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: City Primeval (2023):

Justified: City Primeval

Season 1. Episode 6.

Episode entitled: Adios.

Released August 15, 2023.

Directed by Sylvain White.

Written by Taylor Elmore, VJ Boyd, Dave Andron, Michael Dinner, Cole Quirk.

Based on City Primeval and Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard.

Music by Mark Isham.

Cast:

Timothy Olyphant, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Adelaide Clemens, Marin Ireland, Victor Williams, Norbert Leo Butz, Boyd Holbrook, David Cross, Kevin Anderson, Regina Taylor, Joseph Anthony Byrd, Neal Dandade, Andre Bellos, Russ Panzarella.

On this day in music history:

Factotum by Kristin Asbjørnsen (2006)

Deva by The Luminous World Orchestra (2007)

Threading the Ether by The Luminous World Orchestra (2010)

Factotum

Album by Kristin Asbjørnsen,

released August 15, 2006.

The soundtrack to the movie Factotum (2005).

Track list: On The Bus; Reunion; I Wish To Weep; Farewell I; Slow Day; Ice Plant Overture; Pickles; Still Awake; Quirky Waltz; Dreamland II; Slow Day Fragments; My Garden; In The Kitchen; Beside You; Drunk Driving; Remembering; Shoes; If You’re Going To Try; Horse Race Groove; Farewell II; Slow Day II.

Deva

Album by The Luminous World Orchestra,

conducted by Steven Chesne,

released August 15, 2007.

Track list: Cantus Firmus; The Thaw; Mantra; Child King; Maya; On the Hill; Passage; Gathering; Sweet Face; Orange Lullaby.

Threading the Ether

Album by The Luminous World Orchestra,

conducted by Steven Chesne,

released August 15, 2010.

Track list: Dawning; Gratitude; Om Mane Padme Hum; Ascension; Asatoma; Buddha of Compassion; Seedling; Day of Atonement; Gate.

On this day in movie history - Cop Land (1997):

Cop Land

directed and written by James Mangold,

was released in the United States on August 15, 1997.
Music by Howard Shore.

Cast:

Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Peter Berg, Janeane Garofalo, Robert Patrick, Michael Rapaport, Annabella Sciorra, Noah Emmerich, Cathy Moriarty, John Spencer, Frank Vincent, Malik Yoba, Arthur Nascarella, Victor Williams, Edie Falco, Mel Gorham, Paul Herman, Paul Calderón, Vincent Laresca, Method Man, Deborah Harry, Tony Sirico.

On this day in movie history - Event Horizon (1997):

Event Horizon

directed by Paul W. S. Anderson,

written by Philip Eisner,

was released in the United States on August 15, 1997.
Music by Michael Kamen and Orbital.

Cast:

Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson, Richard T. Jones, Jack Noseworthy, Jason Isaacs, Sean Pertwee, Peter Marinker, Holley Chant, Barclay Wright, Noah Huntley, Robert Jezek, Emily Booth, Bharat Nalluri, Gary Sinyor.

On this day in television history - Fallen Angels (1993):

Fallen Angels

Season 1. Episode 2.
Episode entitled: I’ll Be Waiting.
Released August 15, 1993.
Directed by Tom Hanks.
Written by C. Gaby Mitchell.
Created by William Horberg.
Based on the short story by Raymond Chandler.
Theme music by Peter Bernstein.

Cast:

Bruno Kirby, Marg Helgenberger, Jon Polito, Dan Hedaya, Dick Miller, Peter Scolari, Tom Hanks, Manny Perry, Lynette Walden.

On this day in movie history - Proof (1991):

Proof

directed and written by Jocelyn Moorhouse,

was released in Australia on August 15, 1991.
Music by Not Drowning Waving.

Cast:

Hugo Weaving, Geneviève Picot, Russell Crowe, Heather Mitchell, Jeffrey Walker, Daniel Pollock, Frankie J. Holden, Frank Gallacher, Saskia Post, Belinda Davey, Cliff Ellen, Tania Uren, Robert James O'Neill, Anthony Rawling, Darko Tuscan, Adele Daniele, Roy Edmunds, Lisa Chambers, Suzanne Chapman, Angela Campbell, Osvaldo Maione, Carole Patullo, Corey (Bill, the dog), Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Braithwaite.

On this day in movie history - Manhunter (1986):

Manhunter

directed and written by Michael Mann,

based on the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris,

was released in the United States on August 15, 1986.
Music by Michel Rubini and The Reds.

Cast:

William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Stephen Lang, Tom Noonan, David Seaman, Benjamin Hendrickson, Michael Talbott, Dan Butler, Michele Shay, Robin Moseley, Paul Perri, Patricia Charbonneau, Bill Cwikowski, Alexandra Neil, Norman Snow, Jim Zubiena, Frankie Faison, Garcelle Beauvais, Joanne Camp, David Allen Brooks, Elisabeth Ryall, Chris Elliott, Gary Chavaras, Chris Cianciolo, Ken Colquitt, Ron Fitzgerald, Dennis Quick, David Meeks, Sherman Michaels, Robin Trapp, L.A. Winters, Daniel T. Snow, Cynthia Chvatal, King White, Mickey Lloyd, Dawn Carmen, David Fitzsimmons, Robert A. Burton, Steve Hogan, Mickey Pugh, Kin Shriner, John Posey, Kristin Holby, Greg Kelly, Brian Kelly, Ryan Langhorne, Hannah Caggiano, Lindsey Fonora, Jason Frair, Bryant Arrants, Christopher Arrants, Melvin Clark, Renee Ayala, Dana Dewey, Stephen Hawkins, Leonard Johnson, Keith Pyles, Michael Russell, Michael Vitug, Pat Williams, Charles Yarbaugh, Bill Smitrovich, Peter Maloney, Michael D. Roberts, Marshall Bell, Gusmano Cesaretti, Melody Gold, Annie McEnroe.

On this day in movie history - Apocalypse Now (1979 movie & source novella):

Apocalypse Now

directed by Francis Ford Coppola,

written by John Milius and Francis Ford Coppola,

based on the novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad,

was released in the United States on August 15, 1979.
Music by Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola.

Narrated by Martin Sheen.

Redux version released in 2001.

Cast:

Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, G. D. Spradlin, Jerry Ziesmer, Harrison Ford, Scott Glenn, Colleen Camp, Cynthia Wood, Linda Beatty, Bill Graham, Francis Ford Coppola, Vittorio Storaro, R. Lee Ermey, Christian Marquand, Aurore Clément, Roman Coppola, Gian-Carlo Coppola, Michel Pitton, Franck Villard, David Olivier, Chrystel Le Pelletier, Robert Julian, Yvon Le Saux, Henri Sadardiel, Gilbert Renkens.

Recommended reading:

Heart of Darkness

By Joseph Conrad.

Mass Market Paperback

First published 1899.

Published by Penguin Books.

ISBN 13: 9780140431681

ISBN 10: 0140431683

ASIN: B001KTM47C

Author Joseph Conrad based this novella on his own personal experiences, during a voyage up the Congo River in 1890.

This novella was the inspiration for the movie Apocalypse Now (1979), directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Description:

Written in the last year of the nineteenth century, Heart of Darkness can be seen in many ways as the first twentieth-century novel.

Its climate of doubt and vagueness, its loss of moral confidence and its need for belief in the midst of spiritual wilderness, its exploration of the subconscious and its affirmation of individual freedom are all themes that were to have an influence on writers such as Orwell, Godling, Céline, Borges and Eliot.

In Heart of Darkness Conrad unfolds the story of Marlow’s search for Mr Kurtz, the company agent whose ‘unlawful soul’ has been ‘beguiled beyond the bounds of permitted aspirations’ in his dealings with the natives of the Belgian Congo. Marlow’s adventure involves him in a crucial reappraisal of his own values. It is Kurtz, however, who attains to a vision of the inexpressible, terrifying reality of the heart in this extraordinary exploration of human savagery and despair.

Book cover image: The Steamer Stanley, by F. Hens.

On this day in movie history - The Lawbreakers (1961):

The Lawbreakers

directed by Joseph M. Newman,

written by Paul Monash and W.R. Burnett,

was released in the United States on August 15, 1961.

Music by Johnny Mandel.

A remake of the pilot episode of the 1961 The Asphalt Jungle TV series.

Inspired by the movie The Asphalt Jungle (1950), directed by John Huston, based on the novel by W. R. Burnett.

Cast:

Jack Warden, Vera Miles, Robert Douglas, Arch Johnson, Douglas Odney, Robert H. Harris, Ken Lynch, Robert Bailey, Mary Lawrence, James Seay, Marianne Stewart, Jay Adler, John Zaremba, David White, Noreen Corcoran, Don C. Harvey, Kenner G. Kemp, Eddie Marr, William Smith, Bert Stevens.