The boys are having a birthday!

   Thank you for stopping by my blog on the 1 year anniversary of the Kindle release of Shadow of the Drill.

   Shadow started with a name that was intended for a character in a book that was never finished. So instead of going where it was intended, the name sparked an idea, and that idea became one heck of a story. 

   It tells of Decker, whose life was drastically altered by a random act of violence that tore his world apart and changed him from an unproven young street tough into a man on a mission of revenge.

    Shadow was never intended for young or easily offended readers. It was written for those who enjoy an “edge of your seat” thriller, and is set in a world that most people will never know. However, there’s more to the story than a muscle-for-hire enforcer who tears up the town and shoots everyone in sight, so I thought I’d share some of that with you.

   Strange as it may sound, given his occupation, Decker is a good man. He is honest, fiercely loyal, and will sacrifice himself without hesitation to protect someone that he loves. He also has a strict code of honor, and a firm idea of what constitutes right and wrong. Granted, he has a slightly different definition of that concept than most people, but such a perspective is a requirement in his world. The self-appointed protector of the streets that he calls home, he seeks out those who target the weak and the vulnerable, condemning them to the brand of justice that has made him a legend.

   Not to say that Decker doesn’t have his faults. He tends to act without concern for how those actions might affect others, and his constant womanizing has cost him his long-time lover, Charlene.  Shadow’s events cause him to realize how integral she is to his life, and how much he truly does love her. Counting on her love for him, he attempts to win her back.

   Because of the volatile and unpredictable life that he leads, Decker does not cultivate friendships. The odds are that anyone close to him will die, and he chooses to avoid the pain of loss by limiting emotional connections.

   One exception to his rule is Rudy Valdez, his business partner and one of the only two people besides Charlene that he allows himself to love. He and Rudy have been friends since their teens, and the subsequent intertwining of their business and personal lives has given them a unique connection that both would be lost without.

   Rudy and Charlene give Decker much needed stability, and together they form a strong family unit.

   The third person in Decker’s heart is Maria, a young woman who was viciously attacked fifteen years prior to Shadow, and who was left in an unresponsive state. Decker bears the guilt of his inability to protect her, and it was her assault that put him on the path to becoming the Drill.   

      Shadow is a tale of vengeance, and therefore contains violence, but it’s also the story of triumph after tragedy, and of one man’s passage from darkness into…semi-light.

   Above all, it’s a love story.

 

   Thanks so much for stopping by to help me celebrate the one year birthday of my boys. Pease fon’t leave without sharing a comment, as all who do will be entered into a random drawing for an autographed copy of Shadow of the Drill (Limited to US residents only) and another winner will be selected to win a $5 Amazon gift card! (This event is sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com)