Books Direct: "Cardiac" by Jeffrey Monaghan

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Cardiac
(A Jack Getty Thriller Book 1)

by Jeffrey Monaghan

Cardiac, the first book in the new Jack Getty Thriller series by Jeffrey Monaghan, is currently on tour with Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my interview with the author, an excerpt, and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

Description

What if the one thing meant to keep you alive was used to kill you?

Embattled CEO Jack Getty is nervous. This is his final chance to save his company. He is announcing his firm's breakthrough discovery at the world’s largest annual biotech conference. A discovery that trials show will extend human life by 75%. But as Jack approaches the podium, he suffers a major heart attack and collapses on the stage, stunning the conference attendees.

Jack is rushed to the emergency room where surgeons implant the latest Wi-Fi enabled pacemaker, saving his life in the process. What Jack doesn’t know, however, is that an underground hacking group has its sights set on manipulating his "secure" pacemaker to get information only he can provide. Despite the hackers unrelenting terror, Jack refuses to give them what they want and soon starts to uncover the true motives of this mysterious and powerful group.

Fast-paced and complex, this thriller twists and turns as it stays one step ahead of the reader. Readers will find it a heart-pounding novel that dances on the fringe of the dangers lurking within today's modern technologies.

Excerpt

Chapter 1

Jack dropped his cell phone into his pocket, took a deep breath and focused on the moment at hand. The lights on stage were intense, their heat radiating to the dark spot where he stood just behind a thick, dark curtain off stage. A deep, musty odor floated off. A smell that reminded him of his grandmother’s sewing room. It was comforting during such an anxiety filled moment. He leaned closer, unaware, and took a deep breath. Then the stage exploded with light.

The energy and murmurs of the enormous crowd filled the auditorium. Jack’s heart began to race with a nervous excitement. He had done this a dozen times, but this time he was literally going to change the world, and hopefully save his company at the same time. He closed his eyes and took a deep, slow breath. Deep inhale. Deep exhale. And again. Slow, deep inhale. Slow, deep exhale, pushing the recent phone conversation to the back of his mind. The moisture on his palms felt cool and the tips of his fingers, cold.

He concentrated on the moment as thoughts of his pending presentation repeated in his head. Introduction ... industry direction ... announce test results of groundbreaking new drug ... then Algen’s plans for the future ... closing. Introduction ... industry direction ... announce DD13 ... Algen’s plans for the future ... closing. With this announcement, he was about to push his company to the forefront of the biotech industry, and garner worldwide recognition and influence for himself and Algen.

The waiting was the torturous part. Once he started speaking it always came together. In fact, once he began, he usually slipped his notes into his pocket after the first few minutes. It was a rush having the attention of thousands waiting on every word. In fact, he enjoyed speaking in front of large crowds far more than speaking in small groups. He could avoid questions in a large crowd by simply not asking for them. He could just keep speaking. Small groups were more intimate and Jack was not good at small talk. He did his best to avoid talking to others about his personal life.

The announcer’s voice reverberated through the vast hall, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for attending our 10th Annual ASR International Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference." Jack rubbed his palms on his pants, standing just out of reach of the bright lights.

"As many of you know, this is a very exciting time in our industry. A time that has shown extraordinary advancement in our understanding of the fundamental biological mechanisms of human life. A time when major discoveries are coming at an increasingly accelerated rate. And a time that will be looked back on as the dawning of a new age in meeting the needs of patients and doctors across the globe.”

Jack fiddled with the knot in his tie, wiggling it to make sure it was straight. He ran his palms down the front of his suit and tugged at the bottom of his jacket to eliminate imaginary creases. He stood waiting for his cue. As he waited, two sharp buzzes stung his thigh. He fumbled for the phone in his pocket.

“Crap!”

He slid the cool metal phone from his pocket and braced for more bad news. Instead, it was a text from his wife.

‘Are you free? I have more questions about Miller’

‘can’t right now. about to go on stage’

‘OK. Good luck. You’ll do great.’

‘will call you later’

Jack grinned and wished he could talk to his wife now, but there wasn’t time. He allowed himself a moment. A moment to remember how lucky he was. His heart rate slowed and he felt calm. He reread the exchange with Cynthia as he noticed the subtle aroma of the stage curtains again. His eyes closed and he tipped his head back. She had always believed in him. Even when he told her about the times when he drank too much and ended up on the streets. Even when he didn’t believe in himself. She was the talented one, an amazing writer. But it was always she that insisted he was the one who capable of doing big things. Jack was not so sure back then. But here he was, about to do something unimaginable.

A light tap on the shoulder startled Jack. A thin, dark-haired young man stood beside him. A large identification badge hanging around his neck. He looked like a local college kid, called to work at the convention center whenever there was a big conference in town. He wore the basic conference employee uniform. A black t-shirt and khakis. The name tag hanging from his neck read Zachary Dietrich, 10th Annual ASR Conference Employee.

“Don’t forget this, Mr. Getty. You know how to use it, right?” The young man handed Jack a small remote that would allow him to change the slides in his presentation.

“Oh shoot, thank you ...” Jack looked at the employee's name tag, “... Zachary. That would have been a little embarrassing getting stuck on the first slide.”

“I’m sure you would have figured something out, sir.”

“Well, I appreciate the thought, but you can’t always save someone from themselves.”
The young man smiled. “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr. Getty? Would you like some water?”

“I think I’m good for now, thank you.”

“I don’t mean to be pushy, sir, but I highly recommend at least one drink.” Zachary lifted a steel thermos. “It’s warm water with a little lemon. My public speaking professor recommends it. It helps with dry mouth and cuts through any mucus buildup in your throat. It’s awesome.”

“Well, okay, just a quick sip.”

The young stagehand unscrewed the top and handed the thermos to Jack. Jack took it and tipped it to his lips. The young man was right. The warm, slightly sour water provided immediate relief to his parched mouth. Jack took a second drink.

“Thank you, Zachary,” Jack said as he handed the thermos back to the stage hand. “I appreciate your help.”

“No problem, Mr. Getty. Good luck, you’re going to do great,” replied the youthful man, visibly pleased that he was able to help the man of the hour. Jack smiled as he watched the young, go-getter scurry off to attend to other business. He turned his attention back to the stage.

“And we are so thankful to the city of Baltimore for making us feel so welcome." The speaker clapped in appreciation and the crowd joined him with pleasant applause. Without thinking, Jack applauded as well.

"We have a number of excellent speakers over the next few days. And I will get to those in a few moments. But first, I'd like to introduce one of the top leaders in our industry. He's a true innovator and respected member of our community. His company, Algen Incorporated, is leading the way in minimizing and reversing the effects of Alzheimer’s and other age related diseases. Please help me welcome the CEO of Algen, Mister Jack Getty!" The speaker reached his hand out towards the side of the stage, inviting Jack to come out and join him. Jack put on a smile and headed out into the lights; confident, adrenaline pumping through his veins and heart pounding in his chest. He was about to shock the world.

The crowd stood and cheered. Jack raised his right hand in acknowledgement, “thank you” he mouthed, walking onto the stage. The spotlights caused him to squint as the crowd roared in the darkness just beyond their hot, white brilliance. Jack turned back towards the speaker and continued walking, hand extended for a firm handshake. As he moved across the stage, his vision blurred. He opened his eyes wide and then squeezed them closed for a moment.

“What the ...” Jack murmured.

When he opened them the speaker split in two, then four, then dozens of images swirled in front of him. Another step and now his chest began to tighten. Jack moaned, putting both hands on his chest. He blinked again. His vision began to fade and the muscles in his chest squeezed ever tighter. A heaviness pulled him towards the floor. Gasping for air, Jack struggled to keep his balance.

His next step became a lunge and he felt himself falling, unsure of when and what he would hit. A desperate reach for the shape of a podium turned into a vain attempt to catch himself. His left hand grasped for the microphone, snagged it with two fingers, and pulled the entire podium to the floor as he fell. It smashed on the stage, breaking into large pieces. The squeal of feedback ripped through the auditorium speakers. Jack slammed into the floor next to the podium with a heavy thud. His vision focused long enough to catch a glimpse of a woman in the front row, hands over her ears grimacing at the screeching microphone. He heard screams in the distance.

A hushed murmur fell over the crowd. Jack fought to stay conscious; the heaviness in his chest forced the air from his lungs. The lights above flooded into his spinning vision. He lay flat on his back, struggling to fight off the darkness that threatened to consume him.

“Someone call an ambulance!”

The pain in Jack’s chest shot down his left arm. I’m dying!

The silhouette of a person appeared above him and blocked out the light. “Jack, can you hear me? Jack? Shit!” Jack wanted to respond but couldn’t. He was directing every effort to staying conscious.

“Shit, shit, shit,” Jack heard the frantic, trembling voice say. There was a firm tugging around his neck and a second voice broke into the chaos.

“Loosen it as much as you can. And unbutton his shirt. Make sure he can breathe.”

“I’m trying. Shit! Come on, Jack. Keep breathing.” The tugging at his neck became more frenzied. The voices started to fade and Jack could feel himself losing awareness.

“We’re losing him! We’re losing him! Someone please ...”

He could hold on no longer. Jack willingly gave in to the darkness that was pulling him away from the voices. His body relaxed and he felt at peace. He saw his oldest son as a toddler, football grasped with both hands and that lopsided smile that warmed his heart. He saw his youngest son putting on his baseball uniform for the first time. And a vision of his wife on their wedding day pulled him deeper into his memories and away from the desperate voices.

All the commotion provided a distraction for a young, red-headed man seated at the end of the aisle. He was thirty rows back near one of the exits.

“Everyone, please remain seated,” came an announcement over the loudspeakers. The man ignored the instructions. He rose from his seat, doing his best not to draw attention. “Mr. Getty is getting the necessary medical assistance and will be okay.” The red-headed man knew this wasn’t true, at least not the part about Jack being okay. He slipped out the side doors and onto the busy streets of downtown Baltimore, anxious to blend in with the pedestrians. As he walked, he turned on his cell phone. He fought against his shaking fingers as he dialed. The phone rang.

“Yes, it’s done ... yes I’m sure ... I saw him hit the stage ... I don’t know ... they were tending to him as I left ... I said I don’t know ... sorry, I’m not going back in there ... no way ... I don’t care. I did what you asked and now I’m done.”

The man ended the call, slid the phone back into his pocket, and looked around to see if anyone had listened to his conversation, still disturbed by what had taken place. The people on the street had more important concerns than eavesdropping on a conservatively-dressed college type, so he vanished into the afternoon sun.

After a few blocks, a park appeared on the opposite side of the street. The man looked both ways and careened across the street, horns honking at him as he went. His stomach churned with anxiety and he was not completely aware of his surroundings, focused on creating as much distance as possible between him and the conference hall. He needed to find a calm, secluded place to sit and catch his breath; and his sanity.

He entered the park and saw a worn, stone bench under a large elm tree about fifty yards away. He turned to see if anyone had followed him, then made his way to the tree and settled on the hard, cool bench. He took a deep breath. His right leg bounced, quick and uncontrollable.

“Son of a bitch ...”

The man ran his hand up his forehead and grasped a handful of hair between his fingers in a tight fist. He breathed again. His leg stopped bouncing and he began to relax. Then, just as he had begun to calm down, his phone buzzed in his pocket.

“Hello ... sorry, I didn’t mean to hang up on you ... the whole thing freaked me out. I’ve never seen anything like that in person. There’s a big difference between seeing Darth Vader choke out Admiral Motti and seeing a real human being hit the ground like that. I had to get out of there ... yes, I know. All I can tell you is that it worked. I’m guessing we’ll be able to find out by the end of the day ... Will do.”

The red-headed man dropped his head, slumped his shoulders, and rested his elbows on his knees. A pleasant breeze rustled the leaves in the tree above.

[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]

Praise for the Book

"This is one of the most intriguing stories I've read this year." ~ Vigilant Readers Book Reviews

"This is the most captivating novel I have read in some time. The novel started out with a bang and the action never stopped. The twists and turns in the plot kept me pushing to the end." ~ Joan N.

"This is a new book from a new author and I greatly enjoyed reading it. As a thriller it had all of the expected ingredients one hopes to find: an intriguing plot with plenty of twists and turns; strong characters in Jack Getty and his family; believable dialogue throughout the novel and a fast moving, action-packed story with many unpredictable situations that drew me in. Most importantly for me, I was immediately captivated by the beginning of the book and happy with the final denouement at the end." ~ PFID

"Holy cow, this book was incredibly fast paced! I was a little tired after racing through this whole book in one sitting. Once I started it I didn't want to stop reading until it was finished. It was well written and edited, which is not something I can normally say about most books I read. I loved the technology aspects of the book, being married to a techy person makes me pay attention to things like that. So I was glued to the pages dealing with all of the techy stuff." ~ Ashley Tomlinson

"Cardiac is a fast paced and timely thriller that wrings a lot of action out of this all-to-real premise, while remaining approachable for those of us who aren’t experts in how technology works. I really enjoyed how one event built on another and kept me guessing what hardship our hero Jack would have to overcome next as the hackers tightens their grip. I can totally picture this as a the first in a series of hit action movies about Jack Getty." ~ Peter Coleman

Interview With the Author

Jeffrey Monaghan joins me today to discuss his new book, Cardiac.

For what age group do you recommend your book?

Probably teens and older. It has some intense scenes as any good thriller should, but there is no real violence and very little profanity.

What sparked the idea for this book?

My favorite morning talk radio show was discussing Wi-Fi enabled pacemakers on my drive to work one morning. They were specifically talking about security issues and how these devices can be hacked into. One of the hosts mentioned it would make a great premise for a novel. I agreed. And within a few hours I had my first words on paper. The protagonist’s name, Jack Getty, is actually a combination of the two hosts' names.

So, which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?

I write thrillers, so for me, it’s the idea or plot. For a thriller, you can have the most interesting characters ever written but if the plot is not exciting and compelling, the novel won’t be much of a thriller. That’s not to say that characters aren’t important. They are. But the idea must be there for the characters to live through.

What was the hardest part to write in this book?

Jack's wife, Cynthia, was the most difficult character for me to write. Many early readers told me she was a caricature; the stereotypical doting wife who makes dinner, takes care of the kids, and supports her husband. But when I was told the same thing over and over, I realized I needed to figure something out. I reached out to Ellen Sussman who is not only a great teacher, but a New York Times bestselling author. She was kind enough to meet me for lunch where I asked her about her journey and struggles to becoming an accomplished author. The information she provided was invaluable and led to Cynthia becoming a struggling author with one last chance at success. Rewriting Cynthia was one of the last things I did before publishing Cardiac.

How do you hope this book affects its readers?

I hope readers were thoroughly entertained after finishing Cardiac. I hope they feel like the time they invested in reading my novel was worth it. It is a great compliment for someone to give you multiple hours out of their lives to read your book. I hope my readers feel the hours they gave were worth the read.

How long did it take you to write this book?

Six years. It's a long time to write a novel, but I wanted to get it right. Also, during this time I had twins, moved once, and worked a full time job.

What is your writing routine?

As you can tell, the last six years have been quite busy, so I wrote when I could. I wrote in the evenings, at my desk during lunch, on weekends, whenever I could. I also thought a lot about my novel while I was driving or running errands. This allowed me to have some ideas in place when I found time to write. I used Google Docs so that I could access my work from anywhere on any device.

How did you get your book published?

At first, I sent query letters to agents. I got a few requests for copies of the manuscript but no takers. After a few months, I started looking into self-publishing. I quickly learned that there are a lot of benefits to self-publishing and a significant number of resources to help with the process. I was surprised to learn that 2015 was the first year that indie books outsold books published by the big 5 publishers. I eventually decided to go the self-publishing route for a variety of reasons. It’s pretty clear that the publishing industry is in a state of flux and every author is trying to figure out how to successfully navigate it.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

The single most important thing is to write the best novel that you can. Don’t rush it. It’s better to have a great novel after eight years than a mediocre one after two. Also, there is no single way to success. The important thing is to keep writing, keep pushing, and to figure out what is right for you along the way.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I enjoy playing ice hockey, watching my kids play sports, and spending time the family.

What does your family think of your writing?

They seem to be very proud of it. My 6-year old daughter even left a note on my desk that said, "Good job!!! You finished your book."

That's so cute! Please tell us a bit about your childhood.

I grew up in Southern California in a pretty idyllic, middle class neighborhood. There were lots of kids, trips to the beach, time at Disneyland, etc. I was probably sheltered from the real world more than is healthy.

Did you like reading when you were a child?

Not a lot. I still don’t read as much as most authors. I have a short attention span for books that don’t grab my attention in the first 50 pages. There are probably more books I have left unfinished than books I have finished. I tend to read more for knowledge and information rather than enjoyment.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I still remember when my high school English teacher handed back my short story and it had a note on it. It said, "Great story written in a Jeff Monaghan style." It was the first time that I realized my writing could entertain someone.

That's wonderful! Did your childhood experiences influence your writing?

I don’t think they did. As I mentioned previously, my childhood was pretty idyllic with very little turbulence. My childhood experiences would be pretty boring in a novel.

Which writers have influenced you the most?

J. D. Robb, Jeffery Deaver, Gillian Flynn. I’m am also influenced by good movies of all genres. I watch them with a different eye since I started writing seriously. I watch for pacing, character development, plot, etc. It has ruined my enjoyment of movie watching to a certain degree.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Most of the communication is positive. I have been told things like "This is one of the most intriguing stories I have read this year" and "This thriller really did grab my attention and keep me turning pages." Compliments like this, from people I don’t know, make all the effort worth it. People tend to not go out of their way to tell you they don’t like something you wrote. Although I have been criticized for flat characters and punctuation issues (they have been fixed).

What can we look forward to from you in the future?

I altered the ending to Cardiac just slightly so that I would have an opportunity to write a sequel. I am currently pulling together an outline. You can follow my progress on my Facebook page.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today, Jeffrey. Best of luck with your future projects.

About the Author

Jeffrey Monaghan is a Silicon Valley executive with an unhealthy obsession for technology. He grew up in Southern California and currently lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and two children. Cardiac is his debut novel.