The Breaker - series. Books 1 - 3:

 

The Breaker

ISBN: 9781656281517

Description:

How do you know the one you love won’t hurt you?

Or even try to kill you?
In many cases … you don’t.

How do we choose our path and purpose in life?

What makes us who we are?
When Seth Egan starts working as a private detective, he knows he’ll make enemies.
It goes with the territory.
As Seth works on a murder case and hunts down the killers, he becomes the target.
Some people have no conscience, shame, empathy, or remorse.
To get their own way, to get what they want, to take everything, they will do anything.
Even murder.
In the end, they will drag you down to hell with them.
Sometimes, our enemies are those closest to us.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/eKFZ03giKR?amp=1

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Bad Blood

ISBN: 9798682203192

Description:

No one is paying Seth Egan for his latest case.

He keeps this one unofficial.

Pro bono publico.

Off the books.

For him, this one is personal.

A matter of bad blood.

A woman with a grudge of her own leads Seth to a place where people vanish without trace.

Money is the motive.

Greed is the motivator.

Scores that can only be settled in blood.

A dark underworld of illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, violence and murder.

Amazon link:

 

https://t.co/e0XiS8crAr?amp=1

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Mall Maze

ISBN: 9798729917235

Description:

Friday the 13th.

Unlucky for many.

What should have been a routine adultery case ends with Seth Egan fighting for his life.

Cut off from the world.

With no way to call for help.

Trapped in a place where the walls are coming down around him.

Seth is running out of places to hide.

As chaos reigns and the city burns … the hunters close in.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09244XVYW/

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Themes:

Abuse by proxy, Adultery, C-PTSD, crime, detective, domestic abuse, enabler, flying monkey, gaslighting, hardboiled, heist, infidelity, murder, narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, personality disorder, psychopath, sociopath, suspense, thriller, vigilante, violence.

Books available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of my books is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

What’s On?

What’s On?

A Guide to Movies and TV Shows

Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9798342696098

Paperback

ISBN-13: 9798341177307

Kindle

ASIN: B0DJTZ8T58

Back cover description:

What’s On? … is the timeless question we have all asked ourselves almost every day of our lives, as we reach for the remote control and settle in front of the TV screen.

Jack Kost, a life-long movie buff and coffee addict, offers his choice of favorite movie and television masterpieces.

Providing possible answers to the question of What’s On? with over 1,900 titles, from golden oldies and timeless classics, to more recent releases, all meticulously logged and summarized.

An invaluable and collectable go-to source for discovering new favorites and revisiting old ones.

Perfect for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, this guide will spark conversations, bring back memories, and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of screen entertainment.

A wealth of recommendations and insights from a passionate movie buff to enrich your viewing experience, complete with personal reminiscences and nostalgic reflections, told with a world-wise critical eye, sardonic dry wit, a healthy dose of cynicism, biting observations, and a well-founded rant here and there.

Just don’t challenge or get him started on his personal favorites, like The Shining, Point Blank, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Duellists, Romeo Is Bleeding, or The Ninth Configuration. His opinions on these and other iconic titles are as intense and unyielding as the movies themselves.

All compiled by an author who not only watched the movies, but also read the books on which they were based, did his research, drank a lot of coffee in the process, and advocates for the importance and value of reading.

A glimpse into the over-caffeinated mind of a writer with a passion for great stories.

What’s On? is a celebration of the intersection between page and screen, and a reminder that great on-screen adaptations often start with a great book and a strong cup of coffee.

Kick back, grab your coffee, and enjoy the show!

As author Jack Kost says:

“Happy viewing … and do yourself a favor … read the books.”

Slipped Masks:

Slipped Masks

ISBN: 9781719330640

Description:

I can’t call you because if he hears me talking on the phone he’ll hit me again. He scares me. I know sooner or later he’s going to kill me. I’ll text you again when I can. I love you, Casey. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you. Please come. Please save me …

With only text messages to guide him, Casey Byrne is on the hunt, racing across five states to save his ex-girlfriend, Madison.

Casey loves Madison deeply and wants desperately to save her life and rekindle their relationship.

But the closer he gets to her, the more surreal his journey becomes as the dead bodies pile up in his wake.

Clinical Lycanthropy: the delusion that a human can physically transform into a wolf.

If you were insane, would you know it?

How would you see the world if you were convinced you could transform into a wolf?

The hunter … and the hunted.

Slipped Masks is a dark neo-noir thriller about how the need for love and companionship becomes twisted into obsession, possession, jealousy, violence and murder.

A horrifying portrait of Clinical Lycanthropy.

Amazon link:

https://t.co/2Gwb135V3m

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Themes:

Sociopathy, narcissistic abuse, personality disorder, Clinical Lycanthropy, crime, murder.

Book available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of this book is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

Work in progress:

My next books are Triangulation and Stinger.

Books 4 and 5 in The Breaker series.

Set in the year 2001, the story continues from Mall Maze.

Themes:

Crime, detective, hardboiled, heist, murder, narcissism, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, psychopath, sociopath, thriller, vigilante.

 

A percentage from book sales is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

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The Breaker is an on-going series.

I’m outlining other stand-alone thriller novels.

Several coffee table books on my photography and my wife’s artwork.

A humorous book, based on the antics of our crazy pet Ragdoll cat, entitled: It’s That F****** Cat Again!

Here’s a GIF I made of our cat, settling down for another of his daily naps:

On this day in music history - Disconnect, by Helen Jane Long (2022):

Disconnect

Album by Helen Jane Long,

released December 22, 2022.

Track list:

At Your Feet; Sakura (the cherry blossom); Turn It Around; Invisible; Disconnect; The Last Performance; Intersection; Explosions; Stillness; Get By; Outrun; You.

On this day in music history - A Streetcar Named Desire, by Renée Fleming ... (1998):

A Streetcar Named Desire

Album by Renée Fleming, Elizabeth Futral, Rodney Gilfry, Anthony Dean Griffey, San Francisco Opera and André Previn,

released December 22, 1998.

Track list:

Act One, Scene 1: They Told Me To Take A Streetcar Named Desire - Renee Fleming / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 1: Blanche! / Stella! Oh Stella! - Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act One, Scene 1: I Can Hardly Stand It - Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: You Left! I Stayed And I Struggled! - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: I... I... I...Took The Blows On My Face - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 1: Hey Mitch! Come Back Here - Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 1: You Must Be Stanley. I’m Blanche - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Hiyah, Sweetheart - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Let Me Enlighten You On A Point Or Two - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Hello Stanley. Do You Mind? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 2: Here! There Are Thousands Of Papers - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act One, Scene 3: Well, I Ought To Be Getting Home - Anthony Dean Griffey / Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act One, Scene 3: Yes? Oh, Hello - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral / Mathew Lord; Act One, Scene 3: Stella! / Stanely, That’s My... What Are You Doing - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Rodney Gilfry / Mathew Lord / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst; Act One, Scene 3: Hmmm...  / Stella? Stella? - Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Prologue - Orch Of The San Francisco Oper / Andre Previn; Act Two, Scene 1: Say, Blanche... Do You Happen To know - Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral; Act Two, Scene 1: Soft People Have Got To Shimmer And Glow - Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 1: Ah Me... Ah Me... Come In - Renee Fleming / Jeffrey Lentz; Act Two, Scene 1: Don’t You Love These Rainy Afternoons? - Renee Fleming / Jeffrey Lentz; Act Two, Scene 1: What’s The Time? Come On, Mitch - Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: Fraid You Didn’t Have Much Fun - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Two, Scene 2: I Work Out With The Weights - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: Blanche... How Old Are You? - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Two, Scene 2: I’m Not A Boy, She Says - Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Two, Scene 2: He Was A Boy When I Was A Very Young Girl - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three: Prologue - Orch Of The San Francisco Oper / Andre Previn; Act Three, Scene 1: (Humming) / What’s All This For? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: You Should Just Know The Line - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 1: What Time Is It? - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Stanley, Tell Us A Joke - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: ‘Stell, It’s Gonna Be All Right - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Yes... Don’t Light These Pretty, Pretty Little Candles - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 1: Me And You When We First Met - Rodney Gilfry / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 2: Who Is It, Please? - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three, Scene 2: It’s Dark In Here - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 2: Real! Who Wants Real? - Renee Fleming / Anthony Dean Griffey; Act Three, Scene 2: I Don’t Mind Your Being Older - Anthony Dean Griffey / Renee Fleming / Josepha Gayer; Act Three, Scene 3: How About Taking A Swim - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 3: Take A Look At Yourself - Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 3: Operator, Operator, Give Me Long Distance - Renee Fleming / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 3: Interlude - Orch Of The San Francisco Opera / Andre Previn; Act Three, Scene 4: Damn Your Luck - Mathew Lord / Rodney Gilfry / Anthony Dean Griffey / Judith Forst / Elizabeth Futral; Act Three, Scene 4: I’ll Wear The Cool Yellow Silk - Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Judith Forst / Rodney Gilfry; Act Three, Scene 4: I Can Smell The Sea Air - Renee Fleming; Act Three, Scene 4: That Must Be Them - Judith Forst / Rodney Gilfry / Renee Fleming / Elizabeth Futral / Lynne Soffer / Anthony Dean Griffey...; Act Three, Scene 4: These Fingernails Need To Be Trimmed - Lynne Soffer / Ray Reinhardt / Renee Fleming.

On this day in movie history - Grumpier Old Men (1995):

Grumpier Old Men

directed by Howard Deutch,

written by Mark Steven Johnson,

was released in the United States on December 22, 1995.
Music by Alan Silvestri.

Cast:

Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Sophia Loren, Ann-Margret, Burgess Meredith, Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Katie Sagona, Ann Morgan Guilbert, James Andelin, Marcus Klemp, Max Wright, Cheryl Hawker, Wayne A. Evenson, Allison Levine, John Patrick Martin, Adam Ward, Ryan Waldoch, James Cada, Jaclyn Ross, Kyle Christopherson, Jeffrey L. Smith, Geraldo Rivera, Warren Schueneman, Jack Mitsch, Sterling Robson, Gregory Schuneman, Denny Schusted, Michelle Johnston, Wallace Olson, Carl Johnson, Eugene Karels, Lawrence Grivna, Joel Edwards, Larissa Lowthorp, Johnny Luckett, Tammara Melloy, Shirley Stoler, Ryan Wotherspoon.

On this day in movie history - Always (1989):

Always

directed by Steven Spielberg,

written by Jerry Belson and Diane Thomas,

was released in the United States on December 22, 1989.
Based on the movie A Guy Named Joe (1943), directed by Victor Fleming and John E. Burch.
Music by John Williams.

Cast:

Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, Brad Johnson, John Goodman, Audrey Hepburn, Roberts Blossom, Keith David, Ed Van Nuys, Marg Helgenberger, Dale Dye, Brian Haley, James Lashly, Michael Steve Jones, Kim Robillard, Jim Sparkman, Doug McGrath, Shereil L. Bowens, Ascension Fuentes, Todd Jacobson, DeMarious T. Morganfield, Mike O'Neal, Larry Landless, Steve Shatnyski, James Pruitt, Joseph McCrossin, JD Souther, David Jackson, David Kitay, Gene Strimling, Roy E. Harrison, Ted Grossman, Gerry Rothschild, Loren Smothers, Taleena Ottwell, Dan Aykroyd, Michael Braveheart, Jim Dunkin, Douglas 'Hurricane' Hall, Tim Hiser, Jaclyn Nagata, Joseph Michael Roth.

On this day in television history - Space 1999 (1975):

Space 1999

Season 1. Episode 16.

Episode entitled: Another Time, Another Place.

Released December 22, 1975.

Directed by David Tomblin.

Written by Johnny Byrne.

Series created by Gerry Anderson and Sylvia Anderson.

Music by Barry Gray.

Cast:

Martin Landau, Barbara Bain, Barry Morse, Prentis Hancock, Clifton Jones, Zienia Merton, Anton Phillips, Alan Carter, Judy Geeson, Tony Allyn, Emily Bolton, Loftus Burton, Andy Dempsey, Alan Harris, Barbara Kelly, Claire McLellan, Robert Phillips, Quentin Pierre, Alan Roberto, Suzanne Roquette, Michael Stevens.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek (1967)

Star Trek

Season 2. Episode 14.

Episode entitled: Wolf in the Fold.

Released December 22, 1967.

Directed by Joseph Pevney.

Written by Robert Bloch.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Alexander Courage.

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Majel Barrett, John Fiedler, Pilar Seurat, Charles Dierkop, Joseph Bernard, Tanya Lemani, John Winston, Virginia Aldridge, Judith McConnell, Judi Sherven, Bill Blackburn, Marlys Burdette, Steve Hershon, Suzanne Lodge, Eddie Paskey, Gary Wright.

On this day in movie history - Do Not Disturb (1965 movie & novelization):

Do Not Disturb

directed by Ralph Levy and George Marshall,

written by Richard L. Breen and Milt Rosen,

based on the play Some Other Love by William Fairchild,

was released in the United States on December 22, 1965.
Music by Lionel Newman and Alexander Courage.

Cast:

Doris Day, Rod Taylor, Hermione Baddeley, Sergio Fantoni, Reginald Gardiner, Maura McGiveney, Aram Katcher, Leon Askin, Lisa Perav, Michael Romanoff, Albert Carrier, Barbara Morrison, Dick Winslow, Raquel Welch, Britt Ekland.

Recommended reading:

Do Not Disturb

By Marvin H. Albert.

Novelization.

ASIN: B000CS3JSU

Published by Dell.

Published 1965.

Description:

Pleasure before business – and after!

“It is difficult to explain,” the Frenchman said. “You see, you are a wife.”

“Of course I am. So?”

“At the Paris business meeting, wives are not allowed.”

“Not allowed?” Janet took another look at all the Do Not Disturb signs. “Exactly what kind of business is this?”

Then, he told her…

Do Not Disturb.

Don’t miss the sensational Twentieth Century-Fox motion picture starring Doris Day and Rod Taylor.

On this day in music history - Symphony No. 5, by Ludwig van Beethoven (1808):

Symphony No. 5

by Ludwig van Beethoven,

was first performed in Vienna on December 22, 1808.
Symphony in four movements.
Opus 67, in C minor.
Composed: 1804–1808.

Born on this day – Jonathan Joss:

Jonathan Joss

Actor

Producer

December 22, 1965 – June 1, 2025

Credits:

8 Seconds (1994); Abduction of the Fourth Kind (2022); Almost Heroes (1998); Bridgewater (2021); Changes (2010); Charmed (2003); Chartered (2019); Christmas in the Clouds (2001); Comanche Moon (2008); Cyberpunk 2077 (2020); Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty (2023); Days Gone (2019); Dead Man's Walk (1996); Dirty Bomb / Video game (2015); ER (2004); Frank (2014); Friday Night Lights (2010); Grow Up (2022); Harmony (2021); Heavy Metal Thunder (2019); Impala (1999); In Plain Sight (2008); Into the West (2005); Jhon Jatenjor's Interviews (2023); Johnson Family Vacation (2004); Justice League Unlimited (2005); King of the Hill (1997–2009); Manhattan Love Story (2014); Parks and Recreation (2011–2015); Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World (1998); Ray Donovan (2016); Red Dead Redemption (2010); Santa Fe Mysteries: Sacred Ground (1997); Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder (1996); Texas (1994); The Forever Purge (2021); The League (2014); The Magnificent Seven (2016); The Messengers (2015); The Substitute Wife (1994); The Walking Dead: Michonne (2016); The Wild Thornberrys (1998); The Wraith Within (2023); True Grit (2010); Tulsa King (2022); Unplugged (2025); Up2Speed with Nick A Meyers (2018); Walker, Texas Ranger (1994–1997); Wasteland 3 (2020); Winnetous Rückkehr (1998); Without Consent (1994).

Born on this day – Lynne Thigpen:

Lynne Thigpen

Actress

December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003

Credits:

A Mother's Instinct (1996); A. Philip Randolph: For Jobs and Freedom (1996); ABC Afterschool Specials (1989–1993); All My Children (1983–2000); Amazing Graces (1981); American Playhouse (1982–1983); Anger Management (2003); Article 99 (1992); Bear in the Big Blue House (1997–2003); Bear in the Big Blue House: Bear's Sense of Adventure (1999); Bicentennial Man (1999); Blankman (1994); Bob Roberts (1992); Broadway Plays Washington on Kennedy Center Tonight (1982); Cagney & Lacey: The View Through the Glass Ceiling (1995); Carmen Sandiego's Great Chase Through Time (1999); Chance of a Lifetime (1998); Dear John (1991); Eve and the Fire Horse (2005); Fear Stalk (1989); FM (1989–1990); Fol-de-Rol (1972); Frank's Place (1988); Freedom to Speak (1983); Gimme a Break! (1985–1986); Godspell (1973); Hello Again (1987); Homicide: Life on the Street (1997); Hunter (1990); Impulse (1990); Just Cause (1995); King of the Hill (1998); L.A. Law (1991–1992); Law & Order (1995–1999); Lean on Me (1989); Lou Grant (1981); Love, Sidney (1983); Loving (1992); Naked in New York (1993); Night Ride Home (1999); Novocaine (2001); Once in the Life (2000); Pretty Poison (1996); Promised Land (1997); Random Hearts (1999); Reading Rainbow (1993); Rockabye (1986); Roseanne (1989); Running on Empty (1988); Separate But Equal (1991); Sesame Street (1968); Shaft (2000); Skull Session: The Making of 'Anger Management' (2003); Spenser: For Hire (1986); Streets of Fire (1984); Sweet Liberty (1986); The 35th Annual Tony Awards (1981); The 51st Annual Tony Awards (1997); The Boys Next Door (1996); The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1991); The District (2000–2003); The Ellen Burstyn Show (1987); The Equalizer (1987); The Insider (1999); The News Is the News (1983); The Paper (1994); The Puzzle Place (1995); The Recovery Room (1985); The Warriors (1979); Thirtysomething (1989); Tintypes (1982); Tootsie (1982); Trial by Media (2000); Walls of Glass (1985); When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate (1979); Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? (1991–1998); Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego? (1996–1997).

Born on this day – Peggie Castle:

Peggie Castle

Actress

December 22, 1927 – August 11, 1973

Credits:

77 Sunset Strip (1958); 99 River Street (1953); Air Cadet (1951); Assignment: Mexico (1956); Back from the Dead (1957); Beginning of the End (1957); Bright Victory (1951); Buccaneer's Girl (1950); Cheyenne (1956–1957); Conflict (1957); Cow Country (1953); Fingerman (1955); Fireside Theatre (1952–1954); Four Star Playhouse (1956); Frontier Justice (1958); Gunsmoke (1957); Harem Girl (1952); Hell's Crossroads (1957); Here's Hollywood (1961); Herman's Herd (1949); Hollywood Christmas Lane Parade of the Stars (1960); I Was a Shoplifter (1950); I, the Jury (1953); I'm the Law (1953); Invasion, U.S.A. (1952); Jesse James' Women (1954); Lawman (1959–1962); Life of St. Paul Series (1949); Lux Video Theatre (1956); Markham (1959); Max Liebman Presents: Kaleidoscope (1955); Mike Hammer (1959); Miracle in the Rain (1956); Mr. Belvedere Goes to College (1949); Our Miss Brooks (1956); Outside the Wall (1950); Overland Pacific (1954); Payment on Demand (1951); Perry Mason (1957); Quincannon, Frontier Scout (1956); Racket Squad (1953); Seven Hills of Rome (1957); Shakedown (1950); Son of Belle Starr (1953); Tall Man Riding (1955); Target Zero (1955); The Colgate Comedy Hour (1955); The Counterfeit Plan (1957); The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (1959); The Golden Horde (1951); The Juke Box Jury (1956); The Long Wait (1954); The Millionaire (1956); The O. Henry Playhouse (1957); The Oklahoma Woman (1956); The Prince Who Was a Thief (1951); The Restless Gun (1958–1959); The Sergeant and the Lady (1958); The Texan (1958); The Virginian (1966); The White Orchid (1954); The Yellow Tomahawk (1954); Two-Gun Lady (1955); Wagons West (1952); When a Girl's Beautiful (1947); Woman in Hiding (1950); World of Giants (1959); Zane Grey Theatre (1956).