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The incredible season finale is here!

April 8, 2020 By Lou

Broken Loyalties is on sale now digitally and in paperback! The season finale is here and nothing will be the same for the DSA.

Order your copy of Broken Loyalties today!

Broken Loyalties

The climactic finale to the DSA’s inaugural season!

Greg Sullivan makes his takeover bid of the DSA. Branded as traitors, the field team lies in ruins. Ben Riley and Morgan Dunleavy are alone and on the run. Hunted on all sides, each must sacrifice everything to learn the truth about what’s happened—not only to their own lives but to those they call friend and ally.

Old foes and familiar faces return to take advantage of their troubles—twisting the knife further with each betrayal.

It is the DSA’s darkest hour.

In the midst of tragedy, answers to long-simmering questions come to light. The Wellspring stands revealed at last and nothing will be the same again.

Not everyone makes it out of this thrilling final chapter of the DSA’s first season.

Every thread has led to this book. This might be the end of the first season of the DSA, but this is barely the beginning of the story. Season 2 is even bigger, with new threats and answers to some of the biggest questions posed so far.

Get your digital copy today!

Order the paperback:

Amazon – US, UK, CA

Barnes and Noble

Get your signed paperback now!

Don’t forget to take advantage of the season-wide sale going on now!

Broken Loyalties

Thank you for supporting this series. Please be sure to drop me a line and let me know what you think of the books. It goes a long way to helping me in this endeavor.

Happy reading!

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Filed Under: Broken Loyalties Tagged With: Broken Loyalties, DSA Season One

Broken Loyalties Preview

March 31, 2020 By Lou

This is the big one! The season finale of The DSA Season One arrives next week. Everything has been building up to this.

I remember working on this series way back in 2015. I had two extremely young children at home and I had the plot outlines for the entire season spread all over the dining room table. At the time, I didn’t have an office or even a folding table to work on. Everything was out in the open, from my handwritten notes to the dialogue of certain scenes.

It was manic. Everything was coming so fast back then, building and building from nothing. There were whole evenings spent at Dunkin Donuts just pounding on the keyboard trying to piece it all together.

Those were good times. Today is even better.

Seeing the project finally out there in the world is utterly astonishing considering the lengths I’ve gone to rewrite, reconstruct, and rethink the series from start to finish. The DSA is definitely stronger from the changes made.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey.

The DSA is on sale right now!

Take a sneak peek at next week’s release, Broken Loyalties, below!

Broken Loyalties Sneak Peek

Chapter One

Susan Metcalf stared, and the woman in the mirror stared back. She judged her every brush stroke, the way her hair lay in thick tufts to the right.  She quietly criticized the crease in her collar. No matter how hard she tried it refused to flatten.

She tore through the final knots in her hair. Her face was unrecognizable. Thin lines ran from her eyes. Flakes of dry skin covered her cheeks and brow from the unrelenting winter. Sadness penetrated once-strong blue irises. It was not a fear of lost youth, a terror of age creeping up on her out of nowhere. She had accepted how time ran counter to her wishes no matter the steps taken.

Her lack of recognition came from the growing number of compromises and mistakes that filled her days. Each stole from her, each pulled at her core and ripped an essential piece from what little remained of the woman who started this journey so long ago. Promises had been made, and quests had been undertaken and left incomplete. But time was a bitch of a thing, and when she fought against the rapidly draining hourglass all she managed to do was watch the sand empty in a pool on the floor.

Leaving the mirror behind, Metcalf tucked the brush away. The bed remained untouched, and the curtains were drawn as always. Little light followed her through the upstairs of the home. Her home. It was funny to call the residence that, though. Metcalf’s name might have been on the tax statements and public records regarding the property, but it had never been her home. She had furnished it, made sure the kitchen remained stocked in coffee and other bare essentials—actually, pretty much only coffee. Beyond that it remained empty and devoid of life.

The domicile served to merely paint a picture for the casual observer. It was a place of residence to track her, to monitor her, though she rarely occupied the home. She paid a cleaning service to maintain the property. She never spoke to the neighbors and couldn’t recall their names, though they were fully displayed on their mailboxes lining the road. Community was not her strong suit, and her weakness grew more apparent with each passing day.

It was a nice place, and it would have made a wonderful home for a family—all she needed was a pair of kids for the spare rooms on the second floor, maybe an entertainment center in the basement. The backyard stretched to the woods for plenty of exploring. She viewed the path as an escape route instead. Every aspect of her life was filtered through the lens of the mission she had served for decades. Now, she had to watch it crumble.

Because of her weaknesses.

Days had passed since she’d last stepped foot in the DSA warehouse, since she asked her personal assistant for a day to set things right and plan for what came next. She had never imagined the lull, never dreamed of the pause in the game played out by her enemies. Was she overly cautious or simply predicting the wrong outcome? Was this what Sullivan had warned her about: her inability to trust and reach out when needed? Had he been trying to help her instead of sabotage her at every turn?

The doorbell provided her answer. Her lip curled in a smirk. She had grown tired of the waiting and, at last, it was finished.

Metcalf took the stairs slowly, her steps defiant to the pressing of the bell in steady repetition. Each board creaked, announcing her arrival long before she reached the bottom. Her eyes sharpened with each footfall. Her posture straightened. This was no time for weakness. If this was to be the end, she would meet it straight on: strong and unyielding.

Two men waited on her stoop. She recognized them immediately. One was casual in his stance to hide his stature. The other met her gaze directly. He clutched a hand tight to his open badge while the other hovered close to his holster.

“Director Metcalf,” Martin announced. The left side of his face was discolored from his recent altercation with Agent Riley. The NSA logo gleamed in the sunlight. He took a step away, allowing her to open the outer glass door.

“Yes?” she asked, innocence in her voice. “Can I help you?”

Kanigher, Martin’s long-time partner, shuffled closer. He held the door open for her and smiled. “We need you to come with us, Susan.”

She leaned along the frame of the door. “What is this about?”

“Step over to the car, ma’am,” Martin continued, unwilling to entertain questions. They followed orders, the only thing they truly understood.

Behind the pair on the stoop, another two agents took up positions along the sidewalk. A cargo van was parked in front of her property with a fifth man behind the wheel. All wore matching deep blue uniforms with the same insignia dotting the upper right. Despite the varied agencies they served, all now appeared to belong to a single entity.

The DSA.

Sullivan’s move. It was time. Metcalf scanned the block. No neighbors poked their heads out. No innocents dotted the area.

“If I refuse?”

A pair of cuffs dangled between Kanigher’s waiting fingers. Martin unclasped his holster and pulled out his Glock.

“You won’t, Susan,” Kanigher explained.

Behind the frame of the door, her fingers typed on her cell phone. When she finished, the message received with nothing but a smiley face in return, Metcalf dropped the device into her jacket pocket. She pulled the coat free from the hanger. She closed the door behind her and joined the agents.

“Let’s go, then.”

Broken Loyalties arrives April 8th!

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Filed Under: Broken Loyalties Tagged With: Broken Loyalties, DSA Season One

Dark Impulses is on sale now!

March 9, 2020 By Lou

Book Five of The DSA is here! Dark Impulses is the penultimate chapter of the DSA’s inaugural season. Everything has been building to this and the answers start here!

Order your copy now!

From the back cover:

A deadly virus is turning average people into killers.

Caught in the middle of the growing power struggle of the DSA, Ben Riley and Morgan Dunleavy are dispatched to solve the case in Buffalo—Ben’s hometown and the place he was framed for murder.

Split between a need for answers to his past and an obligation to justice in the present, Ben winds up in the crosshairs of the madman behind the virus.

A madman everyone thought was dead.

Now Morgan must discover a cure to save Ben’s life before it’s too late.

Loyalties are tested and sides are chosen in the penultimate chapter of the DSA’s first season.

 

A critical piece of the story…

Curious to learn more about Emily Wright’s disappearance? Want to know what the significance is in regards to the bloodstain on Ben’s tie? That and more can be found within these pages!

There are links to The Clearing, Promethean and more in this installment, all tying the threads sown throughout the season together.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one. It has some of my favorite Ben/Morgan scenes. Usually I cringe when I have to read my own writing, but this one brought a smile to my face throughout. So happy with the finished product. I hope you will be as well.

Grab your digital copy of Dark Impulses now!

Also available in paperback at these fine stores: Amazon US, CA, UK, Barnes and Noble

Looking for a signed paperback? Check out my online store!

Everything comes to a head in Broken Loyalties–out April 8th.

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Filed Under: Dark Impulses Tagged With: Dark Impulses, DSA Season One

Dark Impulses Preview

March 3, 2020 By Lou

Dark Impulses arrives in less than one week! The penultimate chapter in The DSA’s first season pits partner against partner, testing everyone’s loyalty to the mission.

Pre-order your digital copy today!

Dark Impulses Preview

Chapter One

The dripping sound woke her. The small pitter-patter falling along the soaked carpet at her feet sent wave after wave of dizzying echoes into her unconscious thoughts until she was snapped awake. Her first thought landed on the sink: a poorly maintained bathroom basin in a two-star motel on a dead-end road. Of course it was the sink. It wasn’t until Morgan Dunleavy licked her lips that she realized it wasn’t water running from the sink, but blood dripping down her face.

“Where?” she asked to the shadows of the room. The small stream ran from the top of her head, down her nose, and over her lips. She spat as the question left her, which interrupted the steady dripping.

From behind her, light split the dark beige curtains of the motel room. The bed lay upended along the far wall. It matched the state of the rest of the furniture in the cramped space. Morgan fought to breathe, the blood trickling into her mouth and over her tongue. Her eyes struggled to adjust to the moonlight which faded behind the fast moving clouds in the winter sky.

“Zac?” she called out. Her head pounded. Everything hurt. Everything screamed to be noticed and mended. She searched for her medical kit. Her mother had given it to her after Morgan graduated. She always carried it with her. The small bag rested out of sight; it was lost in the darkness, just like everything else.

“No,” a voice growled in response. Two small pebbles of light flickered from the far side of the room. A tapping returned to the background, this time that of a heavy-soled sneaker—red and white with blue laces. Morgan’s eyes widened. They attempted to refocus despite the swelling along her temples. “Your boy toy isn’t here, Morgan.”

Her mind snapped to attention, and the cloud over her thoughts was gone the second his words cracked the darkness. She reached to wipe away the blood and remove the matted strands of dark hair from her face. Her hands refused to obey her. She pulled again, and the force caused her to cry out. Tied hands strained against the chair beneath her.

“Oh, hell.”

The tapping ended and the figure in the shadows stood. His chair flew across the room. It joined the table, the nightstand, and the bed in a crumpled heap. His eyes remained wide lights, and deep red ran along the edges of his pupils. His jaw was clenched, which kept his voice throaty and guttural. She recognized him anyway by the gun in his hand—the same Ruger he always carried.

“Ben,” she muttered as her partner stepped into view.

“You betrayed me!” Ben Riley’s empty hand rubbed at his neck. The other shook with fury, yet his sidearm remained locked on his captive. Morgan tried to lift her hands, to talk to her partner calmly and casually. Zip ties clacked against the wooden frame of the chair. She recalled the struggle from earlier. She remembered the argument that started it, and the blood that followed.

Her blood. She bit back the panic creeping into her chest. “This isn’t…” Ben shook his head as soon as she opened her mouth. She spoke louder. “Ben. You need to listen to me.”

“To your lies?” Spit flew across the air between them. “After what you’ve done to me?”

“I haven’t—”

The gun silenced her, now only inches in front of her face. “You stole my life,” Ben cried. His eyes were a deep, dark red that matched his flushed cheeks. Goosebumps ran up his arms, and both were shaking, matching his uncontrolled anger. “You and Metcalf and the rest. You took everything from me! Do you know how that feels? Of course you don’t.”

He was wrong. She understood what it was like to lose a life you worked so hard to create. The DSA was built for people like them. A second and final chance.

“Ben,” she whispered. “Please…”

The gun cocked loudly. Cold eyes answered her plea. “But you will, Morgan. You will.”

The flare of the muzzle was the last thing Morgan saw. Then the world went dark.

Find out what happens next on March 9th!

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Filed Under: Dark Impulses Tagged With: book preview, Dark Impulses, DSA

Spectral Advocate is on sale now!

February 11, 2020 By Lou

Book Four of The DSA Season One launches today! Spectral Advocate is a murder mystery wrapped in a ghost story. Ben Riley is forced to rely on outside help in the form of Cal Cooper–an attorney who can see the dead. Together they peer beyond the veil to make sense of a locked room murder with more implications than either of them realize.

Now available digitally and in paperback!

Abigail Winslow, the DSA’s latest recruit, is dead.

Unsure of who to trust anymore after learning the truth behind Agent Jacob Grissom’s death, Ben Riley attempts to track down Winslow’s killer without the use of the agency’s resources.  Facing a locked room murder, Ben turns to his only suspect for assistance—Cal Cooper, an attorney with a secret. 

He sees ghosts—everywhere.

Thrust into a world he refuses to believe in, Ben must evade the danger posed by those beyond the veil and put his faith in a stranger to discover the murderer in their midst.

Unfortunately, Ben’s line of inquiry may have made him the next target.

Nothing can prepare readers for the most riveting chapter of the DSA series yet, as the incredible first season continues.

Grab your copy of Spectral Advocate now.

Paperback fans can find the book at – Amazon US, CA, UK

Head over to the online store now for a signed paperback.

The store is open and ready to take your order. I’m very excited to offer this service for those who enjoy the feel of the book in their hands.

How are you enjoying the series?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the series so far. Drop me a line at lou@loupaduano.com and let me know how you’re enjoying the adventures of Ben Riley, Morgan Dunleavy and the rest of the DSA cast.

Happy Reading!

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Filed Under: Spectral Advocate Tagged With: Available Now, DSA Season One, On Sale Now, Spectral Advocate

Spectral Advocate Preview

February 4, 2020 By Lou

Spectral Advocate arrives next week at all digital retailers. Book Four of The DSA Season One opens up a new realm of possibilities for Ben Riley, who stumbles into a murder investigation with dangerous implications for both him and the DSA.

Be sure to pre-order your copy today!

Paperback lovers:

You can order a signed paperback here. Or head over to Amazon to order one right now.

Check out the exclusive preview of Spectral Advocate –

Thought escaped him. Seconds ticked by though it felt like an eternity. The world silenced around him. Ben was grateful for the reprieve, content to have something to do instead of mull over his options, despite the growing weariness in his bones.

The flight of stairs to the eighth floor of the Edgemont faded behind him. His bare feet slid along the stained carpet of the corridor. Dim lights ran along the center of the ceiling. Ben blinked rapidly, resisting the heaviness of his eyes. The cold metal of the Ruger sent a chill along his arm. He held the weapon tight to his side. Despite the emptiness of the hall, Ben took each step slower than the last. Each door remained closed and each shadow caught on his periphery was his own.

When a door opened to his left he nearly opened fire on instinct. An elderly woman with rollers in her hair and thick glasses staggered from her apartment. Her eyes thinned at the sight of him and his weapon. Never stopping, never backing away, the woman raised a frying pan at him, ready to swing.

Ben lowered the gun and tucked it in his waistband. He opened his badge for her, though her attention was elsewhere. Her gaze trailed down from his awkward smile to his bare chest.

“Great,” Ben muttered, attempting to close his shirt. He continued down the hall. As he passed her, a needy paw pinched his ass. “Hey!”

The woman chuckled, the pan holstered under her arm. She licked her lips slowly, hand to the frame of her apartment. Her words were rapid mumbles, the language foreign and incomprehensible to the exhausted agent.

Ben nodded politely as he backed away from her creeping hand. Before he could respond, a wrenching sound echoed down the corridor. Wood cracked, once then twice in quick succession, before shattering. When he turned back to the woman, her door was closed and the chain lock was sliding into place.

Swiping at his eyes, Ben rounded the corner for the far side of the building. The third door on the left was exposed. The heavy oak had been snapped at the lock. It hammered against the back wall, unable to make the return trip to the frame. Splinters were scattered inside the hall of the apartment and right outside. The intruder’s footprints were clearly marked through the debris.

Hand to the door to keep it in place, Ben entered the apartment. His gun led the way. No more screams guided him. The aid was no longer necessary to track its origin point.

The domicile matched his own, reversed because of its location in the building. Just inside the entrance was a small hallway. Green carpeting ran throughout. The bathroom was tucked on the right and the door was open a crack. Ben edged the door back. He caught his reflection in the mirror.

I look like crap.

He cleared the room quickly, then wheeled down the hall for the rest of the apartment. Opposite the bathroom was the kitchen, which bled into the main living space of the two-bedroom unit.

Dishes were stacked in the sink, one plate, a coffee cup, silverware, and a wine glass. The wrapper of the microwave meal peeked from the lidless trash in the corner. It looked like a lonely night in, matching most of his when not in the field for the DSA.

A single occupant clearly lived there. Female, from what he could tell from the decorations. Candles sat along the counter. A bright pink sweatshirt hung over the lounger in the corner of the living room.

The place looked newly furnished, the couches factory fresh. Someone new to the area? Their first apartment?

Speculation fell behind the sound of heavy breathing in the living room. Away from the couches dotting the space on the left-hand side lay a woman along the carpet. She stared up at the ceiling. Gaping lips of ruby red and deep, recessed green eyes welcomed him to their emptiness. Thin, black locks of hair were scattered underneath her, spreading like a fan along the ground.

No wounds were visible, and no blood spread beneath her along the recently installed carpet. At least not that Ben noticed. His focus was locked on the pair of hands pressing with all their might between her breasts.

A figure knelt close to her body. His wrinkled shirt and moppy brown hair obscured Ben’s view of the victim.

“Don’t move!” Ben shouted, awake to the situation at last. He raised his sidearm, maintaining a safe distance from the man looming over the deceased in the room. “Hands where I can see them!”

The man’s arms fell limply to his sides, the heavy breathing from the act of supplying CPR to the dead woman slowly fading. He turned to face Ben, hands spread to show their emptiness.

“This looks kinda bad, doesn’t it?”

Spectral Advocate launches February 11th!

Be sure to order your copy now. This installment not only propels the series toward the season finale, but also introduces you to Cal Cooper – a hero with his own story to tell.

Pre-order your digital copy now.

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Filed Under: Spectral Advocate Tagged With: book preview, Spectral Advocate

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