Award-winning author and former US Secret Service special agent
In the competitive realm of publishing, a well-crafted query letter can be your golden ticket to getting your manuscript into the right hands. A compelling query not only showcases your writing skills but also convinces literary agents or publishers that your book is worth their time. To help you navigate this crucial step in the... Continue Reading →
1. Embrace Rejection as Part of the Process Receiving that dreaded rejection letter can be painful. However, the first step in dealing with rejection is to embrace it as a natural part of the writing and publishing process. Even celebrated authors, such as J.K. Rowling and Stephen King, faced numerous rejections before achieving their monumental... Continue Reading →
SECRET SERVICE AGENTS MUST BE COURAGEOUS What would you do at the sound of gunfire? Hit the deck? Move to cover? Maybe you'd run in the opposite direction? For most people, these are reasonable and appropriate reactions to an active shooter, but that's not how a Secret Service agent, on a protective mission, will respond.... Continue Reading →
THRILLERFEST 2019 ThrillerFest 2019. Thrillerfest is the annual, week-long event, held every year during July in New York City (The Grand Hyatt Hotel) where acclaimed authors (and aspiring ones), agents, publishers, editors, and book reviewers come together in celebration of the thriller genre. It's a who's who of the writing community. Don't believe me? Here's... Continue Reading →
DIVINE INTERVENTION Wanting to build upon the theme of my last post—A VISIT FROM GOD’S MESSENGERS—I thought I’d share the extraordinary circumstances of how I met Father Manuel “Manny” Dorantes. No, I’m not going to mention angels or moral dilemmas, but I might bring up divine intervention a time or two. Divine intervention? Is there... Continue Reading →
A visit from God's messengers Los Angeles. No, not Tinseltown. I’m talking about the city’s namesake. You know, those robe-wearing celestial beings with feathery wings that sprout up from their shoulder blades. Yeah, I’m talking about angels.There are references in the sacred texts of nearly every major religion of these supernatural creatures. For example, in the... Continue Reading →
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 | NYPD OFFICER JOHN D'ALLARA September 11, 2001 | NYPD Officer John D'AllaraBy: CE AlbaneseSeptember 11, 2001. It was a beautiful morning, typical of early September. The bright and warm sun rose slowly and steadily, burning away the few wisps of clouds that still lingered in the sky. Summer vacation was over,... Continue Reading →
A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE OF A SECRET SERVICE AGENT Here's a rare glimpse into the life of a Secret Service agent circa 2008. 2008 was a campaign year (McCain vs. Obama), and I found myself assigned to the Candidate Nominee Operation Section (CNOS) detail of McCain's vice presidential pick— Sarah Palin, the governor of... Continue Reading →
A FAMILY DIVIDED A family divided. "As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live." - Saint Pope John Paul II Pretty accurate quote, huh? I think so. Just take a look at current events. Go turn on your television, or check the latest post to your Facebook... Continue Reading →
