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Michael R. Lane
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Clinton Windell returns to his Southwest Hills mansion froma successful overseas business trip. Everything was working out even betterthan he had hoped. After nailing down a major deal for twenty-million dollarsin uncut gems that would yield Bellingham Jewelers millions, there was nothingstanding in his way. This deal would deliver a coup de grace to the board coupthat has been brewing to unseat him as CEO and insure his iron grip on thecompany would remain. The shareholders would see to that now that he haddelivered in a colossal way. Once the dust settled on his major victory, therewould be some overdue housecleaning as far as the standing CEO was concerned.Heads were going to roll and Clinton Windell could not be happier.
He would place the gems in Bellingham's top security vaultin the morning. His golden goose purchase would be safe with him for the night.When he entered his master bedroom, Windell was shocked to discover his stateof the art wall safe open. A swift blow to the head from behind rendered himunconscious. The intruders were quick and methodical. A chilling death androbbery of the gems were the home coming gift for the conquering CEO.
A well-connected, anonymous client hires ex-DEA agent, tri-ethnic, Private Investigator, C.J. Cavanaugh and his junior partner, Renita Harris, toroot out the Windell murderers. There's only one catch. C.J. and his partnermust not reveal to anyone they are working on the case. To complicate mattersfurther C.J. and Renita must deceive Cavanaugh's lover and dogged HomicideDetective, Destini Pendleton, who is assigned to head the high profileinvestigation.
As C.J. and Renita pull back the layers of Clinton Windell'slife, they discover a duplicitous and seedy past. The mystery only thickens asC.J. and Renita burrow into the lives of their primary suspects only to unveilample and varied motives for wanting Clinton Windell dead.
When the killers attempt to execute C.J. and Renita, itbecomes personal. C.J. has Renita move in to his place for her own protection.Destini becomes furious at the move. To place Renita, the one person Destiniregarded as her chief rival for C.J.'s affection under the same roof as her manwas an unpardonable sin. Destini was not buying what C.J. and Renita wereselling. Destini moves in with C.J. A move that would normally make C.J. happybut under the cloak and dagger circumstances of the Clinton Windell homicidecase it created more problems than it solved. Personal and professional tensionsmount.
C.J. and Renita find themselves boxed in. Between thekillers, Detective Pendleton, the insurance company, and their omnipotent andominous mystery client, C.J. has to utilize all of his cunning and training tokeep him and his partner out of prison or the morgue long enough to capture the killers.
THE GEM CONNECTION
A C. J. CAVANAUGH MYSTERY |
Alice and Don Harriman are the owners of Blue Sun, the largest residential real estate and construction service in the Pacific northwest. When a house cleaner stumbles upon two masked men holding Don Harriman at gunpoint in his own bedroom, she is able to flee the scene before being captured. Outside, neighbors from this quiet, affluent, suburban neighborhood respond to her screams for help. They patiently listen as she frantically tells her harrowing tale. Two of the neighbors bravely venture inside the Harriman house to investigate. They find nothing, no men, no body, and no sign of a struggle. The police investigation supports their findings. There is no physical evidence to substantiate the house cleaner's claim. It is only later, when Don Harriman's beaten body is found floating in the Willamette River, that the house cleaner is believed.
Ex-DEA agent, tri-ethnic Private Investigator C. J. Cavanaugh receives a mysterious text from the part owner of Blue Sun moments before he is abducted. The text is gibberish and C. J. has no idea who Don Harriman is. For the Cavanaugh investigation team, what began as minor events sets off a shockwave of discoveries that lead to intrigue, narcotics trafficking, violence and murder.
BLUE SUN
A C. J. CAVANAUGH MYSTERY |
C. J. Cavanaugh is working a routine Lunsford Insurance undercover investigation accompanied by his Homicide Detective girlfriend Destini Pendleton. At the same time, Kylie Preston is out for a night of fun with The Liberated Wives Club, a group of close friends who have not only survived divorce but also thrived in its wake. C. J. sees enough during his spy mission to render a decision on the claimant and is ready to call it a night. He and Destini decide to conclude their veiled date with a nightcap at his place. Kylie Preston encounters an alluring stranger who charms her into going home with him. As fate would have it, Kylie and the stranger drive past C. J. and Destini en route to their separate destinations, neither couple aware of the other.
The next day, Kylie Preston’s body is discovered in a stolen car, dissected and preserved in ice chests, the parts wrapped in brown butcher’s paper secured with cellophane tape and twine. When Portland Homicide finds themselves at a dead end, Carl Wheaton, a dear friend and colleague of the deceased Vice-President of Acquisitions for Lunsford Insurance, implores C. J. Cavanaugh to investigate on behalf of his employer. Despite his misgivings about becoming involved in another murder case, C. J. cannot say no to his friend.
Not everyone at PPD Homicide is happy to have C. J. snooping around on their case. Hotshot rookie Homicide Detective Laurie McCaskill is half of the team assigned to the Preston murder. Detective McCaskill is determined to have C. J. booted off “her case” despite repeated assurances from her veteran partner and the Police Captain that having C. J. on board is a good thing.
As C. J. delves into the background of the murder victim in search of motives, he is disturbed by what he uncovers. Kylie Preston chaired a culture of unethical insurance practices that constructed many of the rungs on her ladder to success. Were Carl Wheaton and Lunsford Insurance aware of Kylie’s unethical practice of short-changing insurance claimants? If so, were they complicit in any way, or did they simply choose to look the other way? The answers could irreparably damage the hospitable relationship the Cavanaugh Investigation Agency had with their number one client. When C. J. also learns that Kylie Preston’s greed and deceit were not restricted to ripping off policyholders but extended to the Lunsford family themselves, then all bets are off. Add to that the discovery that Carl Wheaton and Kylie Preston were lovers, and the shallow suspect pool deepens.
During the course of Cavanaugh’s murder investigation, more victims turn up mutilated in precisely the same manner as Kylie Preston. The press dubs the deranged killer “The Butcher.” C. J. places his ethical and personal concerns regarding Carl Wheaton and Lunsford Insurance on the back burner in order to maintain his focus on apprehending a serial murderer. Each grisly discovery intensifies the race to capture The Butcher before he strikes again.
THE BUTCHER
A C. J. CAVANAUGH MYSTERY |
Emancipation is short stories concerned with individuals asthey fit into the web of other lives -- as opposed to how that web entanglesthem. While the characters represent a cross-section of urban life, these areplain folk trying to survive as they attempt to make sense of theircircumstances and the world they have inherited. It is also a book for everygeneration that may be wondering, "Where did all the answers go?" It is for theyouth who thorough a litany of bitter experiences can only see the worldthrough callous eyes -- and for adults who battle to keep whole a fragilesphere within what may appear to them to be a deteriorating society.
The human spirit is a central theme in every tale. Whilethis worldwide essence has a tendency to bend and sway and at times wallow inthe flogging waters of desperation and despair, Emancipation applauds the humanspirit for persistently finding ways to soldier on no matter the obstacles.Conquest is not the purpose of this spirit for that is a matter of the ego.Courage is its body's nutrients and justice its primary oxygen. Faith forms theskeleton upon which inspiration attaches its brawn and flesh. The human spiritproves an unconquerable element even against components whose sole purpose ismarshalled for its defeat. We all possess this indomitable spirit. It exhibitsitself in both minor and major ways each day of every moment as our worldturns.
The life of Gratey Johnson provides a universal fulcrumaround which this diverse collection of human and humane stories pivots. Grateyis an honorably discharged army war veteran whose life was sent tail spinningout of control into a posttraumatic stress disorder nightmare. As the layers ofGratey's life are peeled away, the worlds of other characters stories intersectwith his in an omnipotent manner that only real life can assemble. There is thestory of Josephine Johnson who struggles with the tragic loss of her daughterand ongoing fight to save her son. Godfrey Booke, a brilliant young thief whohas arrived at a critical crossroads in his life. The ex-cop, DemosthenesNikolaos who is attempting to help Godfrey make the right choice with toughlove and Nikolai Watson who believes education is the key to salvation.
Parents, grandparents, children, lovers, executive, thief,cop, educator, and drug dealer all have their unique tales to share. Theirindividual narratives of virtue, mischief, faith, immorality, morality,commitment and perseverance bridge generational gaps and make whole a humanepatchwork in an otherwise ambiguous life-scape.
In a society where quick labels and categories are selectivemeans of branding one's character, the individual is suffocating. These storiesattempt with grace and dignity to embrace our amazing differences allowing hopeample space to breathe. As we step through this journey of ordinary andextraordinary circumstances, perhaps the lesson learned is these snapshots arethat we possess more common threads that bind than differences that divide.
EMANCIPATION
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"UFOs and God is not a single-themed collection but a diverse assortment of distinct individuals kayaking their way through the erratic channels of this journey we call life. Some of these stories are sharp edged and crafted to cut you emotionally to the quick. Others are inviting like a warm cozy room on a bitter cold day. A couple - it is hoped - will simply make you laugh. As Diane C. Donovan, Senior Reviewer at Donovan's Literary Services points out, there is much more to UFOs and God than the title suggests."
"The short stories in UFOs and God are fictional works, but aside from the title piece, anyone who anticipates that this book will be centered around UFOs should be advised that there are bigger scenarios at stake, here; and these involve belief, perseverance, determination and survival."
"At the pivot point of many of these stories are basic, gritty assessments of life and why it's worth living, while others support the themes of visionary belief systems, hope, and newfound revelation."
"'Locusts', for example, takes readers on a winding journey through a desolate wilderness brought about by the greed of mankind as it follows the thoughts and trajectory of Thurgood Boyd, a farmer and environmentalist who views "evidence of the same shortsighted deeds" everywhere in his world, and who (perhaps naively) anticipates a positive outcome even as his grandparents struggle to hold on to the family farm.
"'Crossing the Burnside Bridge' contrasts the broken life of an engineer whose divorce sparks a deeper questioning of love as he faces his conflicted desire to both love and leave an upcoming family matter.
"Michael R. Lane's various characters stand at different crossroads in their lives: some brought about by their individual choices and their consequences; others forced upon them by the outside world and life's twisting changes.
"The questioning process, the juxtaposition of past and present lives, and the ways in which people disappoint, say goodbye, or welcome new opportunities lie at the crux of many of the pieces in UFOs and God.
"So if it's alien or religious stories that are anticipated or desired; look elsewhere. UFOs and God is much more: it's a closer examination of succinct moments in life where people get the opportunity to look back, look ahead, or take a close look at the world; and each piece is carefully crafted to support a reader's perceptions of their own 'aha' moments in life.
"Short story readers who relish philosophical and psychological introspection in a diverse array of characters and life-changing yet small events will find this collection thought-provoking in nature and satisfyingly diverse in scope."
From farm to urban, from World War II to the Digital Age, from the dawn of life to its twilight, the places and times, people and events in UFOs and God spotlight the tender underbelly of the human condition in all its glory and despair on these varied stages of fiction.
UFO'S AND GOD
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Sandbox serves up eclectic savory and sweet fare. Here are samples to whet your appetite.
“I hold before me a blank page / (my mind)” (“Blank Pages”)
“The Great Equalizer of low caste and high / ferments human remains of kind and evil.” (“The Nature of Dust (Form 3))”
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“It cost him another dream today, / utopian placebo / crushed / then boiled,” (“Junkie”)
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“We impart to each other / derogatory lies regarding / other races or cultures,” (“Blood and Vinegar”)
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“In a pupil that twinkles, / existence, / an ant discovers a crumb of bread” (“In The Blink of an Eye”)
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“A delicate pink rose / pressed flat / between satin white pages / of a bound journal” (“Pink Rose”)
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“We file on public transportation / joining strange faces and foreign bodies, / a kindred throng.” (“This Is Our Way”)
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“We have touched one another / as light touches images to eyes, / a flash,” (“Human Contact”)
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“Her lips varied in motion / apparently in speech, / curling at ends / displaying alabaster teeth,” (“Infatuation”)
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“Out there, / somewhere, / she waits, / dissecting her life,” (“Longings”)
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“She asked me to explain why I love her.” (“Scripture”)
SANDBOX
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As a teenager, Michael Lane only wrote when necessary. He had nothingagainst writing: he was - and is - an avid reader. He simply saw no need towrite outside of satisfying his academic requirements. That was before he spenttime with poetry. Poetry became his first creative writing love. They begandating in high school and she remains his longest running love affair.
The idea for Mortal Thoughts-- not in name but in body -- began taking shape for him in November 2015.Michael - like so many others - wade in the erratic waters of intellect andmortality and all of the precious cognitive and ethereal lakes, rivers andstreams that congregate between. Michael has been blessed to hone thosetemporal thoughts into poetry over the years, an extraordinary written art formthat for whatever reason arises in him during his most mystifying times. Whydoes poetry so readily lend itself to the essence of transcendentaldeliberations, stoic cogitations and silly musings? The riposte is as simple asdreaming and as complex as mud. It does. For Michael, the answer begins andends there, unveiling the journey as in the title, "Mortal Thoughts."
Staring skyward at night-light / flickering stars yawn and wink / royalblue canvas eclipses daylight / moonlight on my bedspread plays. (1-4)
Mortal Thoughts is aculmination of decades of intimate conversations poetry and Michael has shared.The topics range from love to hate, hope and despair. There is socialcommentary, introspection, nature, observations, and more. Some of the poemsmay come at you in a whisper. Others scream in your face. Most of his poetryrequests a brief audience to share an interesting insight or revelation.Michael hopes that you will enjoy reading the poems in Mortal Thoughts as much as he enjoyed writing them.
MORTAL THOUGHTS
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Before the supermarket boom, there were neighborhood markets where most people did their grocery shopping. They served as a junction for the exchange of ideas and gossip in much the same way as barbershops and beauty salons still do today. It was typical for owners of these markets to live in the neighborhood. They were part of the community and often took an active interest in what best served its needs. The Family Stone is set in the memory of these institutions long gone from most of the American economic landscape.
It is the year following the long, hot summer in America. Abraham and Winona Stone are the owners of Willie’s Market, a corner grocer in an urban community known as East Liberty, a Mecca where people within the community can catch up on the latest gossip regarding their uncommon neighbors. Theresa Peoples, a beautician during the week, a nude dancer on the weekends. Reverend Embry Wilshire, a man on a quest to redeem every sinner’s soul, his own being his most challenging. Jessie Wilkerson, philosopher, a learned man of unknown origin and past. These characters, and more, round out the stories of this neighborhood cast in The Family Stone.
THE FAMILY STONE
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