Heads begin to roll at VA Hospitals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2014

Carl Vinson VA Medical Center Director Proposed for Removal Interim Director Named as Search for Permanent Director Begins

Dublin, Ga. – Yesterday, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed removal of the Director of the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center (CVVAMC) in Dublin, Georgia, following an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General, and a follow-up review by the Office of Accountability Review (OAR), in which allegations of data manipulation were substantiated.

The proposed removal of the director underscores VA’s commitment to hold leaders accountable and get Veterans off waiting lists and into the care they deserve. Relying on new statutory authority, the Deputy Secretary took this action in coordination with OAR, which reports directly to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and assists VA facilities in accelerating leadership accountability actions and ensuring that such actions are applied consistently across the Department.
To ensure continuity of care for Veterans and leadership for VA employees, Dr. Shirley Warren, RN, is designated acting director of the CVVAMC until Monday, September 29, when Thomas Grace, associate director for the Atlanta VA Medical Center, will assume the duties. The CVVAMC is actively recruiting for a new permanent director.

More Reviews, Sorry to be lax in posting

Cain’s Blood
Geoffrey Girard
Touchstone, $25.99
ISBN 9781476704043

In Pennsylvania, six young subjects escape from the Dynamic Solutions Technology Institute, but not before they massacred most of the staff and took a few as prisoners. Also missing is Dr. Gregory Jacobsen who led the cloning experiment and probably abetted the escape by the six clones of notorious serial killers.

Special Ops veteran Shawn Castillo leads the search for the murderous clones starting at the DSTI facility and then Dr. Jacobson’s home. He quickly learns that the scientists created more subjects than they reported with some adopted by unaware caring families. Jacobsen kept one child with him, Jeffrey who recently learned that his true sire is Dahmer. With Jeffrey as his sidekick, Castillo hunts the killers.

This is a taut DNA thriller filled with insight and asides into cloning that enhance the horror of what Jacobson and others have wrought though the lead geneticist is no regretting “Modern Prometheus” (Mary Shelley). Once again as with the YA companion piece Project Cain, the underlying premise that the military would consider using serial killers seems wrong; as besides being loners psychologically unfit for a cohesive unit, consider the PR from news media telling grieving moms that their child died from a Dahmer clone in a friendly fire incident. Still this is an action-packed suspense that makes a strong cautionary case when it comes to cloning humans. Harriet Klausner

White Trash Zombie Apocalypse
Diana Rowland
DAW, $7.99
ISBN 9780756408039

In Tucker Pont, Louisiana, Angel Crawford drives the St. Edward’s Parish coroner’s van for a living though she is dead. She notices zombies smoking cigarettes and realizes like her no living zombie would be caught dead smoking or drinking as brain matter is not easy to replace; ergo these idiots are wannabes.

Her latest corpse retrieval is at the prime location of the filming of High School Zombie Apocalypse. Brent Stewart was walking when a pole broke and fell on his head at Tucker Pont High School. As she bags the body, she notices Philip, who she was forced to change as part of a military experiment to create a super zombie soldier, but she had not seen him in months. He rescues her from a car seemingly deliberately trying to run her over; her “baby” flees immediate from the near fatal incident. Angel investigates who wants her dead with all answers leading to her boyfriend and “sire” Marcus Ivanov’s powerful Uncle Pietro.

The latest Angel Crawford Louisiana white trash zombie (see My Life As A White Trash Zombie and Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues) is an amusing bayou investigative fantasy. Readers will continue to root for the heroine who ironically lives a morally productive lifestyle as a dead head than she did when she was alive; while her past as an impoverished druggie neglected by her mom and living with a drunken dad still haunts her. Fans will enjoy this fun metafiction with a zombie movie filmed in the midst of zombie parish. Harriet Klausner

Claimed by the Immortal
Rachel Lee
Harlequin Nocturne, $5.75
ISBN: 9780373885763

Police Captain Malloy informs Police Sergeant Carolyn Hamilton that he placed her on indefinite medical leave because of her insistence that she saw Andrew Pritchett lifted six feet in the air by nothing visible and tossed across the room on to a stuffed elk’s horn. None of the other cops on the scene saw any of this nor can anyone explain what happened to the battered murdered family of five. Her mentor Detective Matthews tells her to take the leave, come back in a week or so, never mention the impossible here, but visit Messenger Investigations to tell what she witnessed to Jude Messenger who handles the eerie that the cops claim do not exist.

With some limited psychic ability like reading auras, Carolyn senses someone watches her; a feeling she has had since she saw the unreal happen. She meets Jude and his associate Damien Keller; noticing each shares the same golden eyes and odd auras like none she ever saw before. To her amazement, they believe her story. Attracted to the mortal witch and amused by her being unaware of what she is, Damien the German vampire vows to keep Carolyn safe from what is watching her.

The latest Claiming urban romantic fantasy (see Claim the Night for Jude’s tale) is an action-packed investigative thriller that never decelerates from the moment that Carolyn arrives at the weird Messenger Investigations office and never misses a beat until the final confrontation. Readers will appreciate the vampire and the witch falling in love while hunting an invisible stalker amidst numerous viable suspects. Harriet Klausner

Reviews from Harriett

Shadow's Edge
Jami Gray
Black Opal Books, $12.99
ISBN: 9781937329150

In Portland, Taliesin Security Wraith, Kyn-human hybrid, Raine McCord kills purebred Quinn, who murdered two college students, but not before she took a wound from his magically enhanced blade. Her biggest fear is when she reports his death to their boss, Type A control freak Ryan Mulcahy the head Fey in the Northwest, who told her bring him in.

She arrives home, but has no time for respite as her Wraith co-worker Gavin Durand arrives with a message from Mulcahy that they will team up on an inquiry into Jonah Talbot of the Talbot Foundation who insists someone murdered seven of his associates in seven years and he is next. Mulcahy distrusts Talbot who might be using a ploy to conceal he is the killer; but if innocent one of the Wraiths would be the next best suspect.

The first Kyn Kronicles’ urban fantasy is an exciting action-packed paranormal investigative thriller that deftly enables the audience to believe in the existence of the magical community’s four sentient species. Raine is a fabulous lone wolf protagonist saddled with a partner she does not want especially since she suffers an undesirable attraction towards Gavin. On the other hand Gavin is a typical hunk with a bad boy attitude that irritates the heroine and the reader for the same reason: he distracts her and us from a walk on the dark side of the mean streets of Portland. Harriet Klausner

The Lost
Vicki Pettersson
Harper Voyager, $14.99
ISBN: 9780062064653

Five decades ago someone murdered private investigator Griffin Shaw and his wife Evie; the case was never solved. On the bottom rung of the celestial ladder, Griff assists the purebreds by collecting the souls of murder victims; in exchange for his cooperation he has permission to investigate the homicides of him and his spouse. Recently, he met Las Vegas reporter Katherine "Kit" Craig when he was to collect her soul; but he broke the rules by failing to do so as he fell in love with the mortal after Anas clipped his wings due to defiance (see The Taken).

A new deadly drug eats away the flesh of the krokodil users. An obsessed Kit believes she and her beloved angel need to prevent further deaths, but Griff must collect the soul of krokodil user Jeap Yang, which angers his mortal girlfriend. Kit interferes, which leaves her vulnerable to fallen angel Scratch. Still, as is her personality, she leads the charge against the powerful Marielitos Cartel.

The second Celestial Blues bittersweet romantic urban fantasy (see The Taken) is a strong tale starring a hard boiled 1950s detective with a soft boiled heart and the “Impossible Dream” reporter “… willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause”; as defined by her and not heaven. With the angelic hierarchy seemingly real, fans will enjoy this super thriller; as the cold case murder mystery, Scratch and the drug war deftly come together. Harriet Klausner

I Left My Haunt In San Francisco
Mark Everett Stone
Camel, $15.95
ISBN: 9781603819275

After a decade plus as the top agent and only still living member of his graduation class at the Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, Kal Hakela faked his death so that he could kill the invincible Finnish monster Iku-Turso who murdered his sister (see What happens In Vegas, Dies In Vegas). His BSI boss BB re-recruits him to train the Green Peas in protecting the World At Large where humans dwell from the denizen of The World Under. Once his current term ends, Kal considers retiring with his beloved WWII MI-7 agent Jeanie whom he met in 1943.

BB tells Kal that former BSI agent Thomas Mace jumped to his death in San Francisco. Someone had ripped apart his intestines, but somehow Mace ran up thirty flights of stairs in five minutes, and opened and closed steel doors before leaping off the roof of a building. Kal leads the inquiry in a city where he years ago eliminated a psychopathic serial rapist magic practitioner but left innocents dead and the Bay’s protector Emperor Norton irate.

The third Hakela urban fantasy (see Things to Do in Denver When You're Un-Dead) is a superb entry as the lone wolf goes into the field with no additional support from a depleted BSI and three major changes in his life. He no longer obsesses with rage over killing monsters; he has Jeanie in his life though she currently works a case in the Bayou; and he learned people care about his well-being after volunteers joined him in Vegas. One thing remains the same; Mark Everett Stone provides another intelligent, wry action-packed satire that will have fans waiting for the next stop on the Hakela Americana tour. Harriet Klausner

Jack Bertolino is back in Blonde Cargo

About Blond Cargo, the 2nd Jack Bertolino thriller:

I am so pleased to share the highly anticipated second Jack Bertolino installment from New York native and now Los Angeles author John Lansing, BLOND CARGO (Gallery Books/Karen Hunter Publishing eBook; October 20, 2014), which is $1.99 now through November 2, 2014, $5.99 after November 2, 2014. This gripping eBook from the former writer/producer of Walker, Texas Ranger and Co-Executive producer of the ABC series Scoundrels continues the story that began in The Devil’s Necktie.

Jack Bertolino is back…in the sequel to John Lansing’s bestseller The Devil’s Necktie!

Jack’s son, Chris, was the victim of a brutal murder attempt and Vincent Cardona, a mafia boss, provided information that helped Jack take down the perpetrator of the crime. Jack accepted the favor knowing there’d be blowback. In BLOND CARGO, the mobster’s daughter has gone missing and Cardona turned in his chit. Jack discovers that the young, blond mafia princess has been kidnapped and imprisoned while rich, politically connected men negotiate her value as a sex slave.

John Lansing taps into the real life world of cops, crime, drugs and murder in BLOND CARGO to deliver another sizzling whodunit.

About the Author:

John Lansing spent five years writing for TV hit Walker, Texas Ranger, and another three years studying the life of an NYPD Inspector. What emerged from his combined writing about a cop and time spent with an actual cop was Jack Bertolino—a fictional character with very real-life stories. Lansing was also a Co-Executive Producer for ABC's Scoundrels. John's first book was Good Cop, Bad Money, a true crime tome with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. The Devil's Necktie was his first novel. A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.

“A fantastic read…This extremely fast and well-thought-out thriller will remind some of James Patterson’s early works. The action is great right up to the end and, luckily, Jack Bertolino will be staying on the fiction scene to continue his search for any and all bad guys to come.”

—Suspense Magazine (Blond Cargo, Jack Bertolino #2)

Price discounts:

2nd Jack Bertolino thriller: Blond Cargo is $1.99 now through November 2, 2014,$5.99 after November 2, 2014.

1st Jack Bertolino thriller: The Devil’s Necktie is $1.99 from October 6 - 19, 2014!

Forever The Road avalable now

Eugene, OR – Travel. Destiny. Beer. Three travelers in India battle their hearts and their destinies as an awakened evil prepares to destroy all life. The third book in Anthony St. Clair’s ongoing, non-sequential Rucksack Universe fantasy series, Forever the Road is available for pre-order at select stores. This fantasy novel will be released worldwide as an e-book and trade paperback on Sept. 8, 2014.

“Forever the Road takes the world to a pivotal moment of destruction or renewal,” says St. Clair. “Yet this story, like travel and like life, is ultimately about connection: our longing to connect with others, and what happens when we don’t.”

Set in the fictional city of Agamuskara—which means “smiling fire” in Hindi—the book tells us more of the story of Jay (the world’s greatest traveler), Faddah Rucksack (the world’s only Himalayan-Irish sage), and the mysterious more-than-a-bartender Jade Agamuskara Bluegold. Forever the Road has been described as a seamless blend of “an intimate story of friendship and romance with an epic, mythological tale on the scale of Tolkien.”

Official webpage: http://anthonystclair.com/forevertheroad

About the book: 442 pages. Travel. Destiny. Beer. The world’s greatest traveler never thought he’d be staying put.

Jay had planned to move on after marking Agamuskara, India, off his list of places to see. Then two strange men steal his passport, and the long-roaming loner stays in Agamuskara to find it. After years of globetrotting with no companion but his trusty big backpack, Jay befriends the stout-quaffing, ever-grinning Faddah Rucksack, the world’s only Himalayan-Irish sage. Now Jay finds himself being steered toward an unknown fate by a man who lost his own destiny long ago.

No Jake or Jade is better than Jade Agamuskara Bluegold at slinging drinks, destinies, and decisions. Yet after spending ten years helping The Management keep the world turning, the solitary, mysterious bartender at the pub at Everest Base Camp has begun to doubt the life she chose over another path. When Jade’s uneasy friendship with Rucksack leads her to help him unravel the mystery at the heart of the city, Jade finds her loyalties changing in ways she never could have imagined.

When the bartender and the backpacker meet, forces are set in motion that won’t just change the world forever—they might end it. Then Jay accidentally awakens an ancient evil, and only Jay, Rucksack, and Jade stand between it and its terrible purpose: destroying all life in a smiling fire.

HURRICANE FEVER IS HERE

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Leah Withers – Tor Publicity

A storm is coming…

Hurricane Fever
Tobias Buckell


“Buckell has written a smart and well-constructed tale that’s filled with excitement and the flavor of the Caribbean isles… So don’t wait for a dark and stormy night to read this novel; you'll have plenty of fun.”

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review


Tor Books is proud to publish HURRICANE FEVER, the latest pulse-pounding techno-thriller by New York Times bestselling author Tobias S. Buckell. In Buckell’s high-octane 2012 thriller Arctic Rising, readers met an intriguing espionage agent by the name of Prudence “Roo” Jones. Now, in HURRICANE FEVER, a stand-alone novel set in the same near-future, Roo takes center stage as a plot for world destruction threatens life as we know it.

The seas aren’t always calm for an ex-spy living in the Caribbean, particular as hurricanes come fast and hard against the shores of the islands he calls home. But any peace he might have had is shattered when an old spy buddy sends him a mysterious message as his dying act. Suddenly Roo is in a race against the weather and the clock to stop a plot intent on releasing a chemical weapon across the world.

Buckell is the author of Halo: The Cole Protocol which saw eight weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. Arctic Rising sparked interest with its themes of the effects of global warming and its sharp and pointed projection of our very likely future if we continue affecting the environment at our current rate. These themes return in HURRICANE FEVER and with this novel Buckell is in fine form with a carefully crafted kinetic techno-thriller, perfect for fans of action-packed espionage within a smartly drawn geo-political landscape.

“Buckell solidly links the political and the personal… The scenes of sailing and spying action move quickly, and the climax, set on a supersized satellite-launching cannon, is one white cat shy of a Bond movie.”
—Publishers Weekly on Hurricane Fever

“The sf in this thriller is subtle but packs a punch as the author imagines how climate change might affect the fragile ecosystems (and political systems)
of the Caribbean. The thriller elements are strong with action, danger, a sexy but duplicitous blonde, and a hugely appealing hero.”
—Library Journal on Hurricane Fever

“This one will give you the shivers, even as it makes you sweat.”
—NPR, All Things Considered, on Arctic Rising

“A fast-paced SF action thriller that presents a multifaceted look at the global warming crisis.”
—Library Journal, on Arctic Rising

“Buckell focuses as much on action-thriller set pieces as he does on teasing out a plausible future, placing the novel somewhere around the intersection of Michael Crichton and William Gibson.”
—Kirkus Reviews, on Arctic Rising

TOBIAS S. BUCKELL is a New York Times bestselling author whose books and fifty-plus short stories have been translated around the world. He is the author of the novels Crystal Rain, Ragamuffin, Sly Mongoose, Halo: The Cole Protocol, Arctic Rising, and now Hurricane Fever. Buckell hails from the Caribbean, where as a child he lived on boats in Grenada and the British and US Virgin Islands. When he was a teenager, a series of hurricanes destroyed the boat his family was living on and they moved to Ohio, where he still lives today with his wife and daughters.

HURRICANE FEVER
Tobias S. Buckell
A Tor Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-7653-1922-7
$24.99/272 pages
On-Sale Date: July 1, 2014

Latest VA News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 4, 2014



VA Rallies Community Support for Veterans During Suicide Prevention Month

Nationwide Efforts Show how “The Power of 1” can help Veterans, Servicemembers in Crisis



WASHINGTON – One small act could save the life of a Veteran or Servicemember in crisis – that’s the inspiration behind “The Power of 1” campaign. The campaign will launch this September during Suicide Prevention Month and is a joint project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

“The campaign emphasizes the effect that just one person, one conversation, or one act can have on the life of a Veteran or Servicemember by offering hope and opening the door to support,” said Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy, Interim Under Secretary for Health. “It also is designed to spread the word about VA and DoD mental health resources and suicide prevention efforts.”

A new public service announcement, “The Power of 1,” will reinforce this message by focusing on the small, everyday actions that can play a pivotal role in improving a Veteran’s life. It will be broadcast on television and radio stations Nationwide during September. In addition, a Suicide Prevention Month Web page, VeteransCrisisLine.net/ThePowerof1, offers interactive tools to learn more about the Veterans Crisis Line and how small acts make a difference.

“Sometimes, when we suspect a Veteran or Servicemember in our lives may be going through a crisis, we are unsure how to help — but we all have the power to take the first step to reach out, to find time in our day to talk with the Veterans close to us and see how they’re doing,” said Dr. Caitlin Thompson, Deputy Director of VA’s Suicide Prevention Program. “It takes only a moment, and just one small act can start them down the path to getting the support they need.”

VA will also collaborate with community organizations throughout the month, with specially trained suicide prevention coordinators in 151 VA Medical Centers across the Nation spreading the word at local events, sponsoring health fairs, and working with DoD to help

Veterans and Servicemembers get the support they deserve. In addition, VA will coordinate with local and regional groups — including community partners, Veterans Service Organizations, health care providers and prominent Veteran supporters — to spread the word about VA’s mental health resources. Together, this network will encourage Veterans and the people in their lives to educate themselves about suicide risk, identify warning signs and learn the steps to take in a time of crisis.

Those steps include contacting the Veterans Crisis Line or using its online chat and text-messaging services for free, confidential support from specially trained and experienced responders. Veterans, Servicemembers and anyone concerned about them can call the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255 and Press 1), chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or send a text to 838255 — even if they are not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care. All Veterans Crisis Line resources are optimized for mobile devices.

“Taking that first step to connect with someone in crisis can feel daunting, but the Veterans Crisis Line offers support for those concerned about a loved one,” Thompson said. “One call, one chat, or one text can open the door to hope.”

To learn more about the Veterans Crisis Line or to find a local VA suicide prevention coordinator, visit VeteransCrisisLine.net. For more information about VA mental health resources, visit mentalhealth.va.gov.