The Fall of St. Sebastian
Book Description
“a fast-moving suspense yarn that reads like a good season of the TV show 24″- PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY
“An Outstanding Thriller! Keady writes with wit and pulse-pounding suspense!”- #1 Bestselling International Author VINCE FLYNN
“….an intriguing pulse-pounding thriller.”- NY Times Bestselling Author GRANT BLACKWOOD
“The Fall of St. Sebastian is an exhilarating twisting thriller…”- MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
This fast-paced thriller finds former Deputy Chief of Staff Peter Farrell once again serving at the pleasure of the President of the United States of America Believing his trip to San Francisco a fool’s errand, he is surprised to encounter the Englishman: the puppet-master behind the CIR who had cruelly toyed with his and Sara’s lives back in New York. Incredibly, the president orders him to work with the CIR to unravel an ancient code before hostility with China escalates into World War III.
Among those who join Peter’s mission is covert operative Sebastian Pope, a killer struggling with his own past and with his own motives to prevent THE FALL OF ST.SEBASTIAN.
About the Author
A trial attorney practicing in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa who is an Independent Publisher Honorable Mention for best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller and a Reviewer’s Choice for Midwest Book Review. Mr. Keady received his undergraduate degree and his J.D. degree from St. Louis University where he graduated cum laude with degrees in Political Science and French having spent a year studying abroad at the Universite d’Orlean in France. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and three children.
A MOVABLE FEAST, 6/23/14
Thanks to Judy Yates Borger for tagging me in this blog tour. Judy has been a journalist for over 30 years, so it was no surprise Edgar Award-winning author David Housewright called her mysteries “fast paced and smart with an authentic, insider’s look at the workings of a major newspaper.” More information on her latest Skeeter Hughes’ novel can be found here: http://fortypress.com/book/who-bombed-the-train/
On to the tour…
1) What am I working on?
I am working on the third installment in my Peter Farrell series titled The Secret of St. Jerome. This will basically complete the trilogy that sets the stage for future books in the series which follows a protagonist in his most raw form, an ordinary man thrust into extraordinary circumstances. As the series continues, we find Peter is not as ordinary as thought to be.
My first novel, The Cross of St. Maro, reminds me of early Ludlum or Grisham, or maybe even David Baldacci. Young trial lawyer Peter Farrell is framed for the murder of several attorneys and as a nationwide manhunt ensues as the ultimate political assassination plot is unfolds. Maro received national attention several years ago, when, out of thousands of entries, the novel earned an Honorable Mention for the Independent Publisher’s Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller. It also earned a Reader’s Choice from the Midwest Book Review.
The five star rated The Fall of St. Sebastian, is something more along the lines of Vince Flynn/Robert Ludlum meets Steve Berry/James Rollins. International bestselling author Vince Flynn proclaimed it “An Outstanding Thriller!” while New York Times bestselling author Grant Blackwood called it “….an intriguing pulse-pounding thriller.” Publishers Weekly added that Sebastian is “….a fast-moving suspense yarn that reads like a good season of the TV show 24.” The concept for The Fall of St. Sebastian originated from a radio interview with biosecurity expert and internationally-known epidemiologist, Dr. Michael T. Osterholm. This led me down the road to a story line involving a pandemic flu, however improbable, as a bio-weapon. Sebastian also returns most of the cast of The Cross of St. Maro.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
It doesn’t. Publishers Weekly stated that I am “as adept at juggling plot lines as better-known genre writers.” I think that is a compliment.
However, I may be more of a visual writer than most. A consistent comment I receive from readers is that they actually feel like they are in my characters shoes, walking in their footsteps whether it is the streets of San Francisco, among the monuments of D.C. and even experiencing the contrasts of Beijing.
But if you enjoy Robert Ludlum, John Grisham, David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, Steve Berry, James Rollins or even Dan Brown, my Peter Farrell series will not disappoint.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I write what I want to read or watch (movies/TV), which is why it was no surprise that Publishers Weekly compared The Fall of St. Sebastian to Kiefer Sutherland’s 24.
I also enjoy smart dialogue. Words are powerful on the page, but something extra is added when they come from a character’s mouth. Also, when writing dialogue, you never have a problem coming up with that witty comeback instantly as opposed to real life when you think of the right line five minutes too late.
I also love the research aspect of writing. Knowing full well that it will never end up in the final manuscript, I will spend hours on some tangential issue just because I find the research so fascinating. When I was young, I used to read individual volumes of the World Book Encyclopedia, flipping the pages and just picking something out of the blue. With this internet thing (yes, I think it is going to catch on), I am like a kid in a candy store.
4) How does your writing process work?
I am a trial lawyer, so research is key. Generally, I know the broad brush strokes of what I want to write: the main characters; settings; and basic story lines. Next I fill in with research to start connecting the points in the story lines. Finally, I write straight through sometimes surprising myself on how a character will react to a certain situation. However, I continually research smaller issues throughout (the type of helicopter, gun, individual setting, etc.).
Next on the tour (June 30, 2014) is my favorite debut author, Pauline Knaeble Williams (http://www.paulineknaeblewilliams.com/blog.html ). Pauline’s novel, FINDING HOLLIS, debuts this month. I loved it, a great summer read. Here’s an excerpt:
…the sway of the trolley, the unusual passenger, the truck’s raspy muffler, the woman’s torn dress, and her own inability to help. Frances is determined to let the details of the disturbing incident go. She’s certain that by Monday her life will return to normal and the wrung-out feeling inside will be gone. Yet she soon finds that neither the sound of her typewriter nor the lunchroom chatter will erase the dying woman’s final request: “Find Hollis”.
March, 2013
I am trying to build awareness for the millions of veterans that have returned home and are returning home. It first started as an effort to put a smile on a veteran’s face simply by naming a character after him. However, after meeting SFC Mike Mills and hearing his story I want to raise money and awareness for his organization (http://www.fortheveteran.com/).
Some of the author proceeds of the just released The Fall of St. Sebastian (print or ebook) will be going to Mills’ “For The Veteran” program and the “Got Your 6” program (http://www.gotyour6.org/). Obviously, feel free to donate to these organizations on your own through their respective websites. Two other groups that SFC Mills recommends are:
www.operationneverforgotten.org