Hot off the press! SEALED UP: THE COURSE OF FATE: BOOK ONE by Steve Dunn Hanson is
available now! Steve will be on a virtual book tour January 3 - March 31 and will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card PLUS an autographed copy of his book! Follow his tour, leave comments and share this page in social networks for extra entries!
available now! Steve will be on a virtual book tour January 3 - March 31 and will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card PLUS an autographed copy of his book! Follow his tour, leave comments and share this page in social networks for extra entries!
Title:
Sealed Up
Author: Steve Dunn Hanson
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 402
Genre: Action/Adventure/Suspense
About the Author
Sealed Up
Author: Steve Dunn Hanson
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 402
Genre: Action/Adventure/Suspense
The Da Vinci Code unsettles. SEALED UP shakes to the core!
UCLA anthropologist Nathan Hill, in a funk since his young wife’s death, learns of staggering millennia-old chronicles sealed up somewhere in a Mesoamerica cliff. This bombshell rocks him out of his gloom, and he leads a clandestine expedition to uncover them. What are they? Who put them there? No one knows. But, self-absorbed televangelist Brother Luke, who funds the expedition, thinks he does. If he’s right, his power-hunger will have off-the-charts gratification.
Striking Audra Chang joins Nathan in his pursuit and brings her own shocking secret. As they struggle through a literal jungle of puzzles and dead ends, she finds herself falling in love with Nathan. Her secret, though, may make that a non-starter.
When a shaman with a thirst for human sacrifice, and a murderous Mexican drug lord with a mysterious connection to Brother Luke emerge, the expedition appears doomed. Yet Nathan is convinced that fate—or something—demands these inscrutable chronicles be unearthed. And if they are . . . what shattering disruption will they unleash?
Intricately layered and remarkably researched, this enthralling suspense-driven and thought provoking tour de force begs a startling question: Could it happen?
Amazon
Book Excerpt:
“How much farther?” Paul’s shirt was soaked from sweat.
Itzel looked at him and laughed. “Just like Torrance, huh?” Paul rolled his eyes.
“The cenote.”
Ichika pointed to a three-foot-wide path that was recently cut through
the brush. They followed it as it turned to the left then sharply to the
right. The sinkhole loomed in front of them. The water, a huge blue
sapphire, sparkled 15 feet below. Thick emerald-green growth reached
down the sinkhole’s sides, but where they were standing, the vegetation
had been cleared all the way to the water’s surface.
Ichika pointed to a three-foot-wide path that was recently cut through
the brush. They followed it as it turned to the left then sharply to the
right. The sinkhole loomed in front of them. The water, a huge blue
sapphire, sparkled 15 feet below. Thick emerald-green growth reached
down the sinkhole’s sides, but where they were standing, the vegetation
had been cleared all the way to the water’s surface.
Paul stood at the cenote’s edge and stared down into the bowl. “You slipped here, you’d go all the way in.”
Itzel shuddered and pulled back; thoughts of her father overwhelming her. Was this what it was like where he fell? She trembled and turned away from the cenote. “Let’s leave.”
Paul
looked at her and understood. He almost said something about his
stupidity, but decided one foot in his mouth was enough. He motioned for
Ichika to take them back the way they came. He put his arm around
Itzel, and she leaned her head against him.
looked at her and understood. He almost said something about his
stupidity, but decided one foot in his mouth was enough. He motioned for
Ichika to take them back the way they came. He put his arm around
Itzel, and she leaned her head against him.
“Where are the ruins?”
Paul asked. Ichika didn’t say anything, just pointed ahead. The brush
and ferns that surrounded them were head high and prevented their seeing
anything except along the trail. As they turned to go to where they
first entered the path, Kish’s men stood waiting. Ikan, Muluc, and Yochi
had machetes, and Gukumatz held a tranquilizer gun.
Paul asked. Ichika didn’t say anything, just pointed ahead. The brush
and ferns that surrounded them were head high and prevented their seeing
anything except along the trail. As they turned to go to where they
first entered the path, Kish’s men stood waiting. Ikan, Muluc, and Yochi
had machetes, and Gukumatz held a tranquilizer gun.
Paul and
Itzel stopped. Ichika, her eyes fastened on the ground, kept going until
she stood on the other side of the men. She turned back toward Itzel
but wouldn’t look at her. “What’s going on?” Paul demanded in Spanish as
he stepped in front of Itzel. Gukumatz raised his gun and shot a dart
into Paul’s stomach. Paul flinched at the pain and looked down at his
stomach. “What the ....” Paul yanked the dart out and threw it on the
ground. A small circle of blood soaked through his shirt. He lunged at
Gukumatz and swung his forearm around catching him on the bridge of his
nose. Blood spurted from Gukumatz’s nostrils as he fell to the ground; a
gash flaring open on top of his nose. Ikan and Yochi dropped their
machetes and jumped Paul.
Itzel stopped. Ichika, her eyes fastened on the ground, kept going until
she stood on the other side of the men. She turned back toward Itzel
but wouldn’t look at her. “What’s going on?” Paul demanded in Spanish as
he stepped in front of Itzel. Gukumatz raised his gun and shot a dart
into Paul’s stomach. Paul flinched at the pain and looked down at his
stomach. “What the ....” Paul yanked the dart out and threw it on the
ground. A small circle of blood soaked through his shirt. He lunged at
Gukumatz and swung his forearm around catching him on the bridge of his
nose. Blood spurted from Gukumatz’s nostrils as he fell to the ground; a
gash flaring open on top of his nose. Ikan and Yochi dropped their
machetes and jumped Paul.
“What are you doing?” Itzel yelled in
Lacandón. “Where is Kish?” Muluc grabbed her and threw his arm around
her neck, holding her from behind.
Lacandón. “Where is Kish?” Muluc grabbed her and threw his arm around
her neck, holding her from behind.
“Don’t you hurt her!” Ichika
screamed, as she advanced on him. Gukumatz stood up and wiped his nose
with his sleeve; blood soaking through his shirt to his skin. His stare
at Paul was chilling, and he swore at him in Spanish. Paul tried to get
up to come at him. It was all the two men could do to keep him down even
though his strength was ebbing. Gukumatz turned away from Paul and
pulled a cartridge and a dart from the bag on his shoulder and loaded
them into his gun. He walked to Itzel and shoved Ichika aside. He
lowered the gun and shot the dart into Itzel’s stomach. She flinched at
the pain and stared at Gukumatz. “You pig!” she spat.
screamed, as she advanced on him. Gukumatz stood up and wiped his nose
with his sleeve; blood soaking through his shirt to his skin. His stare
at Paul was chilling, and he swore at him in Spanish. Paul tried to get
up to come at him. It was all the two men could do to keep him down even
though his strength was ebbing. Gukumatz turned away from Paul and
pulled a cartridge and a dart from the bag on his shoulder and loaded
them into his gun. He walked to Itzel and shoved Ichika aside. He
lowered the gun and shot the dart into Itzel’s stomach. She flinched at
the pain and stared at Gukumatz. “You pig!” she spat.
Within a few
minutes Paul and Itzel were unconscious. Gukumatz pulled the GPS
trackers from their belts, turned them off, and slammed them against a
rock. He grunted as he picked up Itzel and slung her across his
shoulder. The other three men lifted Paul. They headed to the platform
ruins.
minutes Paul and Itzel were unconscious. Gukumatz pulled the GPS
trackers from their belts, turned them off, and slammed them against a
rock. He grunted as he picked up Itzel and slung her across his
shoulder. The other three men lifted Paul. They headed to the platform
ruins.
The place of sacrifice.
About the Author
I've lived in places that grew me . . . from a small Idaho farm town, a run-down neighborhood in St. Louis, and a middle-class southern California community, to Sydney, Australia, and Bucharest, Romania. My experiences are as varied as the places I've lived. I have a hopper full of "reality" including being a volunteer jail chaplain and flying with a U.S. presidential candidate in his small plane when an engine conked out. And all of this is fodder for my writing.
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GIVEAWAY DETAILS:Steve Dunn Hanson is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card PLUS an autographed copy of his book, Sealed Up!
Terms & Conditions:- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive both prizes.
- This giveaway ends midnight March 31.
- Winner will be contacted via email on April 1.
- Winner has 48 hours to reply.
ENTER TO WIN!
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