author is now happy to let other people risk their necks. He prefers to read, and of course write, science fiction, hang out in cigar bars and look for new ways to pledge his remaining bits of soul. He's thinking . . . Hollywood . . . They won't care if it's tarnished. . . .