The Hemingway Deception
by Tj O’Connor
May 1 – 26, 2023 Virtual Book Tour
Synopsis:
Ana Karras is running from her past.
Catalina Reyes is running toward hers.
Two deadly women—one treacherous mission.
A Cuba-America war is at stake.
Why does everyone want them both dead?
The answer is simple . . . Hemingway.
Ana Karras is hiding among the millions in Manhattan, recovering from near-death at the hands of Cuban Intelligence. When she begins an ill-fated quest to find her missionary parents lost somewhere in Latin America, she’s haunted by her past and coerced into a new mission—to capture Catalina “Cat” Reyes, a rogue Cuban assassin bound for Washington. Cat’s mission could well start another Caribbean crisis. To avert a Cuban-American war, Ana must do the unthinkable—she must once again become Ana Montilla, the notorious FARC guerrilla. As Ana struggles to keep from devolving permanently into Ana Montilla, Cat must overcome past failures and reclaim her skills as Cuba’s top assassin—or die. Ana and Cat are on a collision course. Their paths are not separate, but one. Their pasts inexplicably linked. Their futures reliant on each other. Still, it’s the secrets kept from them that will be the end game. Two deadly women. One treacherous mission. What is Operation Perro? Why does everyone want Ana Karras and Cat Reyes dead?
The answer is Hemingway.
Praise for The Hemingway Deception:
“A riveting ‘ripped from the headlines’ international thriller: Two women fighting for what they believe; a horrifying assassination plot; deadly enemies, including some in our own government; and a mysterious operative named Hemingway who must be found. O’Connor, a real life anti-terrorism expert, takes us on a roller coaster ride of action, intrigue, betrayal and stunning twists. Read it!”
~ R.G. Belsky, Award-Winning Author of the Clare Carlson Series
“Great characters, non-stop action, a twisted plot, and exotic locations-The Hemingway Deception is exactly what an international thriller should be. Couldn’t put it down.”
~ DP Lyle, Award-Winning Author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper Thriller Series
“A rollercoaster ride of international intrigue, governmental deception and the meaning of family. Tj O’Connor’s real-life knowledge of geopolitical affairs shines through on every quick-turning page. Bravo!”
~ Matt Coyle, Author of the Bestselling Rick Cahill Crime Series
“There are no wimps in this fast-paced thriller, male or female. The relentless action will have you flying through the pages, eager to know what happens next.”
~ Terry Shames, Author of the Award-Winning Samuel Craddock Series
“Tj O’Connor does it again in The Hemingway Deception. His action-packed writing is founded in real-world experience with anti-terrorism and threat analysis consulting. This time, he adds kick-ass women to the mix, building in multiple layers of complexity often overlooked in thrillers.”
~ Dawn Brotherton, Author of the Jackie Austin Mysteries and Eastover Treasures
Inside the Author of The Hemingway Deception:
I’m so excited to share that Tj O’Connor, author of The Hemingway Deception visited with me recently. Here are some highlights from our conversation.
What inspired you to write your first book?
As a product of a tough childhood, I learned to love books as an escapism from the harshness around me—The Hardy Boys; Mystery of the Haunted Mine; Mystery of the Witches Bridge. I knew as a sixth grader, I wanted to be a writer—at least parttime. As I got older in high school, I fell in love with thrillers like James Grady’s Six Days of the Condor. After high school, I penned my first novel. It was terrible, but it kept me focused over the years in writing. I wrote two novels in my thirties and forties but didn’t get serious about publishing until just twelve years ago. It was my first real attempt at publishing that I landed my literary agent, Kimberley Cameron, and my first book deal for Dying to Know, a paranormal mystery I wrote for my daughter and never intended to publish. Learning to read at a young age and having books and characters as my best friends and defense against a terrible homelife created something in me that to this day is my sanctuary from the world. I couldn’t go without writing. Never.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Tough one. I have three latest books. The Hemingway Deception just came out from Suspense Books. I love that book as it was a departure in ways from my normal writing. Then there are two others—a fourth installment of my paranormal murder mystery series with Oliver Tucker and a new thriller. Both of those are with my agent. I’m not sure I’d change anything. I toiled over all three novels and went through two beta-reader sessions, three editors, and then let them sit for a month or so before reading again for changes. I made some, but overall, was pleased with the results. I also don’t want to react to criticisms (although I’ve gotten little thus far but I’m sure it’ll come eventually). With each book, I look back and think, “I could have done better. I could have added this or that.” In the end, it’s simply never being satisfied with my work. I’ll see what Kimberley, my agent, says about the latest thriller. If she wants improvements, I’ll jump on them. If she’s pleased, then that is my best litmus test of where the story is. Otherwise, I’d never truly finish a book—I’d be writing and writing and writing.
Who has impacted your life the most and in what way?
Another tough one. But there’s three answers at least. First, my grandparents, Irene and Oscar, looked out for me in the darkest days of my childhood. They bought me books and encouraged me to read and write. If not for them, I doubt I’d have made it out of school or ever pursued writing. Then, there are my kids who were one of the motivators to me continuing to write even well before I tried to get published. I wanted to make a mark and leave them with something about me. I’m an anti-terrorism consultant and a former military federal agent in the terrorism field. I can’t tell them much about who I was or what I’ve done and been involved with. So, for me, living through my characters and books is a way of revealing a little of me. They, including my wife, are a large part of what drives me toward success. Lastly, and most importantly, my mentor for nearly twenty-five years—Wally F.—was my friend, mentor, critic, and hero. He was one of the last living OSS operatives from World War II and a former deputy director of the CIA. He pushed me. Motivated me. Guided and often pushed and pulled on me in my work and writing. We spent hours each week going over my work and refining it. It was a labor of love for both of us. Without him, I’d never have found my voice and pushed so hard to get published.
What event in your life do you remember first when asked for a humorous story?
It’s long and rather sensitive, but . . . back in the late 1980s while I was a young OSI agent, I was photographing and processing a corpse from a homicide I was working. The corpse was on a gurney—in a barely lit room—in the mortician’s office and I had to position the hand for fingerprints—arm bent up, hand and elbow bent—so I could get the fingerprinting gear under the spread fingers. But the body had been embalmed and I forget a key principle of that process—call it elasticity. As I positioned the hand up and bent correctly, I turned away. The arm reflexively snapped back into the straight position and “grabbed” by arm. I jumped, spun around, and yanked out my pistol! It scared the crap out of me, and I nearly pulled the trigger. Then, from the doorway, the mortician called, “Agent O’Connor, please don’t shoot. The poor man is already dead.” He laughed like a fool. I was incredibly embarrassed and somewhat relieved—first that it wasn’t a zombie coming for me, and second, that I hadn’t fired a shot.
Awww! I can’t even imagine that experience. It gives me chills to think of it happening to me… but I can only imagine it was funny to witness 😀 . Thanks so much for sharing so much of your life and experiences with me and my readers. It’s always a joy to chat with you and I can’t wait until the next time!
Book Details:
Genre: Thriller
Published by: Suspense Books
Publication Date: March 2023
Number of Pages: 370
ISBN: 9798218103323
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads
Read an excerpt:
2
Two Months Earlier
April 4, Late Afternoon—Cabrera Village, Antioquia Department, Northeastern Colombia Near the Panama Border
Ana stood in the swirling dust among dozens of other Cabrera villagers gathered in the square. They had been herded like cattle by soldiers in black uniforms. All around them, military trucks rolled through the streets. Masked soldiers searched homes and shops. They gathered up occupants and added them to the pack. No one dared challenge the men—no one Ana heard, at least.
She dared not. If these men discovered her secret—her true identity—two things were certain: She would never find her parents, and she would never leave Colombia again. Both outcomes would be because she was dead.
Though Ana Karras was not known in Colombia, Ana Montilla was—notoriously. Ana Karras and Ana Montilla were two sides to the same coin. She was born in Colombia and raised in jungle guerrilla camps—a beautiful, intelligent girl honed by tough comrades and dangerous surroundings. Raised as one of them, Ana Montilla was a jungle fighter. A strong, daring woman whose fearlessness had often invited more danger than necessary. She was often impulsive, reckless, and tenacious. Traits feared in the camp’s men. Traits unexpected in her.
Ana Montilla was the woman Ana Karras loathed to become again. She had left that life—and her alter ego—behind eight years ago. Recently, Ana Karras had returned to South America to find her parents, and wherever she went, Ana Montilla followed.
That was the one fact about her former life that gave Ana the most angst—that Ana Montilla constantly simmered just below her skin, waiting for the right time, the right situation to take control of her life once again. The opportunity to pull her back into a life of chaos and violence. For years, she’d kept that Ana locked and hidden away—a demon remanded to the underworld, tethered to the past.
Looking around Cabrera now, she feared those bonds might be broken and the demon would be released.
Beside her, seven-year-old Sarah—an orphaned child found wandering alone and afraid—clutched her leg with one hand and held tightly to a scruffy dog’s leash with the other. The dog stood rock-still in front of them both, teeth bared, growling a warning.
“No, Lobo,” Ana whispered. “Easy, boy.”
Sarah threw her arms around his neck. “Lobo, stay with me. Miss Ana will protect us.”
“Sarah,” Ana whispered, “it will be all right.”
“Yes, Miss Ana.” Sarah wiped tears away, nearly dropping Lobo’s leash. “Me and Lobo aren’t afraid.”
“Good.” Ana pulled the child tighter against her. “Stay close.”
A short, lumpy, unshaven man turned from a group of soldiers standing near one of the trucks. He adjusted the gun belt riding low on his hip like a television gunslinger and smoothed his black combat uniform. With a casual, almost Hollywood-like gesture, he adjusted his dark sunglasses and strode toward her. He stopped an arm’s length away and took his time looking her over—slow and probing—leaving her feeling dirty and violated.
Lobo strained against his leash and snapped at him, but the man kicked a boot of sand at him. The dog growled again, and the man took a cautious step back.
“I am Major Alberto Gonzales Nicasio,” he said in Spanish. “Who are you and why are you in my town?”
Do not make things worse, Ana. Keep to your cover story.
“Major Nicasio, I am Ana Karras.” She dropped her eyes and played innocent. “I am here to—”
“Wait.” Major Nicasio snapped a finger at one of his men. “Tomãs, could she be the one?”
“Un minuto, Major.” Tomãs, a large, bulky soldier hiding behind sunglasses, pulled out a cell phone from his uniform pocket. He tapped on the screen, pincered his fingers, and brought up a photograph. He handed the phone to the major. “She resembles her, yes. But I am unsure.”
Ana glanced at Tomãs. His Spanish was different than the others. Different than Major Nicasio’s. She knew the varied Colombian accents and dialects. Tomãs’s was not Colombian; it was…Cubano. As she listened to the other soldiers speaking nearby, it struck her they were Cuban, too.
What were Cuban soldiers doing in Colombia?
Major Nicasio studied her, then the photo on the cell phone, and studied her again. He made the comparison several times before shaking his head.
“No, Tomãs, she is not the one.” He turned the phone toward Ana. “Have you seen this woman, señorita?”
The picture was of a young, pretty Latina in a military uniform—a Cuban military uniform. The woman bore some resemblance to her—pretty, dark haired, with a slender face. She appeared a little older than Ana, but shared the dark, Cuban accents in her eyes.
“No,” she said. “I have not.”
“Pity.” Major Nicasio turned to Tomãs. “Search her.”
Tomãs stepped forward and gestured for her to raise her hands. The moment he reached for her, Lobo lunged at him and sent him back-stepping to the merriment of the other soldiers looking on. He instantly pulled a long-bladed knife from his gun belt.
Sarah cried, “Stop it. Leave my dog alone.”
“Forgive me, Major,” Ana said, pulling Lobo back, closer to Sarah. “The little dog is afraid. We are all afraid.”
Major Nicasio waved to one of his men who snatched the leash and dragged Lobo aside.
“No, he’s my dog,” Sarah cried. “Give him back.”
Ana touched her shoulder. “It is all right, Sarah. They will not hurt him.”
“As long as he minds himself.” Tomãs sheathed his knife and stepped close again, nudging Ana’s arms into the air. When she slowly complied, he grinned. His hands moved from her shoulders, down each arm in a slithering trail. At her wrists, they ventured to her hips and began a slower, deeper probe of her body. They moved around her back to her buttocks and returned to her round, full bosom where he kneaded and grabbed, all the while mumbling his admiration.
The other soldiers murmured and cajoled one another.
Ana was thankful she couldn’t see Tomãs’s eyes behind his dark sunglasses. She knew he was staring and lusting as he groped her. She knew if she saw those eyes, her control might wane, and Ana Montilla might strike out.
“I have no weapons.” Ana stepped back. “Por favor, the child. This is not necessary.”
“Don’t move.” Tomãs grabbed her arms and pulled her back into position. He continued his probing down each leg and up her thighs, rubbing her in a violation that made her ill. When he was through, he dug his hands into her jeans pockets and probed further, closing on something there.
“Please, no.”
He withdrew an old, faded photograph from her front pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to the major. “She has this, Major.”
Major Nicasio glanced at the picture; his eyes snapped up and locked on hers. “You seek this man?”
Ana nodded. “Yes. I…”
“I see.” Major Nicasio’s mouth transformed into a snide grin. “How curious.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Oh, I think you do.” He stepped forward and grabbed her arm, lifting her up onto her tiptoes and against him. “You come to my town to find el doctor? Something you wish to tell me, señorita?”
***
Excerpt from The Hemingway Deception by Tj O’Connor. Copyright 2023 by Tj O’Connor. Reproduced with permission from Tj O’Connor. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Tj O’Connor is the author of The Hemingway Deception, Dying with a Secret, (pending publication), The Consultant and four paranormal murder mysteries.
Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. Tj is a Harley Davidson pilot, a man-about-dogs, and a lover of adventure, cooking, and good spirits (both kinds). He was raised in New York’s Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Labrador companions in Virginia where they raised five children who are supply a growing tribe of grands!
Catch Up With TJ O’Connor:
www.TjOConnor.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @tj37
Twitter – @Tjoconnorauthor
Instagram – @tjoconnorauthor
Facebook – @TjOConnor.Author
YouTube – @tjoconnorauthor3905
Tour Participants:
Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaway entries!
JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY:
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Tj O’Connor. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
Great interview! Your story at the end… Yeah, I would have been out of there!
Your books sound great, I love anything paranormal! 🙂