The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Mike Wells's New Book: Blood Diamonds, Lust, Money & Murder, Book 8.
Author Mike Wells is an American bestselling author including the series Lust, Money & Murder and Passion, Power & Sin.
Blood Diamonds
Lust, Money & Murder, Book 8
Author: Mike Wells
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In an extraordinary twist of fate, Elaine Brogan and Luna Faye end up joining forces with Giorgio Cattoretti to try to take down Raj Malik. At the end of Book 7, Elaine learned that Raj is smuggling diamonds out of a secret mine in Central Africa. Her mission is to go to Chad and find the location of the mine at all costs. Can she pull it off? And can she really trust Giorgio Cattoretti?
Excerpt from Blood Diamonds
Chapter 6
The Ukrainian arms dealer’s yacht was now a hundred and twenty kilometers off the southern coast of Spain. It would pass through the Strait of Gibraltar and arrive in Tangier sometime in the evening.
Elaine was sitting out on the stateroom’s deck again, still marveling at Giorgio Cattoretti’s plan to “go straight” and build the diamond cutting factory in Croatia. She’d stayed up late analyzing the scheme from all possible angles, and she couldn’t find a single hole in it. As much as she disliked the man, she had to admit that he was truly brilliant. The Cat didn’t just have nine lives—he had ninety. He was constantly looking for opportunities and adapting to the environment, like a rapidly-mutating virus. And just as dangerous.
His ability to craft his so-called “win-win-win” deals was uncanny. Not only would the countries of Croatia and Sudan benefit greatly from his plan, she would, too, both personally and professionally. As he had so colorfully put it, he was handing her Raj Malik’s head on a silver platter. “All” she had to do was find out the location of the diamond mine, and Giorgio would give her all the data he had collected on Raj and go his separate way. Raj would go to jail and, hopefully, she could get her job back at the Secret Service and maybe even get a promotion in the bargain.
Still, in the back of her head, she knew she could not trust Cattoretti, or trust anything he told her. She would have to proceed with the utmost care.
This morning, she more diligently continued her work of trying to dream up a good fake persona for her undercover operation with Stanley Ketchum. Grasping Cattoretti’s overall plan had made everything much clearer—now she understood exactly why he had rescued her from the black site. He was probably correct in assuming that only a woman could entice a former CIA agent to reveal the location of the diamond mine. As she made notes, she realized the mind-boggling irony of it all. She never dreamed that one day she would be the one who provided the “get out of jail free” card for the elusive criminal she had fought so long and hard to catch.
Mid-morning, she and Cattoretti sat down at the table on the deck to review her ideas for the character she would pretend to be. She had narrowed the possibilities down to three: she could play a Texas trophy wife who was married to a much older oil industry executive, an Irish foreign aid worker, which they had discussed yesterday, or a Penn State graduate student who was getting her Ph.D. in archaeology. All three were roles she felt she could pull off.
“So which one do you think is best?” Elaine asked, after she summarized them with more background information she had fabricated.
Giorgio scratched his chin, squinting in the sun, thinking. “Which one do you think is best? You’re the one who has to make it convincing.”
“I prefer the Penn State grad student.”
“Why?”
“Because then I don’t need to speak with an accent. Also, I know Pennsylvania, it’s my home state. That role is the most comfortable to play and will require the least amount of preparation.”
Giorgio didn’t look convinced.
“What don’t you like about it? You don’t believe I can play a convincing graduate student?”
“No, just the opposite. Don’t forget that Ketchum’s cover story is that he’s a professor of geology. He might think a grad student could see through his cover. It might scare him away as soon as he meets you. Being too brainy is probably not a good idea, anyway. You should be smart enough to be a challenge to him, but not too smart.”
These were valid points, Elaine had to admit. She drew a line through PENN STATE GRAD STUDENT and pursued the notes she had made on the other two profiles. “Since I know you don’t like the Irish foreign aide worker, that just leaves the Texas trophy wife.”
“But we still have a problem with motivation—why would a Texas trophy wife go to a remote place like Chad?”
“I have that solved, Giorgio. She’s an animal rights activist, on a trip to Africa to save the elephants.”
He raised the brow over his eye patch. “Yes! I like that. A do-gooder. There’s a big problem with elephant poaching in Chad—I was just reading about it a few days ago.” He laughed. “Save the elephants! That’s perfect.”
“But if I play that role, I’ll need a lot of expensive props, designer clothes, jewelry…”
Cattoretti considered this. “No you don’t. That type of woman would know better than to wear expensive jewelry in a poverty-stricken country like Chad.”
“Would she?”
He shrugged. “Well, I assume so…”
“You’re not thinking like a female, Giorgio. She would probably take it along and wear it inside the hotel, to the restaurant, and so on.”
“Maybe.”
“Look, if you want me to find this diamond mine, you have to trust me on these details and give me the all resources I need.” Elaine glanced down at his hairy calves—he was sitting there in his bathrobe. “That is, unless you want to go to Chad and play a Texas trophy wife. You wouldn’t look bad in a miniskirt.”
He glared at her. “Very funny, Elaine.” She wondered exactly when she had become comfortable enough around him to make casual jokes. “I do see your point, though, and you can consider it done. We can buy everything you need in Tangier.”
Elaine looked down at her own body. She had been eating so much that she had nearly gained her normal weight back, but she felt flabby. “I need to get in shape before I go through that war zone in Sudan—I have to be able to take care of myself.”
“We don’t have time for you to get in perfect shape.”
“How much time do we have?”
“No more than a week. From what I can tell, Ketchum always makes the trip to Sudan in the middle of the month.”
“I can get in pretty good shape in a week. Anyway, it will take a few days to get me a fake passport, won’t it?”
“Yes.”
Elaine looked down at her notes again, thinking. A Texas trophy wife, she mused, already feeling nervous. Could she really pull this off? She told herself that if she could convince an entire Russian police unit that she was a detective from the FBI Art Crime Team, she could convince a former CIA agent that she was a gold digger from Texas.
Couldn’t she?
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult, Romance
Website: Mike Wells Books
Author's Blog: Mike Wells Books
Twitter: @MikeWellsAuthor
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Author Description: Mike Wells is an American bestselling author of over 20 "unputdownable" thriller and suspense novels, including Lust, Money & Murder and Passion, Power & Sin. He is also known for his young adult books, such as The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer, The Wrong Side of the Tracks, and Wild Child, which are used by English teachers in high schools and colleges worldwide. Formerly a screenwriter, Wells has a fast-paced, cinematic writing style. His work is often compared to that of the late Sidney Sheldon, with strong and inspiring female heroes, tightly-written scenes, engaging action/dialogue, and numerous plot twists. He currently lives in Europe and teaches part-time in the Creative Writing program at the University of Oxford.
Author's Book List
Forbidden, Book 3
- A Novel of Love and Betrayal - Forbidden Romantic Thriller SeriesWhen Lady Eleanor Sotheby unexpectedly enters the life of Jayne Clark, a 23-year old waitress from Wichita, Kansas, Jayne's world is turned upside down. Not only is she welcomed into a family that she never knew, but she is thrust headlong into the highest strata of European society. Nothing is too grand in the fairy tale lives of the uber-rich--the spectacular seaside villas, the sleek, chauffeured limousines, the outrageously expensive designer clothes. When Jayne plays her part and learns to fit into this new world, she meets Robert Astor, the man of her dreams. But her feelings for Robert are forbidden. Jayne's heady new life begins to unravel into a dark web of deceit, domination and greed...and she ultimately finds herself confronting an evil that truly has no limits.
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Forbidden, Book 2
- A Novel of Love and Betrayal - Forbidden Romantic Thriller SeriesWhen Lady Eleanor Sotheby unexpectedly enters the life of Jayne Clark, a 23-year old waitress from Wichita, Kansas, Jayne's world is turned upside down. Not only is she welcomed into a family that she never knew, but she is thrust headlong into the highest strata of European society. Nothing is too grand in the fairy tale lives of the uber-rich--the spectacular seaside villas, the sleek, chauffeured limousines, the outrageously expensive designer clothes. When Jayne plays her part and learns to fit into this new world, she meets Robert Astor, the man of her dreams. But her feelings for Robert are forbidden. Jayne's heady new life begins to unravel into a dark web of deceit, domination and greed...and she ultimately finds herself confronting an evil that truly has no limits.
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Forbidden, Book 1
- A Novel of Love and BetrayalWhen Lady Eleanor Sotheby unexpectedly enters the life of Jayne Clark, a 23-year old waitress from Wichita, Kansas, Jayne's world is turned upside down. Not only is she welcomed into a family that she never knew, but she is thrust headlong into the highest strata of European society. Nothing is too grand in the fairy tale lives of the uber-rich--the spectacular seaside villas, the sleek, chauffeured limousines, the outrageously expensive designer clothes. When Jayne plays her part and learns to fit into this new world, she meets Robert Astor, the man of her dreams. But her feelings for Robert are forbidden. Jayne's heady new life begins to unravel into a dark web of deceit, domination and greed...and she ultimately finds herself confronting an evil that truly has no limits.
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The Drive-By Wife, Books 1, 2 & 3
- A Dark Tale of Blackmail and ObsessionIn this explosive psychological thriller, Allen and Cynthia Hunt are a well-educated, upper middle-class San Francisco couple who experience the ultimate domestic nightmare. A deranged, seedy truck driver barges into their lives, blackmailing Cynthia into becoming his "drive-by" wife. Billy has led a lonely, bleak existence on the road and has always dreamed of "having him a beautiful, lovin' woman to come home to." Unable to go to the police, Allen and Cynthia desperately try to fight off the twisted stalker, who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. But the two have serious problems of their own. The story spirals into a tangle of deceit, deception, and murder. Can Allen and Cynthia unite and defeat the diabolical maniac from the hills, or will he destroy them both?
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Passion, Power & Sin - Book 5
- The Victim of a Global Internet Scam Plots Her RevengeOne spectacular financial scheme. One woman alone against the world. Young, beautiful, and yearning for love, Heather Bancroft meets the "perfect" man...and is lured into a game in which she begins to make more money than she ever imagined. Betrayed by her own innocence, she loses all that is dear to her and discovers that she has been mercilessly used. Defeated and broken, but surviving with sheer persistence and ingenuity, Heather emerges from her trying ordeal, determined to punish the ruthless man who destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her halfway around the globe, to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, where her nemesis secludes himself in obscene wealth that he's gained from the financial ruin of others. Heather is playing for the highest stakes in a lethal game. Only one man loves her - he's handsome, confident, and just as determined as she is. Only one man can stop her - a criminal mastermind who is intent on her destruction.
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Passion, Power & Sin - Book 4
- The Victim of a Global Internet Scam Plots Her RevengeOne spectacular financial scheme. One woman alone against the world. Young, beautiful, and yearning for love, Heather Bancroft meets the "perfect" man...and is lured into a game in which she begins to make more money than she ever imagined. Betrayed by her own innocence, she loses all that is dear to her and discovers that she has been mercilessly used. Defeated and broken, but surviving with sheer persistence and ingenuity, Heather emerges from her trying ordeal, determined to punish the ruthless man who destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her halfway around the globe, to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, where her nemesis secludes himself in obscene wealth that he's gained from the financial ruin of others. Heather is playing for the highest stakes in a lethal game. Only one man loves her - he's handsome, confident, and just as determined as she is. Only one man can stop her - a criminal mastermind who is intent on her destruction.
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Passion, Power & Sin - Book 3
- The Victim of a Global Internet Scam Plots Her RevengeOne spectacular financial scheme. One woman alone against the world. Young, beautiful, and yearning for love, Heather Bancroft meets the "perfect" man...and is lured into a game in which she begins to make more money than she ever imagined. Betrayed by her own innocence, she loses all that is dear to her and discovers that she has been mercilessly used. Defeated and broken, but surviving with sheer persistence and ingenuity, Heather emerges from her trying ordeal, determined to punish the ruthless man who destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her halfway around the globe, to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, where her nemesis secludes himself in obscene wealth that he's gained from the financial ruin of others. Heather is playing for the highest stakes in a lethal game. Only one man loves her - he's handsome, confident, and just as determined as she is. Only one man can stop her - a criminal mastermind who is intent on her destruction.
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Passion, Power & Sin - Book 2
- The Victim of a Global Internet Scam Plots Her RevengeOne spectacular financial scheme. One woman alone against the world. Young, beautiful, and yearning for love, Heather Bancroft meets the "perfect" man...and is lured into a game in which she begins to make more money than she ever imagined. Betrayed by her own innocence, she loses all that is dear to her and discovers that she has been mercilessly used. Defeated and broken, but surviving with sheer persistence and ingenuity, Heather emerges from her trying ordeal, determined to punish the ruthless man who destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her halfway around the globe, to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, where her nemesis secludes himself in obscene wealth that he's gained from the financial ruin of others. Heather is playing for the highest stakes in a lethal game. Only one man loves her - he's handsome, confident, and just as determined as she is. Only one man can stop her - a criminal mastermind who is intent on her destruction.
Order the Book From:
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Passion, Power & Sin - Book 1
- The Victim of a Global Internet Scam Plots Her RevengeOne spectacular financial scheme. One woman alone against the world. Young, beautiful, and yearning for love, Heather Bancroft meets the "perfect" man…and is lured into a game in which she begins to make more money than she ever imagined. Betrayed by her own innocence, she loses all that is dear to her and discovers that she has been mercilessly used. Defeated and broken, but surviving with sheer persistence and ingenuity, Heather emerges from her trying ordeal, determined to punish the ruthless man who destroyed her life. Her thirst for revenge takes her halfway around the globe, to the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, where her nemesis secludes himself in obscene wealth that he's gained from the financial ruin of others. Heather is playing for the highest stakes in a lethal game. Only one man loves her - he's handsome, confident, and just as determined as she is. Only one man can stop her - a criminal mastermind who is intent on her destruction.
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Amazon UK
Off the Grid
- Lust, Money & Murder: Book 7This book is the 7th in the Lust, Money & Murder series and begins the 3rd trilogy. When Elaine Brogan and Nick LaGrange are called to meet with Raj Malik at the American Embassy in Paris, it kicks off a treacherous adventure that neither of them could have ever imagined. Join Elaine, Nick, Luna Faye, Tony, Dimitriy, and more familiar characters from the best selling series in another Mike Wells "unputdownable" crime thriller.
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The Extraction
- Lust, Money & Murder, Book 6When Secret Service agent Elaine Brogan fails to capture Giorgio Cattoretti yet again, the Italian criminal mastermind conceives a devious plan to capture her. Join Elaine, Giorgio, Nick, Tony, Luna, Dmitry and Lexy on another "unputdownable" Lust, Money & Murder adventure!
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On Russian Soil
- Lust, Money & Murder, Book 5When criminal mastermind Giorgio Cattoretti successfully pulls off the largest art heist in history--the spectacular theft of 15 Picasso paintings from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia--U.S Secret Service Agent Elaine Brogan is sent there on a dangerous undercover mission to capture Cattoretti before the Russians do.
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Cattoretti's Return
- Lust, Money & Murder, Book 4After being kicked over a cliff into the Mediterranean Sea, Italian criminal mastermind Giorgio Cattoretti has lost everything...including his left eye. Will "The Cat" land on his feet? Join Cattoretti on his quest as he hides out on the island of Cyprus, avoids the Russian mafia, and painstakingly plans and attempts the biggest art crime in history.
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Lust, Money & Murder - Book 3
- A Female Secret Service Agent Takes on an International CriminalGlobal counterfeiting mastermind Giorgio Cattoretti takes Elaine under his wing, tempting her with heady amounts of money to apply her expert knowledge to improve his nearly-perfect U.S. bills. But Elaine still loves Nick. When Nick enters the picture, it may be too late. With nowhere to run and nowhere to turn, will Elaine give in to a life of crime, or will she find the love she’s always wanted?
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Lust, Money & Murder - Book 2
- A Female Secret Service Agent Takes on an International CriminalElaine falls head over heels for Nick, but discovers he’s not exactly what he appears. Elaine is called back to Washington to lead a top secret program to develop counterfeit-proof banknotes, but soon finds herself in Russia, running from the Mafia, and eventually in the hands of Giorgio Cattoretti, a master knock-off clothing manufacturer who has now become the world’s #1 currency counterfeiter.
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Lust, Money & Murder - Book 1
- A Female Secret Service Agent Takes on an International CriminalThis book begins with a young and naïve Elaine Brogan as she initially pursues her dream of a career as a photomodel. After becoming entangled with a sleazy modeling agency, she decides to become a Secret Service agent, struggling through the arduous training academy. After her first disastrous assignment, she is transferred to Bulgaria. There, she meets Nick LaGrange, the love of her life.
"Revenge, determination and love fuel this thoroughly enjoyable fast paced thriller." - Samuel's Book Reviews.
From the Guardian Express, reviewed by N.M. Lorde For those who are fans of the late Sidney Sheldon (in particular his latter works) then may I suggest Lust, Money & Murder - the first in a three part series written by Mike Wells? The novella possesses most of the components that made Sheldon's books so captivating. A fast plot. International intrigue. And a beautiful heroine with a troubled past who uses her inner resolve to climb her way to the top..Wells does his research…readers will get a detailed account of what it takes to join the secret service, how to detect counterfeit bills as well as what the reality of life is like for young women living in Bulgaria.
I will be hooked! Not since Sidney Sheldon has a male author captured a woman's perspective so well. It has it all -- intrigue, love and realism. - Kathleen Bursaw "bookster"
Book Trailer: Lust, Money & Murder - Book 1
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The Wrong Side of the Tracks - Book 1
14 year old Stephen moves into a tough neighborhood and soon finds himself in love with Kristine, one of the prettiest girls in his class. Kristine appears to like him, too, but Stephen learns she “belongs” to a big, mean football player who’s three years older. Despite warnings from his best friend, Stephen moves ahead anyway. All hell breaks loose. Will Stephen allow himself to be shoved into the background, or will he win the girl he truly loves?
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The Mysterious Disappearance of Kurt Kramer - Book 1 & 2
17 year old Rachel is crazy about Kurt, but she's not sure the feelings are mutual. When his parents invite her and his best friend on a family vacation in Aruba, they encounter a strange object on the beach. Kurt disappears. He begins communicating in bizarre ways that shake his family to the core. Rachel realizes that he's stuck between worlds...and she's the only one who can bring him back.
Review by Rae Smith, Book Reviewer *Possible Spoilers Ahead* Kurt Kramer is good looking, athletic, smart and off to MIT a year early. Though technically not his girlfriend, Rachel, was ambivalent about their being separated. Now she realizes she may never see him again. Rachel is a thinker. She hears as well as listens as she observes what is going on around her. At his father's request two trusted fellow scientists try to assist them in retrieving Kurt from the unknown. Kurt is the main priority for one of them, but the other has a hidden agenda. Throw in a couple of nosy island cops, Kurt's guilt ridden and jealous younger brother and his alcohol dependent mother and Rachel has her hands full trying to keep the peace. Especially, when all she really wants is Kurt back. But, does Kurt even want to return? Mike Wells' followup book is an amazing blend of human frailties, including the ever present man's inhumanity to man. He shows us how taking our family members for granted can lead to addictions and co-dependency. He also shows us that even in these modern times there is a possibility that mutual young love can last a life time.
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Secrets of the Elusive Lover - Book 1 & 2
- The Personal Journal of a PlayboyEvery woman knows an Adam. He's a "player," the type who professes true love, but with eyes that never stop wandering. He always has the perfect excuse when you find that long strand of blonde hair stuck to his collar, and fidgets whenever you get near his computer. Adam can't fool Bethany, who, despite her better judgment, falls head over heels him. Bethany is far more intelligent and strong-willed than Adam bargains for, and he finds himself smitten, too. Hilarious at times and poignant at others, Secrets of the Elusive Lover explores the age old challenge of obtaining the unattainable man, and the paradoxical issues surrounding monogamous relationships. As you turn the pages faster and faster to see if Adam and Bethany will ultimately get together, you will find this book another truly 'unputdownable' Mike Wells read.
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Baby Talk - Books 1 & 2
- Every Parent's Horror StoryIn this creepy horror novel, Neal Becker is convinced that his 5 month old baby daughter can talk. But that's impossible…isn't it? Except that Neal didn't really want to get married in the first place - the pregnancy was the result of a one-night stand, and he preferred an abortion. Now, Baby Natasha knows it, and she's out to get him! Or so Neal believes…join the two in a terrifying battle for survival that will make your blood run cold.
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Wild Child, Book 3
- The Patriarch: A Dystopian ThrillerKyle and Briana find themselves ensnared in the bizarre Evergreen Colony, hopelessly addicted to the magical green water. At first glance, Evergreen appears to be a utopia. Each of the nearly five hundred members enjoys extraordinary physical and mental abilities, perfect health, and nearly eternal life. But there's a catch: once you drink the water, you can never leave. Kyle soon discovers that one man may have secretly developed an antidote--the former Evergreen Patriarch. Can Kyle track him down without being killed, or will they be trapped in the colony forever?
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Wild Child, Book 2 - Lilith
- A Teenage Sci-Fi Conspiracy ThrillerWild Child, Book 2 - Lilith takes up where the first story left off. Join Kyle, Briana, Brawn and Brains for another hair-raising adventure with the "green water." Several new, intriguing characters are introduced. Written in the same lean, fast-paced style as the original, this sequel will keep you breathlessly turning the pages, wondering what will happen next.
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Wild Child, Book 1
- A Teenage Sci-Fi Conspiracy ThrillerBriana Fox is the wildest girl in school. She and Kyle have been close for a long time…almost lovers. But Kyle is afraid that if he pushes her, he'll have his heart broken and lose his best friend. When Briana challenges him to a swim across the lake, she's injured in a horrific accident, but she discovers a mysterious substance in an underwater cave that saves her life. What seems to be a magical yet harmless "power drug" invokes superhuman abilities, and Briana soon becomes dependent on it for her very survival. When two government agents learn of the discovery, they will stop at nothing to find the source and turn Briana into a human experiment. Is Kyle willing to risk everything to protect his love?
Book Trailer: Wild Child, Book 1
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