Humphrey Hawksley

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which coincidentally are the setting for NO TIME TO DIE, the latest James Bond film. ICE ISLANDS is the fourth in a series featuring the hard-as-nails hero Rake Ozenna who comes from the Alaskan island of Little Diomede right on America’s border with Russia. Rake himself evolved from a BBC reporting assignment to Little Diomede back in 2015 when US-Russia relationship was becoming tense. I had expected to find some form of American military or U.S. Customs and Border Protection there. But there wasn’t even

Little Diomede islander looking across to Russia

a local cop or a state trooper. Little Diomede is a craggy, rough island with a population of around eighty Indigenous Alaskans living less than three miles across a narrow stretch of water from, a Russian military base. It was such an incredible and little-known situation that I wrote the first in the series, MAN ON ICE, where Russia seizes the island and takes hostages on the eve of a U.S. presidential inauguration. Rake Ozenna is a compilation of the rugged, gritty, brave characters on Little Diomede who live by their wits and instincts in a remote and hostile environment.

What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?

ling while also giving information about character, location and motivation. In ICE ISLANDS, I experimented with three different openings, each of which had been drafted and redrafted several times. In a similar vein, the easiest (if that is the right word) is the last chapter because all pieces by then are in place -- except for the very last lines. They can turn on a dime because you have to leave the reader satisfied, stimulated, wanting and ive them a final twist or unexpected thought. Maybe, those last lines are the most difficult to write.

Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? Has there been a character that’s been hard to write about?

My favorite character is protagonist Rake Ozenna because of his background of being raised as an Indigenous Alaskan on Little Diomede island on the Russian

border. He is a tough man of few words who instinctively knows right from wrong. Over four books, I have been able to introduce complexities and dilemma into his character. Should he become a tribal leader on his home islands or continue tackling crises around the world. And what of his occasional lover and soul mate, Carrie Walker, a trauma surgeon he met in Afghanistan, to whom he was once engaged to be married. They are not the types to settle down as a couple. But if not that, what? In the crowded field of thriller fiction, Rake is pretty unique and has been praised by critics including the great Nelson DeMille who said simply that Rake is ‘smart and tough, and we’re glad to have him on our side.’ As for hard characters, it took some time to get Sara Kato right. With a first-time character I always find it tricky to get the balance between steel, vulnerability, motivation and backstory and, in Sara’s case, working out how far to take their mutual attraction. The

| HUMPHrEy HAWKSLEy |

series has a small cast of permanent characters of which my favorite is Stephanie Lucas, a high flying diplomat and politician, who was raised by a single father in a used car lot in South London.

How do you come up with the title to your books?

The first in the series, MAN ON ICE, was created to portray the single figure battling an unforgiving enemy in a hostile and frozen environment. The Man concept was drawn partly from the Girl titles that have been so popular, like Gone Girl, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Girl on a Train. It also has a dual interpretation of mankind in trouble. MAN ON ICE was intended as a stand-alone, but both my publisher and I wanted to do another with the similar high stakes of world catastrophe. Therefore, I wrote MAN ON EDGE, when military secrets went missing in the Russian Arctic and MAN ON FIRE when the villains possess a weapon of unimaginable power. After that, I felt we had run out of elements that Man could respectably be on. ICE ISLANDS is similarly snappy and stays with the concept of cold, threat and hostility.

What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?

I absolutely love the Thai desert of sticky mango with rice. On the first taste, wherever you are, it conjures up the tranquility and sensuality of the Southeast Asian tropics. The juxtaposition of the sticky coconut rice and the cold, soft mango clears the palate and the mind and takes you, for a moment, to a beautiful, faraway place.

Which comes first, the plot or the characters in the planning stages?

It is a mix, but the way my mind works as a former foreign correspondent is to create a plot situation which will drive the characters. In the Rake Ozenna series, once I decide on the political and geographical premise, I will spend time talking to experts and doing research to get my ducks in the row. After that, I work out how to throw at Rake the dangers,

complexities and challenges that drive the plot through. Similar treatment is given to the antagonist which, in ICE ISLANDS, is Michio Kato.

What are some things you like to do to relax when you aren’t writing or working?

I love cycling, the wind in the hair, the rain or sun on the face, the quietness and the access that can take you along canals and rivers and through meadows of wild summer flowers. I also like swimming and walking. I used to have a travel bug. But the first time I walked into an airport after Covid with the security checks and hanging around, I thought, ‘What the hell am I doing back here.’ Of course, once at the destination the heart thumps with the anticipation of a new people in a new place.

If you could have one all-year season, which would it be and why?

Another great question? I do love winter, where the cold encourages coziness, and early dark evenings gives time to read and write. With winter, too, there is always Spring to look forward to if that makes sense. My hero, Rake, is good with winter, too. But could I live in winter all the time?

Do you prefer ebooks, audiobooks or physical books? Are you reading anything now?

I love them all. I mostly use e-books and audio now because you can read a chapter on the phone at a bus stop and pick it up on an Ipad back home, then switch to audio in the gym and it will keep your place throughout. I host a weekly Book Show so am usually reading the

book of an upcoming guest, which today is The Car by Bryan Appleyard; a non-fiction political for my journalism which is The Fifth Horseman and the New MAD by Harlan Ullman; and a thriller for myself which is Never by Ken Follet.

What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?

Thank you for reading the Rake Ozenna series. I love feedback absorb it, adjust and write accordingly. As a journalist, I know there are no greater editors than your readers. My website is www.humphreyhawksley.com Rake has his own pages on www.rakeozenna.com and ICE ISLANDS is on www.iceislands.co.uk . You can sign up to occasional newsletters here My parting tip for new readers: Start with MAN ON ICE or one of the earlier ones because we’ve dropped those prices right down for the hardback launch of ICE ISLANDS.

Enjoy an excerpt from Staked by Desire

Ice Islands Humphrey Hawksley Thriller

On an inhospitable frozen island, Rake Ozenna must gain the trust of a young woman fleeing a Japanese crime empire and caught in the crosshairs of the Russian government.

Major Rake Ozenna’s mission is simple: gain access to the Kato family - Japan’s most dangerous crime empire.

But when the secret son of the Russian leader is executed and Rake’s target, Sara Kato, is implicated in the murder, a political crisis between Russia, Japan and the US is set in motion. As Rake learns the true extent of their deadly plans, he must draw on every ounce of his training to succeed. Because if he fails, it won’t just be his life that will be lost . . . the consequences will be global.

Excerpt

PROLOGUE Tokyo

She was out, clear of the death house. She had to get away. Completely. Long distance. Free from dread. From guilt. From paralyzing fear. An airport. Another country. Sara Kato rode in the back of one of the family sedans, her brother Michio beside her, window down, city noise in her ears and drizzle splattering on her face. In the bag strapped around her shoulder was her passport, credit cards, vaccination certificates, a few hundred euros and her phone from London which worked in Japan. She still had the American soldier’s phone in her jeans pocket.

Shibuya’s lights shone around her, massive futuristic images of gadgets, celebrities, fashion wrapped around skyscrapers. Umbrellas bobbed up and down as people ducked around each other in the rain. It would be so easy to slip away, vanish in the crowds. Easy, if she did it right.

‘Why don’t we walk?’ she suggested. ‘And I need an ATM to get some yen. I only have euros.’

‘There you are.’ Michio peeled off a wad. ‘That’ll keep you going.’

‘Thank you, but no.’ Sara lay a hand on his arm, trying to hide a repulsive shiver on showing any affection. ‘I need to do something normal, be on the street, go to an ATM, get some money, feel people around me, feel cold.’ After the horror in that stifling house, she made it sound believable. First step, out of the car. Second step, run as fast as she could.

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‘Of course. I wasn’t thinking.’ He squeezed her hand and instructed the driver to pull up. ‘We’ll get out here. The rain, getting a bit wet doesn’t worry you?’

‘It’ll be refreshing.’ She took her hand off his arm. The driver turned into a narrow road and stopped behind a green taxi. Sara pulled the handle to open her door. It was locked. The driver glanced at Michio who gave a single nod. There was a click. The door opened. She gripped her bag’s shoulder strap and stepped out. She drew in the bustle and buzz, eyes scanning on how best to escape. ‘There’s an ATM.’ Michio pointed to a bank of three along the sidewalk, green and yellow lights glowing from their screens. She saw two men ahead. She turned. Another two behind. A motorcyclist, engine running, foot on the sidewalk, looked toward her. They would be trained to stop her going anywhere. She needed to slow down and work out how to get past them. ‘They’re with us?’ she asked.

‘Sorry.’ Michio shrugged. ‘If you’re a Kato in this city, you can’t just go for a walk.’ He took her arm. ‘Ignore them. Come. Get your money.’

She stood in front of the cash machine, the cordon around her, taking her time, checking her PIN, her balance. Michio was a man she adored more than any other, her brother whom she trusted completely. What she had just seen shook her to the core, even though it wasn’t against her. Michio was picking up as if nothing had happened, which made it worse, more confusing. She craved to understand him.

She concealed trembling, fought hard against a choking sense of more despair. She withdrew 50,000 yen. Turning to Michio, she forced a smile, ‘Now, at least I can buy my big brother a drink.’ Michio led her into a tiny, winding street with poky counter bars and sushi places crammed next to each other. The same six or seven men trailed or went ahead of them. They were recognized. Bar owners bowed or raised hands in greeting. Not just to Michio, also to the men with him. They moved from place to place. One moment they were in an old red-light district of hodgepodge narrow streets. The next they were guests of honor at a bar decked out like a film set, with cameras, spotlights, fake sand dunes and thumping music.

She let Michio talk. Justifying. Explaining. Most in Japanese. Some in English. About being Japanese. Bloodlines, Family.

They kept moving from place to place, sometimes on foot to a bar or café nearby, a couple of times, a short journey by car. She lost track of where they were. She had never known Tokyo well, hadn’t lived here since she was ten. The security cordon stayed. Even in the rest room, a woman appeared from nowhere to keep watch.

She tried to leave. They were perched on stools in a tiny counter bar, Michio discussing with the owner the outcome of the Pacific War. Sara touched him warmly on the shoulder and spoke in English, ‘I’m beat, Michio. We both know why I can’t go back to the house. You stay. I’ll check into a hotel.’

Michio laid a hand on hers, gently but firmly. ‘It’s late. We’re all tired. There’s a hotel just around the corner.’

She was terrified to show anger. To survive, she had to show she supported him in his evil. She felt suffocation. Her mind didn’t know where to go. Stop, she wanted to scream. Stop controlling me. Stop giving me surprises. Stop being so bloody nice.

‘Let me treat you. Just tonight.’ He smiled at her. ‘I need to—’

‘I know,’ interrupted Michio. ‘You need to be by yourself. You will be, and early tomorrow morning I want to show you something about our family.’

She didn’t want to hear anything more about her family. Her father had banished her from Japan when she

was just ten. He was a monster. She knew the Kato family were stinking rich. She had never asked details because she had never felt part of them. She had been smart enough to keep her distance, but not smart enough to stay completely away. She had come back because she loved Michio, her elder brother and her protector. Everyone needs family. Now, she had seen that Michio was a monster, too. ‘Our businesses are much more than just hotels, golf clubs, airlines and karaoke joints,’ Michio was saying. ‘We help people all around the world. I want you to see that, then you can decide what you want to do. Let’s all get a good night’s sleep.’

Her hotel room was vast with a huge bed, a sunken bath, a rain shower and windows with a surround view of the city. Sara walked around and around, sinking her bare feet into the thick yellow carpet. Michio’s men were outside the door. Her brother had taken the room next door with an adjoining door to hers. She knelt and lowered her head to the carpet like in prayer. She let her mind go blank for five seconds, ten, more, until she realized that Michio could be watching her every move. She tried to rid herself of the thought that he would harm her. She couldn’t. She had seen his eyes, his determination, the way he wiped blood off his hand. She pushed herself up, went to the bed and, fully clothed, enveloped in exhaustion, she crawled under the covers, pulling the sheet over her head.

She pulled the American’s phone from her jeans pocket and scrolled through to see how it worked. She recognized neither iPhone nor Android technology. It was something different. Surely, they could pinpoint where she was. The American had made her register a thumbprint. It worked. She remembered the fournumber pass code. The screen lit. Her heart pounded as she typed out a message in capitals. HELP. She thought a moment on how to make it clearer so it didn’t get lost in some bullshit American bureaucracy. She deleted it, rewrote the message and sent it.

R-A-K-E O-Z-E-N-N-A. H-E-L-P M-E P-L-E-A-S-E.

Robert byrum

Robert Byrum was born in San Diego, California in 1930. He is a veteran of the Korean War. He has a degree in Structural Engineering and worked in engineering for over thirty years. He developed his own engineering practice and designed many buildings in California and the adjoining states. During his lifetime, he has enjoyed many hobbies including fishing, hunting training dogs for competition, travel and now writing. Words Matter is one of the three books he wrote during 2021-2022. Desiring a better quality of life, he and his wife, going on 68 wonderful years of marriage, moved to Montana in 1990 after retiring. They have been fortunate to be able to have traveled the world studying the history, architecture and culture of many people.

Do Words Matter? Author hopes to bring back readers’ appreciation for thoughtful, sincere, and meaningful words in new book

People learn and live by the words they hear, read and speak. They help people think, understand and react. Through this book, nonagenarian author Robert Byrum tries to step back, to present words that have meaning, excite emotions, trigger thinking and contemplation with the stories and quotes presented. In Words Matter, there’s a sprinkling of humor spread across the pages, making it a fun read, while still keeping it informative as it delves into the philosophy of living, aging, senses, love, beauty, friendship, youth, laughter, dog stories, sex, and quotes and bits of knowledge from famous people.

Sometime in the many years past, the author started collecting short stories, quips, and sayings of wisdom intelligence and humor. They are about the peoples of today, yesteryears and their beloved four-legged friends. Then it grew into writing about subjects he felt were thought-provoking and enduring. Eventually, he had a computer library crammed with a variety of subjects standing by themselves with no place to go. This book is comprised of many of these thoughts. His hope is that they will find a home and be useful to others that share a willingness to reflect on the business of living, of life and love, and to cherish their lives, with some chuckles and maybe a few tears.

This book is available and can be purchased at online bookstores; www.dorrancepublishing.com, www. amazon.com and www.barnesandnoble.com.

Upcoming Book Event!!! 2022 Frankfurt International Book Fair WHERE: Frankfurt, Germany WHEN: Oct 19, 2022 - Oct 23, 2022

Bill bush

Bill Bush grew up in Yates Center, Kansas, and is a graduate of Yates Center High School and Tabor College, where he earned a Master’s degree in Accounting. He is a runner and pickleball player as well as a writer, is author of several collections of short stories, and has written a column in the Harvey County Independent since April, 2013.

Besides the acclaimed Halstead Mysteries series, Bill is the author of the Vetrix series and dozens of short stories. His flash fiction stories, Lonely Lucy and Uninvited Guest, were included in the Podcast, Alone in a Room With Invisible People, in 2019 and 2020 respectively.

You can learn more about Bill at billbushauthor.com or snaderpublishing.com, his publishing company.

Uncaged welcomes Bill Bush

Welcome to Uncaged! You have three books out in the Halstead Mystery series. Can you tell readers more about this series? Are you planning continuing with the series?

The series is set in Halstead, Kansas, the small town I’ve lived in since 2008. In the middle of town sits the Halstead Hospital, which has remained empty since 2002. I thought, what a great place for a murder mystery, and so I wrote When the Time is Right with the hospital as the center piece of the story.

Eden Price, a big-city girl from Wichita who just graduated high school, spends the summer with her grandmother in Halstead. After a local retired doctor goes missing she sees a body in her neighbor’s car. Her snooping leads her to the hospital where she finds a mysterious machine, a dead body, and we’re off and running. The series follows Eden as she makes friends, solves mysteries (yes, it’s a lot of dead people for a small town), and begins to accept herself and the people of Halstead, who are not as different from her as she first thought.

I am currently putting the final touches on book 4 (should be available in late summer/early fall) and have the basic ideas for books 5-7. I don’t foresee the series going indefinitely and want to wrap it up at some point but I don’t know how many books that will entail.

You also have a pretty nice collection of short story anthologies. Can you tell readers more about those?

In 2016 my aunt introduced me to an online writing forum (hollyswritingclasses.com) and I took a free course on writing flash fiction by the forum creator Holly Lisle. I wrote a few dozen flash fiction stories that year.