CIA operative Dylan Maguire joins forces with psychic spy Vicki Boyd to find out who is bombing merchant vessels bound for the United States from China . Their mission will lead them to Black Sites, the high seas and into covert operations. And when an assassin escapes from prison determined to finish the job he started, they find their personal lives and their missions are about to collide in ways they never could have imagined.
That Vicki Boyd, the psychic spy in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, is based on real psychic spies?
Today, several dozen countries employ psychic spies. They are so effective that even with massive budget cuts, their programs have survived.
It all began when United States Intelligence intercepted information from the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. They discovered that the Soviets had begun a psychic spy program and their mission included training the psychics to sit in on our highest cabinets meetings, infiltrating our nuclear facilities, and obtaining our most guarded secrets.
The information went to Congress with the request to fund a similar psychic spy program in the United States. The argument that was made was we didn’t know much about psychic abilities but we didn’t want to find out twenty years down the road that there was something to it and the Soviets had a twenty-year jump on us. So the first psychic spy program was launched.
Over the years, psychic spies have been used throughout the world. They were employed during the Iran Hostage Crisis and they knew when the hostages were being kept together and when there was talk of separating them to make them more difficult to rescue. They were also employed to help find Saddam Hussein; they provided information that he was being kept underground and in a specific region, which helped our forces discover him.
I knew when I came upon declassified CIA documents about the psychic spy program that I wanted to include a psychic spy in the Black Swamp Mysteries series. It provides an unlimited number of plots that take Vicki around the world in her mind. Along the way, readers even get real information on how psychics perform their missions, side effects, and dangers. In Vicki’s Key, it brought her to a remote village in Afghanistan; in Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, she was used to discover why some within the CIA wanted a particular woman killed while others risked their lives to help her; in Dylan’s Song, she provides critical information to assist in a CIA operative’s rescue, and in The Pendulum Files, she ventures to the high seas.
I’ve had so many questions about the real psychic spy program that I’ve started a series on my blog at www.pmterrell.blogspot.com called “The Making of a Psychic Spy”.
Today, several dozen countries employ psychic spies. They are so effective that even with massive budget cuts, their programs have survived.
It all began when United States Intelligence intercepted information from the Soviet Union during the Cold War era. They discovered that the Soviets had begun a psychic spy program and their mission included training the psychics to sit in on our highest cabinets meetings, infiltrating our nuclear facilities, and obtaining our most guarded secrets.
The information went to Congress with the request to fund a similar psychic spy program in the United States. The argument that was made was we didn’t know much about psychic abilities but we didn’t want to find out twenty years down the road that there was something to it and the Soviets had a twenty-year jump on us. So the first psychic spy program was launched.
Over the years, psychic spies have been used throughout the world. They were employed during the Iran Hostage Crisis and they knew when the hostages were being kept together and when there was talk of separating them to make them more difficult to rescue. They were also employed to help find Saddam Hussein; they provided information that he was being kept underground and in a specific region, which helped our forces discover him.
I knew when I came upon declassified CIA documents about the psychic spy program that I wanted to include a psychic spy in the Black Swamp Mysteries series. It provides an unlimited number of plots that take Vicki around the world in her mind. Along the way, readers even get real information on how psychics perform their missions, side effects, and dangers. In Vicki’s Key, it brought her to a remote village in Afghanistan; in Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, she was used to discover why some within the CIA wanted a particular woman killed while others risked their lives to help her; in Dylan’s Song, she provides critical information to assist in a CIA operative’s rescue, and in The Pendulum Files, she ventures to the high seas.
I’ve had so many questions about the real psychic spy program that I’ve started a series on my blog at www.pmterrell.blogspot.com called “The Making of a Psychic Spy”.
She wasn’t quite sure what roused her from sleep. But as Vicki slowly opened her eyes, she became aware of her nude body lying on one side with Dylan’s larger, muscular form curled up behind her. One arm was stretched over her protectively and her derriere rested against his lap, their legs intertwined.
Normally some moonlight found its way inside, but the room was so murky that she wondered if there was any moon at all this night. She narrowed her eyes in an effort to adjust to the darkness as Dylan’s measured, soft breathing remained against her ear.
She nearly gasped as her eyes fell upon a figure just a few feet from the bed. She frowned as it swayed in front of her; it was not flesh and blood—that much was obvious. It was almost opaque and as she continued to stare, it grew more luminous until a tiny woman stood in front of her with long, flowing white hair billowing about her as if blown by the wind.
She wore a thin nightgown that reached from the base of her neck all the way to her feet, and as Vicki continued to stare, she smiled.
“Mam,” Vicki breathed as she recognized Dylan’s grandmother.
Dylan murmured something incomprehensible and held her more tightly against him.
“Be careful what you do, child,” Mam said in a clear voice. “There are eyes on you.”
Vicki gasped and grabbed at the bed covering. “You shouldn’t be watching us!” she exclaimed.
Dylan awakened and leaned over her to look at her face. “What is it, Darlin’?”
Vicki could feel the heat in her cheeks. She half-turned to Dylan to see him watching her with sleepy eyes. “I—” She turned back to where his grandmother had stood, but she was gone.
“Another bad dream, mayhap?” he asked before settling back. “There’s nothin’ at’al to be frightened of, Darlin’. I’ll take good care o’ you.”
She tried to relax against his body once more. She kept her eyes open and her ears on alert but she was met only with silence and a darkness that reminded her that she’d had precious little sleep. Still, she pulled the bedcovers over them, covering their naked bodies.
The grandfather clock downstairs ticked off the seconds, the sound reminding her of just how silent the rest of the house really was. She finally felt herself snuggling into that warm cocoon of sleep.
She could feel Dylan’s breath against the back of her neck; it was the steady breathing of a man deeply asleep. Then she became aware of something else, something against her nose as if someone was breathing on her face.
Her eyes flew open to find Mam leaning down in front of her, her face just inches from hers.
“It isn’t me you need to be concernin’ y’self with, child,” she said. “Other eyes are watchin’.”
Normally some moonlight found its way inside, but the room was so murky that she wondered if there was any moon at all this night. She narrowed her eyes in an effort to adjust to the darkness as Dylan’s measured, soft breathing remained against her ear.
She nearly gasped as her eyes fell upon a figure just a few feet from the bed. She frowned as it swayed in front of her; it was not flesh and blood—that much was obvious. It was almost opaque and as she continued to stare, it grew more luminous until a tiny woman stood in front of her with long, flowing white hair billowing about her as if blown by the wind.
She wore a thin nightgown that reached from the base of her neck all the way to her feet, and as Vicki continued to stare, she smiled.
“Mam,” Vicki breathed as she recognized Dylan’s grandmother.
Dylan murmured something incomprehensible and held her more tightly against him.
“Be careful what you do, child,” Mam said in a clear voice. “There are eyes on you.”
Vicki gasped and grabbed at the bed covering. “You shouldn’t be watching us!” she exclaimed.
Dylan awakened and leaned over her to look at her face. “What is it, Darlin’?”
Vicki could feel the heat in her cheeks. She half-turned to Dylan to see him watching her with sleepy eyes. “I—” She turned back to where his grandmother had stood, but she was gone.
“Another bad dream, mayhap?” he asked before settling back. “There’s nothin’ at’al to be frightened of, Darlin’. I’ll take good care o’ you.”
She tried to relax against his body once more. She kept her eyes open and her ears on alert but she was met only with silence and a darkness that reminded her that she’d had precious little sleep. Still, she pulled the bedcovers over them, covering their naked bodies.
The grandfather clock downstairs ticked off the seconds, the sound reminding her of just how silent the rest of the house really was. She finally felt herself snuggling into that warm cocoon of sleep.
She could feel Dylan’s breath against the back of her neck; it was the steady breathing of a man deeply asleep. Then she became aware of something else, something against her nose as if someone was breathing on her face.
Her eyes flew open to find Mam leaning down in front of her, her face just inches from hers.
“It isn’t me you need to be concernin’ y’self with, child,” she said. “Other eyes are watchin’.”
Click on the covers for more info!
p.m.terrell is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 20 books in five genres. A full-time author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries is her first series, inspired by the success of Exit 22 in 2008. The books include Exit 22, Vicki's Key, Secrets of a Dangerous Woman, Dylan's Song and The Pendulum Files. Vicki's Key placed as one of four finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards. Her historical book, River Passage, won the 2010 Best Drama Award, and her romantic suspense, The Tempest Murders, placed as one of four finalists in the 2013 USA Best Book Awards.
Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington , DC area. Her specialties were computer crime and computer intelligence and her clients included the CIA, Secret Service and Department of Defense. Computer technology often weaves its way through her contemporary suspense/thrillers.
She is also the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation and the founder of The Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money for literacy campaigns. She also serves on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson County Public Library and the Robeson County Arts Council, and served as the first female president for the Chesterfield County / Colonial Heights Crime Solvers.
Comment to win!
Click "Follow the Tour" below for a list of other participating sites because the more you comment, the more chances you have to win!
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for hosting me here today. I'll be checking back later and answering any questions anyone might have for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the contest... beautiful cross
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping in, Gina! Best of luck winning that beautiful Celtic jewelry!
DeleteLoved excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in and leaving a comment! Glad you enjoyed the excerpt. Looking forward to connecting with you on Twitter. Thanks for following my book tour!
DeleteInteresting info
ReplyDeletebn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thanks for following my book tour, bn100! You are always so loyal!
Delete