The
Lizard’s Tale
by Kurt Kamm
GENRE: Mystery/Crime Thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:Kurt Kamm has written a novel that's a literary crime novel, with a strong thread of non-fiction running through it. The Lizard's Tale is a tale of crime—with an a wide-ranging cast of characters.
When the DEA goes up against the Sinaloa Cartel, an orphan and an endangered lizard are caught in the conflict. The action moves from Guatemala to Mexico to Catalina Island off the coast of California.
Alejandro, a middle class Guatemalan, wants his share, and makes a deal with the cartel. Now he’s risking his life to deliver the goods.
El Dedo, a brilliant financier, is the Sinaloa Cartel’s banker. He worries about what to do with the billions of dollars collecting dust in his underground vault.
Ryan, a DEA Special Agent, needs to make a high profile case to get a promotion. Is the big yacht headed for California carrying a Mexican drug shipment?
Kate, a wildlife officer on Catalina Island, smells smoke. When she heads out in the middle of the night to investigate a fire, she makes an astonishing discovery.
Jorge, an orphan from the streets of Mexico, is abandoned in the United States. Will he find his way back home and track down his mother’s killer?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT:
Dedo
was one of the few outsiders at the top of the cartel hierarchy. He came from a
different background than most of the drug lords, who had grown up in poor towns
in the Sierra Madres where people suffered a hard existence living in hovels
made of cinderblocks. Dedo had no poverty to escape. He grew up in Mexico City
and lived a blessed childhood. His father owned a small Mexican chemical
business that grew large when it began to supply the Cartels with the
ingredients used to make methamphetamine. His mother was Swiss, and had worked
for a chemical company in Basle when she met his father. Dedo inherited his
intellect and business sense from his father. His grey eyes came from his
mother.
When
his father brought him to the State of Sinaloa for the first time, Dedo stood
in the dust and blasting heat and felt the moisture evaporating from his skin.
“Those mountain highlands,” his father had told him, pointing off into the
distance, “are ideal for growing poppies. All they need is sunlight and
moisture.” Then he turned and pointed in the direction of the Pacific Ocean,
and continued, “And out in those valleys between the mountains and the coast,
the climate is perfect for growing marijuana.” Finally, his father looked at
Dedo and told him, “Fortunately for us, sunshine and water don’t produce
methamphetamine. For that, they need chemicals—a lot of chemicals—and that’s
why we’re here.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE DEA CITIZENS ACADEMY - BACKGROUND FOR WRITING
THE LIZARD'S TALE
I was fortunate enough to be
chosen to attend the DEA's Citizen's Academy at their Los Angeles Field
Division. The DEA runs this program in fits and starts in various cities across
the country. Approximately 25 individuals who have a "voice in the
community" are selected and are provided a look inside the operations of
the Drug Enforcement Administration. Typical participants are local government
officials and prosecutors, community activists, and of course journalists and
writers. The objective is to disseminate a positive image of the DEA.
The academy ran for nine weeks and we met once a week for
approximately 4 hours. Agents spoke about different DEA functions, and some
classes involved fieldwork where we were shown surveillance techniques, learned
about chemical testing for drugs, and had the opportunity to use the ram to
break down a door and participate in a practice takedown. There was a range day
when we were able to fire a variety of handguns and assault rifles and get a
close look at the body armor and tactical vehicles the DEA uses. We also got a
fascinating look at confiscated vehicles with various secret compartments used
for drug smuggling. Finally, in addition to hearing about the more exciting
aspects of drug enforcement, we learned of the drudgery of obtaining warrants
for wiretaps and the actual methods of conducting them.
I came away from the Academy
with a great respect for the work these agents do and the dangers they face. I
was astonished to learn that the DEA is like a small army, active in as many as
40 countries. The experience was fascinating, and provided me with the kind of
detailed color about DEA operations ("ops" in their parlance) which I
was able to use in my book. Short of actually being a DEA Special Agent, I
don't know how I could have collected this information, and I think it lends an
aura of authenticity to my novel.
I hope you enjoy reading The Lizard's Tale. Among other things, it will give you an inside look at one
of our largest law enforcement agencies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Malibu,
California resident Kurt Kamm has written a series of firefighter mystery
novels, which have won several literary awards. His newest novel, The Lizard’s
Tale, provides a unique look inside the activities of the Mexican drug cartels
and the men dedicated to stopping them.
Kurt has used
his contact with CalFire, Los Angeles County and Ventura County Fire
Departments, as well as the ATF and DEA to write fact-based (“faction”) novels.
He has attended classes at El Camino Fire Academy and trained in wildland
firefighting, arson investigation and hazardous materials response. He has also
attended the ATF and DEA Citizen’s Academies. After graduating from the DEA
Citizen’s Academy in 2014, he began work on The Lizard’s Tale.
Kurt has built
an avid fan base among first responders and other readers. A graduate of Brown
University and Columbia Law School, Kurt was previously a financial executive
and semi-professional bicycle racer. He was also Chairman of the UCLA/Jonsson
Comprehensive Cancer Center Foundation for several years.
Visit his author
website at www.kurtkamm.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Kamm
LITERARY AWARDS
TUNNEL
VISIONS (MCM Publishing 2014)
2014 USA Best
Book Award -Fiction: General – Finalist
HAZARDOUS
MATERIAL (MCM Publishing 2013)
Best Novel 2013
– Public Safety Writers Association
Winner of the
2012 Hackney Literary Award for best novel of the year ($5,000 PRIZE)
Reader's
Favorite 2013 – Finalist – Urban Fiction
The 2012 Dana
Award – Finalist
Eric Hoffer
Award - Finalist (2014)
Excerpt
published in Birmingham Arts Journal
http://www.birminghamartsjournal.com/pdf/baj10-2.pdf
ONE FOOT IN THE
BLACK (MCM Publishing 2012)
The 2012 USA
Best Book Awards – Fiction: General –
Finalist
The 2013 Beverly
Hills Book Awards – Fiction: General –
Finalist
Excerpt
published in Felons, Flames and Ambulance Rides: Stories About America's Public
Safety Heroes
CODE BLOOD (MCM Publishing 2011)
Writer’s Type
- First Chapter Competition. January 2011- First Place
2012
International Book Awards - Fiction:
Cross Genre Category – First Place
National Indie
Excellence Book Awards – Faction (fiction based on fact) - Winner of the 2012 Award
The 2012 USA
Best Book Awards - Fiction: Horror -
Winner
LuckyCinda
Publishing Contest 2013 First Place –
Thriller
Reader's
Favorite 2013– Finalist – Horror Fiction
Knoxville
Writer’s Guild - 2011 Novella or Novel
Excerpt – 2nd Place
RED FLAG
WARNING Aberdeen Bay 2010
The Infinite
Writer– Mystery 2010 – First Place
The Written Art
Awards - Mystery/Thriller 2010 – First
Place
Royal Dragonfly
– Mystery Category 2011 – First Place
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buy Links:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY:
One
randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.
Follow the tour HERE
Good morning Sue, and thank you for hosting me and my new novel, THE LIZARD'S TALE. Most reviewers call my work "FACTION" because it is fact based fiction. Anyone who reads this book could easily believe it is true.
ReplyDeleteThe book is full of fascinating characters, including the orphan from Mexico and his lizard, DEA Agents, Narcos, firefighters, and some great women.
Here's an excerpt from the flashback which reveals why Jorge, the orphan, is such a strange child and why he is fascinated with lizards--:
Six years had passed and the details of his mother’s face were beginning to blur in his memory, but he could recall every detail of the night she died. He also remembered the tattoo—a skull surrounded by barbed wire—inked on the back of the neck of the man who killed her.
“Puta.”
When the man spoke, Jorge had edged farther under the bed.
The room was filled with the lemon scent his mamá wore when she worked, and the odor of rancid sweat from the naked body grinding away on top of her. The man, who had come many times to visit his mother, intensified his efforts. The bed shook and the sagging web of springs holding the filthy mattress pressed down on top of Jorge. In a few months, he would be six—too big to crawl under his mother’s bed.
A cuiza, a small, unremarkable gray-green gecko, crawled through the dust on the concrete floor under the bed, trapped between Jorge and the wall.
“No, dammit, no, no,” the man bellowed. The bed stopped swaying.
Jorge heard the sound of a hand slapping flesh and his mamá whimpered.
“You pig,” the man said. “Do better than that. Damn you.”
The second impact was louder, harder. Jorge heard her high-pitched cry. He reached for the gecko and it flattened itself against the concrete, remaining motionless in the dust. Its head was inches from Jorge's face. He looked at its black eyes and it stared back. A live insect—a tiny fly—struggled in its jaws. The little lizard swallowed the insect.
The man became furious and the blows were more powerful. This had happened before, but it had never gone on so long or sounded so brutal. His mother’s cries turned to screams and Jorge tried not to listen. He grabbed the cuiza's tail with his fingers.
The gecko made a chirping sound—chik, chik, chik—shed its tail, and skittered away.
The force of the final blow knocked his mamá off the bed. From his hiding place, Jorge saw the brown skin of her naked back as she lay on the floor. He watched the man’s bare foot poke her and then push her body aside before he walked out the room. When Jorge crawled out from under the bed, he saw the blood dripping from his mother’s face, collecting in a small red pool on the floor. He wanted to wake her, but his brain no longer controlled his voice. His throat was frozen—no words came. Jorge lay down on the floor, curled up next to his mamá, and cried silent tears. Above him, he saw the tailless gecko climbing the bedroom wall.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteIf you could be anyone for one day, who would you be and why?
ReplyDeletecongrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteSounds very interesting. I like the title and cover. What was your favorite part of the Academy?
ReplyDeleteHi Marcy - One evening they took us out to their warehouse and we got to do a number of physical things including breaking down a door by swinging the "ram" Its a very heavy solid pipe with handles on it. I'm sure you've seen it used in the movies. Swinging it is a chore, and when it hits the door your arms get quite a shock.
DeleteWe also go to participate in an entry into a "drug house" Men lined up with guns (empty) drawn, each with a specific task upon entering the house. Then "clearing" each room. We found a "drug dealer" hiding in a cabinet under a sink.
Mucho fun
Really great post - sounds like a great book. Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHere's what a reviewer in the UK had to say -
ReplyDeleteWelcome to another full on story from one of America's upcoming authors. Excitement and intrigue is found on every single page. The authors brilliance in bringing together the rich, an illegal smuggling racket and a poor boy is first rate. The human element of greed and the lengths that people will go to get what they want is prominently portrayed throughout the story. Kurt's story portrays an up to date issue that is affecting the whole of the planet, illegal trapping and animal smuggling and the damage and impact on the people it involves.
The characters are brought to life by the authors brilliant descriptive writing and also touches the nerve ends like no other author can. The bravery of the author to move away from his fire fighting mysteries has to be applauded and again has not let the reader down.
Praise for Kurt Kamm and his hard hitting, page turning novels which provide an excellent read and never disappoint.
Exciting locations.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the entire post. I loved reading about the book and am looking forward to learning more about it. Thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new book and good luck on the book tour!
ReplyDelete