Launching in 2023 – Exclusively on Amazon
“…not your Grandad’s Space Opera!”
Everything Frank Callahan did was for the love of a woman.
Unlucky in life and love, Frank was the first man to get kicked off the Moon, the first man to hitch a ride back, the first homeless man on the Moon, and the most unlikely hero.
The Grand Luna hotel is about to open at Malapert Station, a thriving base near the South Pole of the Moon. The hotel will create a burgeoning moon-based economy. While helping save a scientist from a life-threatening accident, Frank learns about a metal derived from a unique ore discovered near the base, and The Terrain Alliance Council’s (TAC) efforts to keep the discovery secret.
The Sons of Khan invade during the hotel’s pre-opening gala and capture everyone at Malapert Station. Everyone but Frank.
Astrid Astana, leader of the Khan, is determined to control the base. The morning after the invasion, a group of workers rebel and the Sons of Khan responded with violent action. When Astrid learns Frank is free, she sends soldiers to hunt him down. To Astrid, Frank is an annoying little man disrupting her plans.
For Frank, it’s him against Astrid and the Sons of Khan. He creates confusion, death, and chaos while trying to save the base commander and his friends.
Frank uses his wits, skills, and unique capabilities to fend off the invaders. After Frank rescues his friends, the Sons of Khan retaliate with a devastating attack that threatens to destroy the base. Frank, TAC Force, and the base workers fight to save Malapert Station and rescue the woman he loves.
While battling the Sons of Khan, Frank learns the true reason for the invasion and is confronted with questions about which side is good, who is bad and how controlling perceptions and beliefs can be more destructive than bullets.
Author’s note
The novel is written in first person, so we mostly see and know what Frank sees. Frank is reciting the story to the reader, an old story he’s retelling. It’s a challenge for me to write this way. It’s a vastly different writing style compared to my first novel.
ASTEROIDS – Bridge to Nowhere was written in third person omnipresent. This style allowed the reader/writer to jump from character to character, place to place and be in the head of any character. We knew everything.
TAC FORCE is more restrictive. We follow Frank as he tells the story. We see and know what Frank knows and feels. Hey man, the guy has thoughts and feelings. Frank is complex and philosophical. He considers the human condition and complications of life while he endures great conflict and tragedy. Frank is also human, so he has faults.
My overall goal is to entertain the reader by telling this story in my unique and personal way. Sons of Khan is a high-tech military action adventure that takes place on the Moon, told by the character Frank Cunningham, who transforms from zero to hero as we move through his story. I hope you find this novel unique, fun, and an exciting read.
A fun work in progress
I began writing TAC Force at the end of April 2020 after spending weeks reading and downloading everything, I could find about building a moon base. I learned how to use moon regolith to build roads, landing pads and construct buildings. I also researched methods to extract oxygen and hydrogen from moon dust and how to use the left-over alloys to make metal components.
I am using all this technology to create Malapert Station, at the base of Mons Malapert, one of the tallest mountains in the South Pole region. The peak of Malapert Mountain, known as the peak of eternal sunlight, receives almost constant sunlight, perfect for solar power generation and Earth is always in view enabling near constant communication with Earth.