Dark Fury launched Christmas Day 2019 and has been my best launch yet. I want to credit Ryan Stecker at TheRealBookSpy.com for his editing services and helping me take my writing to another level. I hope you guys noticed the openings and endings of the chapters got better and I worked on the transitions that some said left them wanting in previous books. Thanks also to WayneStinnett for allowing his characters Jesse McDermott and Charity Styles to help Ryan out of a jamb. It was a blast working with Wayne. I got to see some of his process and hopefully it made me a better writer. He was one of the original guys I read on Kindle Unlimited that inspired me to get into the writing and self-publishing game. A special thanks to my wife who allows me to put off my honey-do list to sit for hours in front of the computer listening to the voices in my head. It’s been a therapeutic process for me to include warriors who have a disability and to allow them to function and flourish through my writing. Thanks to Kary McNeal at Aquatic Ventures for allowing me to pick his brain on diving and other matters related to the military and special operations. To George Schlub, my brother by another mother, get your ass to Florida so we can dive and drink beers together. He gave me the idea to use a 6.5 Creedmoor round for my snipers, and lets me ask all kinds of inappropriate questions about police and detective work.
I’ve never been to any of the locations mentioned in the book. I relied heavily on Google Maps, images, pictures, and searches to create the settings and scenes in the book. I enjoy doing the research as much as writing the book and if you want something researched – ask a writer.
Of course I used Google Translate for Spanish to English and vise versa. I also found websites with Venezuelan prison slang, Mexican Cartel slang, and deep searches into both lead to a few new curse words in the old repertoire.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venezuelan_Spanish and http://www.youswear.com/index.asp?language=Venezuelan
San Antonio Prison actually existed on the Isla de Margarita, but was partially torn down and is no longer in use. Some articles included here:
The night is long on Margarita
Venezuela Prisons: ‘Pranes’ and ‘Revolutionary’ Criminality
Armed Groups Propping Up Venezuela’s Government
In Venezuela, the U.S. dollar becomes king amid crushing crisis
Ryan, Kendra, and Cardenas escape on a Cessna 208B Caravan Pic credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_208_Caravan
They’re chased by a Embraer Tucano Pic Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_EMB_314_Super_Tucano
And a Sukhoi Su-30 gets into the action and shoots down the Caravan Pic Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukhoi_Su-30
Ryan and Kendra catch a ride with John Wilson on the Floridablanca, a Seaton raised pilot house trawler. You can find more information and pictures here: https://www.denisonyachtsales.com/yacht-listings/50-Seaton-Rph-1969-Beaufort-South-Carolina/6278731
A map of Texas City
F/V Kaytlyn named for my niece. More pics and pic credit here: http://crboats-permits.com/seiner0172.html
They meet the ocean-going tug Star of Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico. More here: https://horizonship.com/ship/40m-ocean-going-towing-tug-asd-bp-110/
Back in Tampico, Ryan and Kendra set up an ambush in this old hospital: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/d7pxnk/ghosts-raves-and-satanic-rituals-the-abandoned-hospital-on-the-beach-of-ciudad-madero-876 There are some really cool pictures here and jump on Google maps and look for Ex Hospital Naturista and look at the drone views.
A few maps for you to get the lay of the land. I ended up having to zoom in on the maps but hopefully you get the idea of where things are.
