Blurb:
Dr. Brigitte Sheen, an ambitious scientist, and her colleague develop a gene therapy system to extend human life spans. Money owed by a Chinese investment conglomerate for bearer bonds taken from the shadow government known as the Horsemen never gets paid—but for good reason. The Chinese want the anti-aging system, but so do the Horsemen. In a fierce battle of East versus West, the future of mankind is at stake. Pursued by a crazed super soldier with enhanced physical abilities, Dr. Sheen, with help from her husband, Jeremy Hughes, Nikita Patel, and others, must overcome dark intentions of unseen powers... But are those intentions really that evil?
Excerpt:
Brigitte had a look of wonder and astonishment. It was as if all the world stretched before her like the open palm of her hand.
Again, they silently gazed at each other for a reaction.
Brigitte spoke first. “Look, I know how this might sound…” She looked at Gerald for assurance. “But we’ve decided that the treatments, the anti-aging system, will be offered at a reasonable and affordable price so that the largest amount of people possible can benefit from it.” She paused for effect, then looked at the webcam. “We’re looking at two thousand dollars for the initial epigenetic therapies, with an additional five to seven hundred dollars per year for the maintenance, which is my piece of the puzzle and contains the mRNA anti-glycoxidation boosters.”
Gerald nodded his head in a spastic manner. His thick neck flapped in and out like Jabba the Hutt scarfing down chicken nuggets. “Yes, yes. This is our mission, Mr. Faber. Like my esteemed partner here, I would have it no other way.” He took a quick look at Brigitte, and with straight faces they both nodded in confirmation.
Ken, the astute lawyer, thought for a moment and got up from his desk. He stood, placing both hands on the desk. Peering straight down into his MacBook Air’s webcam, he sighed and then said, “That’s all well and good, guys. Honestly, I think your intentions are admirable, to say the least, but”—he paused—“and it’s a big ‘but’, not as big as, say, Kim Kardashian’s, but it’s a big ‘but’ nonetheless.” He looked up. “Like I said, there will be some real heinous opportunists that are going to be coming at this thing like leviathans afloat. So, I’d watch your backs if I were you.”
Gerald gulped while Brigitte nodded.
“Look,” replied Brigitte. “I think you know that I am quite capable of defending myself.”
Ken waggled his eyebrows. “You got that right.”
“And, well, I’m just saying that as long as we can maintain tight control of TSS, and thoroughly vet each and every one of our potential investors, then I see no reason why we can’t get these therapies out to everyone at the best possible price. In fact, I see TSS actually lowering its prices as new and
improved methodologies come into place.”
“And competition,” reminded Ken, “but, until there is another fundamental breakthrough, any me too systems will need to pay you royalties. That patent is good for twenty years.”
Brigitte smiled. “I have a feeling that both you and Roger will be quite busy in the next few years assisting us getting our baby off the ground.”
Ken nodded. “I look forward to it.” He paused and smiled. “Today marks history. The beginning of an entirely new way of thinking about our lives, our futures and on what we can accomplish.” He hesitated. “The legal issues and eventual opportunists, some with spurious agendas, well, these challenges will not take away the magic that is this moment, for you two, and for the rest of the world.”
He picked up his MacBook and brought it up to eye level. “Congratulations, guys! Now, go make us all live to a hundred!”
“Two hundred,” replied Brigitte in an unblinking stare.
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Author Bio and Links:
John grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, graduated from UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in economics, and has worked in numerous corporate finance and project management positions in the consumer electronics and IT industries. In 1990, he took an extended backpacking trip of the South Pacific before attending graduate school. He met his future wife in New Zealand, and they were married in 1991. They settled in Laguna Niguel, California. In 2003, John and his family (now with two kids in tow) relocated to Christchurch, New Zealand.
John's interest in writing began when he was a student at UC Davis and worked as a feature writer for the California Aggie newspaper. Possessing the desire to write again and with a goal on his bucket list to eventually try his hand at thriller novels, he took the plunge and began writing his first novel, The Fiduciary Delusion, in 2014.
John's interests also include science, existential philosophy, health, and both Western and Eastern holistic medicine. John also plays guitar, piano, sings, and writes music. In addition, a self-confessed “gym rat,” John can be regularly found lifting weights, trudging up hills, sea kayaking, and getting out and about enjoying the beautiful wild outdoors.
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