The Reading Frenzy: **GIVEAWAY** Interview - Albert Ashforth

Thursday, September 8, 2016

GIVEAWAY Interview - Albert Ashforth - On Edge

Hi All. It's been a while since I showcased a novel from Oceanview Publishing, a small indie firm in Florida thast specializes in mystery/thrillers. So I'm fixing that today with Albert Ashforth's On Edge.
Enjoy the chat then stick around and enter for a copy too details below!

ISBN-13: 9781608092000
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Release Date: 09/06/2016
Length: 400pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/Kobo/IndieBound

OVERVIEW:

When a former Army buddy is murdered by an Afghan military colleague, U.S. Army Special Investigator Alex Klear is called back into action in Afghanistan to investigate what is thought to be a classic “green-on-blue” killing. Alex finds Kabul in a state of chaos, partly under government control, partly controlled by the Taliban.

From the beginning, he suspects that the Army has identified the wrong man as the killer, and that an innocent Afghan soldier has become the victim of a complex frame-up. His suspicions are solidified when he discovers that his friend had been investigating a massive fraud at Kabul Bank. As Alex is drawn into the epicenter of the biggest bank fraud in history, he finds his efforts systematically thwarted by both the American and the Afghanistan governments.

In the lawless streets of Kabul and into the far outreaches of Afghanistan, Alex relentlessly hunts his friend’s killer—and uncovers the truth. In real-life, a shameful incident kept mostly out of the media—a monumental embarrassment to both countries.

The Giveaway is for one print copy

Of On Edge US ONLY

Please use Rafflecopter form below enter

Thanks Oceanview!

Good Luck!

Albert Hi! Welcome to The Reading Frenzy.
First thank you for your years of service in the Army.

Your two books The Rendition and On Edge are connected.
Tell my readers a bit about On Edge and how the stories connect.

Yes, THE RENDITION and ON EDGE are connected by Alex Klear, a retired intelligence officer who is the hero of both books. Alex has also appeared in two short stories. The situations that intelligence officers become involved in are endless. As a result, I find Alex an awfully interesting person to write about.

I knew I wanted to set Alex’s second adventure in Afghanistan, where I served two tours as a military contractor and where our country has been fighting a major war for about 15 years. Very few Americans realize the extent and nature of this long-standing conflict because so little news appears in the newspapers or on television. In fact, a well-written thriller can serve as a great source of information and provide an exciting read. I attempted to provide readers with insights into the country and its people and an understanding of what it’s like to be there as an American.

For example, in 2013, when the book is set, American and NATO military personnel were most concerned by the rash of Green-on-Blue killings that suddenly began taking place, all of which were engineered by the Taliban. After extensive training as either a soldier or policeman, an Afghan would be given a weapon and shown how to use it. In some cases, the Afghan would train his weapon on friendly NATO personnel and start shooting. There were at one point close to 200 of these attacks and in one instance a general was killed. Part of the frustration for NATO members is that it is next to impossible to predict which Afghans would betray their colleagues in this way.

This is how ON EDGE begins. A U.S. Army colonel, who happens to be an old friend of Alex’s, is murdered in one of these insider attacks. Alex is asked to investigate, but when he arrives in Kabul, he smells a rat. To him, it seems that an innocent young Afghan soldier is being framed for the murder. As Alex reacquaints himself with the chaotic situation in Kabul, he learns that the murdered officer was close to uncovering a massive fraud at the American-government financed Kabul Bank. In time, he begins to sense that his efforts to discover a connection between the bank fraud and the murder are being systematically thwarted by the Afghan and American governments. The historical background of the story is completely accurate.

Your bio tells me after working for some US newspapers you returned to Europe to write a book.
What lured you across the pond to write?

While I was working for a newspaper, I wrote a magazine article about the 19th-century English scientist, Thomas Henry Huxley, a contemporary of Darwin’s and a person whom I had always admired. Shortly thereafter, a publisher asked me if I could write a book about Huxley, and I said I could. I procrastinated for nearly a year because I realized I could not write a book while holding down a daily newspaper job. Since all of Huxley’s papers were in the Imperial College in London, I knew I had to make a decision. I had already written countless newspaper stories, but I was not really sure I could write a book. I decided to give it a try. The people at the Imperial College were wonderful and provided me with every kind of help and access to the collection of one of the world’s great scientists. I’m still grateful to them for their help and hospitality. The book is titled THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY.

Albert you eventually left Europe and are currently living in the Big Apple.
Tell us about your time there and what brought you home.

As a young GI, I had served overseas, in Germany, and learned German. When I later visited Berlin, still a divided city, I was told they were looking for people with my background if I was interested in returning to Europe full-time. Unlike some young guys, I had liked the Army. I like the discipline, the sense of order, and the great feeling of cooperation among people that exists within a military environment. I have an idea that some of those feelings may be quite apparent in the books. The way Alex relates to some of the people he encounters leads me to believe he feels the same way. Although I miss some of that, I find being a civilian back home in New York also offers more than anyone can reasonably ask for.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

As far as favorite authors go, we have many fine thriller writers working today, and I read as many as I can get my hands on. My all-time favorites include John Le Carre, Graham Greene, and Eric Ambler. At the moment, I’m working on another thriller featuring Alex Klear.

Thank you for answering my questions. Good luck with your new novel.

The Rendition The other Alex Klear novel

MEET Albert:ALBERT ASHFORTH served in the U.S. Army overseas upon graduating from high school. When he returned, he earned his B.A. from Brooklyn College. He worked for two New York City newspapers before returning to Europe to write a book. Mr. Ashforth worked as a military contractor in Bosnia, Kosovo, Germany and Afghanistan. He also worked at the German military academy (the equivalent of West Point) training NATO officers. As a member of the University of Maryland’s Overseas Program, Mr. Ashforth served as an instructor at 10th Group Special Forces headquarters in Bad Tolz, Germany. He is the author of four books. His articles and stories have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, American Scholar, Four Seasons and other publications. He is now a faculty member of the State University of New York and lives in New York City.

Albert's Website