Our story opens in Afghanistan in 2002 and Special Forces operative Jake Walker is trapped on the side of a mountain. His team have been ambushed; they are carrying casualties and are sheltering from a growing number of Taliban fighters and a hidden machine gun. What happens next is an act of bravery which results in Jake being awarded the Medal of Honor, his country's highest decoration for valor.
Fast forward ten years and Jake is out of the life; he's affected by post traumatic stress and survivors guilt, but is doing okay and working for an LA-based security firm undertaking risk assessments. As he wraps up an assignment in Bolivia for the US State Department, he gets a call from his brother and has to return back to LA; his Father's fallen ill.
Fortunately, the youngest daughter of the former US President is also flying home that day, after opening a school for for her Father's Foundation. Jake knows her pilot from his previous life and manages to hitch a ride on her private jet.
On the border of Panama and Colombia is a group of narcotraficantes; they have a ton of cocaine and are waiting to meet a light plane which is bringing them millions in cash.
Steaming across the Panama Canal is the USS Peleliu returning from duty in the Middle East, its crew of sailors and marines counting the days until they are home.
Bringing them all together is an al-Qaeda operative intent on personal revenge.
With battle scenes from Iraq and Afghanistan and contemporary action in Colombia, Seconds from Impact is a fast-paced, action-filled thrill ride that will leave you gasping for more.
You will love Christopher J Williams' debut novel. Storytelling at its very best.
And, don't miss his further books in the series, Rendition and Meltdown. Whether you want print or digital copies - they're available everywhere good books are sold.
For more information, please visit www.JakeWalkerUSSF.com
About the Author :
Chris is a late starter to the world of writing. "I've always loved reading, have my late Mother to thank for that, and I will remain ever thankful to her for the lifetime of enjoyment this provided - thrillers, military fiction and history, even science fiction, anything with a good story. I always thought I had the skills to write, but suspect I was too busy reading to get around to it. There was always an excuse why it hadn't happened." Chris was born in Liverpool, home to the Beatles and the famous Liverpool Football Club, and moved to Australia in 1976 as a teenager with his family. "What a difference to the UK," he says now. "Australia was so different, so much more opportunity, and the weather was heaps better." He completed school and joined the Army Reserve, later serving in the Australian Regular Army. "There was so much about military life I liked. But, this was the 1980s, remember. Our involvement in Vietnam was long over and I found myself in a peace-time Army, preparing and practising. We did a lot of waiting," he laughs. "Hurry up and wait was the standard joke at the time. I was never going to do 20 years in such circumstances, so I took a discharge and went back to University, eventually graduating as an Economist at the ANU." From there, Chris spent the next 30 years in Finance roles, for a number of public sector employers. He studied for a Masters degree in Business Administration, raised a family (he has two sons and a grandson) and has lived in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart. "I always believed I could write a good novel, but just kept putting it off. In 2012, I put my head down with a terrific plot, one that had been building over the years we were fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Seconds from Impact was born." Chris now lives in Queensland and has just released his second novel in the Jake Walker series, Rendition. He is writing a third novel in the series, Meltdown.
Review :
A great read. I really enjoyed it. I was struggling to put it down when we had to go out. Some great twists and turns in the story and very believable characters - Gary Cox (Sydney, Australia)
Cannot recommend this more highly, it ticks all the boxes -
Patricia Stanton (Canberra, Australia)
Chris is the real deal. Who'd have known? What a debut -
Harry Inglis (Hong Kong, China)
You must read this. I gulped it down. When I read the last page, I wanted more - Colin Taylor (Los Angeles, USA)
