A Profile Of Conspiracy Thriller Author Nellie Neeman

 

Today I'm introducing conspiracy thriller author Nellie Neeman.

Nellie grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, tapping away on her mother's typewriter. She attended the City University of New York where she earned a master's degree in speech pathology. In 2015, she left the Big Apple and her twenty-year career to pursue her writing passion full-time in the greener and wider pastures of the Midwest.

Nellie,

Q: What prompted you to start writing?

A: I’ve always had an avid imagination and have been writing since I was a young girl. I began reading action thrillers in my teens and felt a strong pull to write in that genre.

Q: Describe the genre of your books.

 A: I write international adventure thrillers. The themes

revolve around what happens when technology and immorality collide.

Q: Most readers have an all-time favorite book and

author. What are your all-time favorite book and author?

A: Hmm, I can’t possibly choose only one book and author. But I

love books by Ken Follett (Eye of the Needle), John le Carré (The Little Drummer Girl), and Robert Ludlum (Bourne series), among many others.

Q: What publishing awards and honors have you received that you’re

most proud of?

A: I would have to say the two fantastic book blurbs I received:

"Neeman's debut thriller jumps off the pages and had me reading late into the night." -Jay Lefkowitz, former White House advisor and Wall Street Journal book reviewer (for Spree)

"A brilliant balancing act of science, espionage, and morality." - Dr. Jeffrey Gruenglas, Harvard-trained bioethicist (for Resurrection)

Q: What words of wisdom do you have for our readers?

A: Take a risk on new authors in the genres you love. You may hit gold, discovering your next favorite writer.

Q: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you handle it?

A: Thankfully, it’s not something I frequently experience. That said, if I find myself challenged with what comes next in a story, I rely on my tried-and-true hacks such as a headphone-free walk, a long shower, or meditation to get me back on track. Otherwise, I will move on to another part of the story or even a different project until I find the inspiration I need.

Q: Every writer I know is also, an avid reader. I know I am. What

new author have you discovered lately that you’re reading? Tell us about him or her.

A: William Kent Krueger has written over twenty novels. I recently

read Lightening Strike, the prequel to the Cork O’Connor series and plan to read further. This Tender Land, his standalone novel, is one of my favorite books. I watched Krueger in an online interview and was fascinated by how he wove his knowledge of Minnesota’s Native American culture and history into his books.

Q: If readers can read only one book this month, why should it be yours?

A: Readers who enjoy relatable characters, suspenseful plots, and

unexpected twists will love The Jon Steadman Thriller Series. Jon is the “every man” drawn into international conspiracies that not only test his mettle but force him to combat his personal demons.

Q: What are you working on for your next release?

A: I’m currently finishing the fourth installment of the Steadman series titled, Duplicity. Jon and geneticist Dr. Lavi will contend with nefarious characters in a range of exciting locales. Duplicity will be available in early 2022.

For more on Nellie Neeman, got to her Website, Blog, FaceBook , Instagram , LinkedIn or Goodreads  profile.

'I love to correspond with my readers! The best way is to sign up to Nellie’s News for the latest releases, contests, and special sales.'

For more on Jeff Bailey, go to his Home Page, or follow him on GoodReads or his LinkedIn Blog. 

Today's book selection:

It is April 2003. American forces have taken Baghdad and are now charged with winning hearts and minds. But this vital tipping point is barely recognized for what it is, as a series of miscalculations and blunders fuels an already-smoldering insurgency intent on making Iraq the next graveyard of empires.

In dazzling and propulsive prose, Brian Van Reet explores the lives on both sides of the battle lines: Cassandra, a nineteen-year-old gunner on an American Humvee who is captured during a deadly firefight and awakens in a prison cell; Abu al-Hool, a lifelong mujahedeen beset by a simmering crisis of conscience as he struggles against enemies from without and within, including the next wave of far more radicalized jihadists; and Specialist Sleed, a tank crewman who goes along with a "victimless" crime, the consequences of which are more awful than any he could have imagined. 

Spoils was my kind of read, in the depths of war, Van Reet presents a story from several points of view and both sides of the conflict, clever. I found it insightful and more than a little compelling. SPOILS is not a light read. It deals with war, real and gritty. The story is extremely well crafted and flows well. However, it also builds and the pace accelerates as the story unfolds. I work to find new authors of this caliber and know that I have found one of the best. SPOILS is a superb debut novel of the highest quality. Jeff Bailey, veteran and Author of the conspiracy thriller, Not On My Watch.

Mark Tedesco's Review of The Defect

 

I knew I would like this book [The Defect] when I read the first lines, as a Beach Boys song blared out from the cab of a pickup truck. The story winds its way into thoughts and feelings as the characters seem so real.

I found myself experiencing the sounds of a nuclear reactor in the US; the hums and lights seem so routine as the story starts out mild but interesting because the characters are three dimensional. Brian Sing, Alex James and other characters bring the reader into a world of stability and threat, routine and unbalance, humanity and extremism.

As the plot builds (I do not want to give it away) the reader becomes drawn into a world of international terrorism, possible nuclear disaster and the conflict of ideologies.

I wasn’t sure if the characters were meant to represent certain groups or ideas, so I just took them at face value: individuals, without reading into it.

A series of events ensues which keeps the story riveting, with an unknown outcome as the events spiral forward.

What seems so strong appears so fragile at the end of the story, a balance holding humanity together and keeping it from the brink.

The knowledge and background of the author gives a realism to this story that is extremely convincing.

Well done, Jeff Bailey!

-Mark Tedesco, author of “She Seduced Me: A Love Affair with Rome”

For more on Mark Tedesco, check his website or follow Mark on GoodReads or his LinkedIn blog.

For more on Jeff Bailey, go to his Home Page, or follow him on GoodReads or his LinkedIn Blog.