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REVIEWS VERSUS HOMAGE: To clarify briefly, homage here refers to the all-important influences on my work by books I read, films I saw, and life/work experiences. Don't confuse with REVIEWS I have received over the years for my work. More info soon.
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Reload Page for Pix. The covers of all novels listed on this page will display below. May require several reloads to start cycling. Political thriller CON2 above is critical to our times, so it remains above. JTC
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Getting Started. We have a long list of my books to discuss. Every author is inspired by a lot of sources ranging from books read to movies watched to real world news stories or personal experiences. My academic, travel, military, and business background predisposes me to a lot of cherished influences. We'll start this growing list with a huge info-load (background story for *Valley of Seven Castles, a Luxembourg Thriller*, which includes a bombshell secret (my discovery, my theory) called *Alfred Hitchcock's Final Secret*. Let's roll!
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CON2: Washington Under Siege
(Autumn of the Republic, The Generals of October) Big Romantic Adventure & Prophetic Political Thriller. Special edition Jan 2021 of my 1990s prophetic and warning political thriller. Read my novel and save the United States from chaos and tyranny resulting from a badly conceived Second Constitutional Convention. Primary influence *Seven Days in May*. For more info and other political thriller influences see the subject page (click cover image or link).
Lethal Journey: Noir 1892 True Crime and Famous Ghost Legend
Novel closely based on my scholarly research nonfiction book *Dead Move: Kate Morgan and the Haunting Mystery of Coronado*. Uses both my own original history and literature research, plus the excellent official Heritage Department book *Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and the Hotel Del Coronado*. Note that a topic like this gives rise to a lot of misleading, manipulative misinformation by crackpots and manipulators (believe me, I've gotten all the trolling). Avoid wasting time; my own *Dead Move* and the Hotel's official *Beautiful Stranger* (not to be confused with a novel released in 2021) are the only two reliable nonfiction sources for this amazing, world-class true story from 1892. Click for more info.
On Saint Ronan Street: Umbrellas of Cherbourg redux
The most amazing clone story of all, and it was entirely unintentional. As a young U.S. Army soldier stationed in Cold War West Germany during the 1970s, I worked at a major logistics command. Our offices were in an old Hitler-era Kaserne (barracks) whispering and echoing with history. During my off time, mainly evenings, I would come back to the office and write my heart out...and one of the short novels I wrote was about a love triangle/affair set in a New England college town back home. Little did I realize that I had captured a strong element of the French or Gallic melancholy mixed with bittersweet romantic crescendo seen for example in Jacques Demy's classic 1964 movie *The Umbrellas of Cherbourg*. More info at the page for On Saint Ronan Street.
Mona Lisa Moon Goddess: Leonardo Da Vinci's Dangerous Dream.
I call it a Ghost Story/Fantasy of Historical Inquiry. This whole thing comes from my soul in many ways. At the end, you'll find a key nonfictional appendix in which I unveil my theory that Leonardo painted her portrait based on his deep spirituality (which remained secret to prevent his execution by burning at the stake as a heretic); and his fascination with Classical mythology, specifically the moon goddess (Lethe, Luna, Diana, what have you). Click for more info.
Nebula Express
SF Novel by John Argo in the spirit of Ridley Scott's 1979 movie *Alien* and similar deep-space science fiction tinged with both awe and terror. Click for more info.
The Christmas Clock - Dark Holiday Fantasy praised January 2008 by Ray Bradbury
It's a dark holiday fantasy whose primary homage is in honor of Charles Dickens' archetypal 1843 classic *A Christmas Carol*. It also celebrates the life and work of our great U.S. SFFH author Ray Bradbury. Ray read it over the 2007 holiday season and sent me a personal rave from his then-house on Cheviot Drive in Los Angeles. He passed away in 2014 but will be remembered forever, just like Charles Dickens. Click for more info.
Siberian Girl: The World is Round
Memories of Love and War 1942-1992 (Airport Novel) *Big Romantic Adventure* I've enjoyed reading the sprawling, romantic adventure stories of Sidney Sheldon, Herman Wouk, John Dos Passos, and Leon Uris among others. Also compares with Boris Pasternak's *Doctor Zhivago*. Click for more info.
Robinson Crusoe 1,000,000 A.D.
SF novel in the spirit of Daniel Defoe's 1719 archetypal classic *Robinson Crusoe* plus centuries of *Robinsonades* ranging from the novel *Swiss Family Robinson* to the 1964 cult classic science fiction movie *Robinson Crusoe on Mars*. Click for more info.
Far Wars
(SF Novel in the Empire of Time Series.) Influences range from classic SF to Turkish folk music (very stirring). Click for more info.
Neon Blue or: Girl, Unlocked
Suspense thriller inspired by 1980s/90s noir plus Joan Jett in 1987 movie *Light of Day*. Became the world's first HTML novel online (criteria inside). Click for more info.
Valley of Seven Castles, a Luxembourg Thriller
Big Romantic Adventure Novel inspired by (see Thrillerology, article coming soon). Includes archetypal 1915 John Buchan thriller The Thirty-Nine Steps, 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film The 39 Steps, 1959 Hitchcock film North By Northwest, 1972 Robert Ludlum thriller The Bourne Identity; and 2002 movie The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon and Franka Potente. Click for more info.
(More Good Stuff Coming Soon) [JTC]
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