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 television history - Justified (2011):

Justified

Season 2. Episode 2.

Episode entitled: The Life Inside.

Released February 16, 2011.

Directed by Jon Avnet.

Written by Graham Yost, Benjamin Cavell and VJ Boyd.

Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Steve Porcaro.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Nick Searcy, Joelle Carter, Jacob Pitts, Erica Tazel, Natalie Zea, Walton Goggins, Linda Gehringer, Jeremy Davies, Margo Martindale, Kaitlyn Dever, Brad William Henke, Sarah Jones, James Jordan, Kai Lennox, Chris Mulkey, William Ragsdale, Christie Lynn Smith, David Sullivan, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Raymond J. Barry, Heather Fox, Leif Gantvoort, Vanessa Alameda, Paul Edney, Jes Macallan.

On this day in television history – James Ellroy's L.A.: City of Demons: The Dark Side of Hollywood (2011):

James Ellroy's L.A.: City of Demons

Documentary.
Season 1. Episode 5.
Episode entitled: The Dark Side of Hollywood.
Released: February 16, 2011.
Series directors: Brian Coughlin, Gabe Torres, Brian Coughlin and Robert Kirk.

Cast:

James Ellroy, Peter Nikkos, Ryan Beard, Sarah Delpizzo, Emma Green, Jarred Kjack, Nicollé Lewis, Melissa Marino, Rob Nelson, Ian Scott Rudolph, Franklin Ruehl.

On this day in movie history - Fear City (1984):

Fear City

directed by Abel Ferrara,

written by Nicholas St. John,

was released in France on February 16, 1985.
Music by Dick Halligan and Joe Delia.

Cast:

Tom Berenger, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Scalia, Melanie Griffith, Rossano Brazzi, Rae Dawn Chong, Joe Santos, Michael V. Gazzo, Jan Murray, Janet Julian, Daniel Faraldo, Maria Conchita Alonso, Ola Ray, John Foster, Emilia Crow, Nina Jones, Frank Ronzio, Juan Fernández, Jim Boeke, Carl Strano, Ben Kronen, Madison Mason, Bill Henderson, Victor Rivers, Joe Palese, Joe Shea, Bob Yothers, John Roselius, Tracy Griffith, Lori Eastside, Sharon Anton, Barbara Andrews, Jim Brewer, Álvaro López, Eddie Ruffalo, Joy Michael, Linda Lee, Peter Mele, Robert Miano, Raphael Berko, Antony Ponzini, Frank Sivero, Brent Jennings, Jihmi Kennedy, Robert Giarratano, Peter Gumeny, Justin De Rosa, Adrian McKnight, John Barons, Kendall Carly Browne, Nancy Mott, Christine Greenberg, Tricia Brown, Neil Clifford, John Del Rico, Helen Kelly, Tony LaFortezza, Annabelle Larsen, Don Nakaya Neilsen, David Ward.

On this day in music history:

Midnight Believer by B.B. King (1978)

Radiant Sky by Scott August (2010)

Traces of You by Kristin Asbjørnsen (2018)

Midnight Believer

Album by B.B. King,

released February 16, 1978.

Track list: When It All Comes Down; Midnight Believer; I Just Can't Leave Your Love Alone; Hold on (I Feel Our Love Is Changing); Never Make a Move Too Soon; World Full of Strangers; Let Me Make You Cry a Little Longer; Better Not Look Down; Same Old Story (Same Old Song); Happy Birthday Blues; I've Always Been Lonely; Second Hand Woman; Tonight I'm Gonna Make You a Star; Beginning of the End; Story Everybody Knows; Take It Home.

Radiant Sky

Album by Scott August,

released February 16, 2010.

Track list: Calling the Sun; New Horizons; Arc of Dreams; Rivier of Stars; Santa Fe; Since the Stars Fell; Rising from the Plateau; Journey of Solace; A Pale Radiance; Searching Beyond.

Traces of You

Album by Kristin Asbjørnsen,

released February 16, 2018.

Track list: By Your Side; You Hold Me While Leaving Me; She Holds My Hand; Promise; We Haven’t Found Our Way Back Home; Goodbye; Finally; I Won’t Leave The Room; Spring Reappears; Traces Of You; Vil Du Være Her Bestandig.

On this day in television history - Space 1999 (1976):

Space 1999

Season 1. Episode 24.

Episode entitled: The Last Enemy.

Released February 16, 1976.

Directed and written by Bob Kellett.

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, Nick Tate, Caroline Mortimer, Maxine Audley, Kevin Stoney, Carolyn Courage, Tony Allyn, Sarah Bullen, Robert Case, Laurie Davis, Andy Dempsey, Raymond Harris, Linda Hooks, John Lee Barber, Claire Lutter, Quentin Pierre, Shane Rimmer, Suzanne Roquette, Michael Stevens, Andy Sutcliffe.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek (1967 & 1968)

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1991)

Star Trek: Voyager (2000)

Star Trek: Picard (2023)

Star Trek

Season 1. Episode 22.

Episode entitled: Space Seed.

Released February 16, 1967.

Directed by Marc Daniels.

Written by Gene L. Coon, Carey Wilber.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Alexander Courage.

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Ricardo Montalban, Madlyn Rhue, Makee K. Blaisdell, Mark Tobin, Kathy Ahart, John Winston, John Arndt, Bobby Bass, Bill Blackburn, Robert Buckingham, Dick Cangey, Frank da Vinci, Joan Johnson, Eddie Paskey, Jan Reddin, Frieda Rentie, Ron Veto, Joan Webster.

Star Trek

Season 2. Episode 21.

Episode entitled: Patterns of Force.

Released February 16, 1968.

Directed by Vincent McEveety.

Written by John Meredyth Lucas.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Alexander Courage, George Duning.

Cast: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Majel Barrett, Richard Evans, Valora Noland, Skip Homeier, David Brian, Patrick Horgan, William Wintersole, Gilbert Green, Lev Mailer, Ed McCready, Peter Canon, Paul Baxley, Chuck Courtney, Bart La Rue, Benjie Bancroft, Bill Blackburn, John Blower, Frank da Vinci, Len Felber, Roger Holloway, Jeannie Malone, Sean Morgan, Eddie Paskey, Basil Poledouris, Robert Strong, Bob Whitney.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 4. Episode 15.

Episode entitled: First Contact.

Released February 16, 1991.

Directed by Cliff Bole.

Written by Dennis Bailey, David Bischoff, Joe Menosky, Ronald D. Moore, Michael Piller, Marc Scott Zicree, David Carren, J. Larry Carroll.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Ron Jones.

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, George Coe, Carolyn Seymour, George Hearn, Michael Ensign, Steven Anderson, Sachi Parker, Bebe Neuwirth, Thomas J. Booth, Michael Braveheart, Gilbert B. Combs, Christopher Doyle, Elliot Durant III, Randy James, Bruce Koski, Tim McCormack.

Star Trek: Voyager

Season 6. Episode 16.

Episode entitled: Collective.

Released February 16, 2000.

Directed by Allison Liddi-Brown.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Michael Taylor, Andrew Shepard Price, Mark Gaberman, Bryan Fuller, Robert Doherty.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Jay Chattaway.

Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Jeri Ryan, Ryan Spahn, Manu Intiraymi, Marley S. McClean, Kurt Wetherill, Cody Wetherill, Majel Barrett, Patrick Barnitt, Tarik Ergin, Tina Kotrich, Mark Major, Nichole McAuley, Tom Miller, Keith Rayve.

Star Trek: Picard

Season 3. Episode 1.

Episode entitled: The Next Generation.

Released February 16, 2023.

Directed by Doug Aarniokoski.

Created by Akiva Goldsman, Michael Chabon, Kirsten Beyer, Alex Kurtzman.

Written by Terry Matalas, Matt Okumura, Chris Derrick, Kiley Rossetter.

Based on Star Trek: The Next Generation, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Stephen Barton, Jeff Russo.

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd, Ed Speleers, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Orla Brady, Todd Stashwick, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Anthony Azizi, Stephanie Czajkowski, Joseph Lee, Chad Lindberg, Jin Maley, Jani Wang, Christian Crandall, Amy Earhart, Grace Lee, Ric Sarabia, Michelle Blass, An Dang, Naymon Frank, Marie Kelli, Dominique Stango, Marco Vazzano.

On this day in movie history - La Jetée (1962 movie & book):

La Jetée

aka The Jetty / The Pier,

directed and written by Chris Marker,

the inspiration for 12 Monkeys (1995), directed by Terry Gilliam,

was released in France on February 16, 1962.
Narrated by Jean Négroni.
Music by Trevor Duncan.

Cast:

Hélène Châtelain, Davos Hanich, Jacques Ledoux, André Heinrich, Jacques Branchu, Pierre Joffroy, Etienne Becker, Philbert von Lifchitz, Ligia Borowczyk, Janine Klein, William Klein, Germano Facetti.

Recommended reading:

La Jetée: Ciné-Roman

By Chris Marker.

Zone Books

Distributed by The MIT Press.

Published 1992.

ISBN-10: 0942299663

ISBN-13: 978-0942299663

The inspiration for the movie 12 Monkeys (1995), directed by Terry Gilliam.

Description:

In the aftermath of World War III, both the earth’s surface and all of history – everything ever dreamed or known – lies irretrievably buried in a heap of radioactive devastation. Space has become off-limits, and the war’s few remaining survivors, huddled underground in the dank galleries beneath Chaillot, seek desperately an alternative path to survival – one perhaps that passes through Time. At the expense of madness, death, and unspeakable cruelty, they begin a set of experiments whose purpose will be to launch emissaries, in search of food, medicine and energy, through a hole in Time. A man is chosen for his unique quality of having retained a single clear image from pre-war days; no more than an ambiguous memory fragment from childhood – a visit to the jetty at Orly airport, the troubling glance of an unknown woman, the crumbling body of a dying man. These elements become crucial hinge-points in the ensuing narrative, thickening and accumulating nuance with each successful expedition into the historical past. The image of a woman, increasingly suffused with the time – and eros – bestowing capacities of a deep and impossible love, provides both the kernel for the recovery of the dimension through which humankind and history will be saved, as well as the tragic abyss into which both the hero and the narrative inexorably fall.

Although Chris Marker’s legendary film is no more than 29 minutes long and contains but a single moving image, perhaps no other film has matched its combination of devastating emotional power, former brilliance and philosophical complexity. The story marker tells – a stunning parable of our modern fate – is about the death of the world, about loss, memory, hope, and the indomitable power of love.

“This strange and poetic film, a fusion of science fiction, psychological fable, and photomontage … creates its own conventions from scratch. It triumphantly succeeds where science fiction invariably fails.” – J.G. Ballard.