Hawk
began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction,
historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not
genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing
in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for
the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and
the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial
protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch
of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed
by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All
have received national attention. Hawk’s
latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller
work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of
Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012.
"Without
question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the
pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward
to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and
conspiracy--these are the things that take Hawk's main character, Navy
ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina
ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation's
capital and across Europe and the Middle East."
Barbara
Casey, President
Barbara
Casey Literary Agency
Hawk will be a featured author at Book 'Em North Carolina on February 22, 2014, and we hope you'll stop by his table and chat with him about his writing!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Blood and Gold, the third book in The Craige Ingram Mystery
Series, once again tests the instincts and skills of retired Navy
SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram. Lust, greed, body parts and
unrestrained wild sex parties are what await Craige Ingram when he leaves the
comforts of his South Carolina home to visit his former SEAL buddy, Detective
Spinner Krespinak. Set in the Colorado underbelly of a sordid sable and faux
glitz ski mecca, Detective Spinner Krespinak suspects drugs have made their way
to the snowy playground that is Aspen. An Olympic ski hopeful is brutally
murdered, Spinner vanishes, and Craige Ingram is shot as events spin out of
control with a Catch-22 no one anticipates.
AN EXCERPT
The drive up the narrow mountain
rutted road was a risky, hands-on-the-wheel icy slid-and-skid. With a grim set to his jaws, Spinner didn’t
say a word the whole way. They parked
among the jumble of squad cars. Craige
avoided the taped-off areas while Spinner huddled with Loopy. Silently they paced-off and studied the
layout of each room of the mansion…each room except the one where death waited
to greet Spinner. No one except Craige
and Loopy knew how Spinner wasn't as detached as he appeared. Spinner traced and retraced his steps. Seeing beyond Spinner’s detached veneer of
the professional, Craige could read the surly stir of emotions Spinner was
struggling to control.
Finally…there was nothing left
except to face the grizzly business of felony homicide and the dead. Spinner went back to where Loopy was
busy. As though wanting to avoid seeing
what waited in that room, he said, “Any ideas about the time of death?”
Loopy said, “Only a rough
approximation at this point. I'd
approximate somewhere between eight in the morning and two or three in the
afternoon. We haven’t moved the bodies
yet, but from what indications of livor mortis I could see, I’m leaning toward
it being earlier. Central heat was
off…fireplace ashes are still warm. Once
we determine algor mortis changes in the body temps, I’ll be able to narrow
that some. We've already picked up
thirty to forty different sets of prints.
Could easily be twice that before we finish. Most so smudged they're no good. The rancher who lives at the valley turnoff
said cars were going back and forth all night.
How it wasn't the first time they had all-night mountaintop blowouts up
there. We bagged used condoms from all
over this place—bedrooms, baths, all over the house. We’ll compare DNA with that of the
victims. See if we get any matches that
narrow down any persons of interest.
Looks to be marijuana and freebase by the fireplace and in the breakfast
room. And what is likely Mexican black
heroin on the carpet in the den. Lord
only knows what else we'll turn up. I’ll
be surprised if we don’t find Silk or S-K.
There's at least a case of empty aerosol cans, probably for heavy-duty
huffing. We'll see what the lab tells
us…hopefully that’ll fill in more details.”
Spinner said, “Before Frannie left
for Denver last night, Ski came by and borrowed my wheels to get here. Brought them back about noon. Christy and the two men had to be alive at
the time Ski left. Depending on road
conditions, it takes about an hour to get from here back into town. The low last night was below zero, but there
was no heavy weather—no wind.” His eyes
flashed hurt and anger, a silent reckoning stirring somewhere deep and hidden. “Ski would party 'till the last minute.” Spinner hesitated. “Least, I’d like to think it was that. I wouldn’t like thinking he'd use me as an
alibi.” The thought of the possibility
was a heart-pain that sliced deep into his soul. “Give me a few minutes before you zip them
up.”
Loopy nodded. “No hurry. Take what time you need.”
A very still Spinner turned a
masque-face back to the bed…emotions churning his features. A lump knotted his throat. Looking down at Christy’s lifeless body, the
bullet hole a vulgar insult to a death mask of frozen beauty…it seemed somehow
otherworldly. “…never could trust your
flighty-canary way of life.” The niche
occupied by carefree fun-loving Christy seemed stark and empty.
SPECIAL LINKS
Hawk will be
awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the
tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
