My novel is featured today on the Indie Spotlight, and here’s the information:

Title: The Usurper
Author: Cliff Ball
ISBN: 1453702725 or 978-1453702727
Page count: 184
Genre: Thriller
Price: $8.99 for Paperback, $2.99 for Kindle

Author Bio:

Cliff Ball currently lives in Texas, has a BA in English, currently pursuing a 2nd BA to eventually get an MA in Creative Writing. Cliff has published three novels, Out of Time, Don’t Mess With Earth, and now The Usurper. Cliff also works as a copy-editor.

Tell us about your book:

Ever wonder what would happen if our worst fears were realized and we elected someone who was willing to destroy the USA, even if he was destroyed himself? The Usurper is that novel. It is a fictional account of what would happen if the Soviet Union and KGB were given the chance to take down the United States from within. They use the American political system, education system, terrorism, and commit environmental disasters to achieve these goals.

The Soviet Union and the KGB refuse to let the purging of communists in the United States as awhole by Senator Joe McCarthy, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, deter them. Soviet Premier Khrushchev authorizes the KGB to embark on an ambitious, decades long plan to destroy the United States from within through the corruption of American politicians, the American education system, terrorism, and environmental disasters. Gary Jackson, the main character, is the fulfillment of the KGB plan to destroy the United States from within. They raise him from birth to hate everything about the United States, indoctrinate him, and introduce him to terrorists across the world, where the KGB dictates all terrorist attacks. When Gary is a teenager, he is sent to the United States to assimilate and begin his mission. Nothing will deter his goals of completely and utterly destroying the United States.

When the Soviet Union dissolves, he is given a choice, and he decides to continue with the mission. A terrorist organization ends up filling in the gap left by the absent KGB, and they, together with Gary, conspire to destroy everyone in the United States who doesn’t agree with them.

How long did it take to write the book?
It took it about six months to write.

What inspired you to write the book?

I’m into history and conspiracy theories, so I started with the quotation attributed to Soviet Premier Khrushchev where he said, “We will bury you!” in which he wanted to the people to overthrow the USA and other western powers, without the need of a military strike. I wove real terrorist attacks into the novel, and had the KGB actually responsible for it, no matter if the terrorists were right-wing or left-wing, as long as they were against the US, the KGB backed them. Originally, this novel was half written in the mid-1990’s, and included various conspiracy theories around at the time, so it was updated to include a few conspiracy theories, in a very fictional way and with names changed, for the past twenty years about President’s 41 through 44.

Talk about the writing process. Did you have a writing routine? Did you do any research, and if so, what did that involve?

I don’t have a writing routine. When I’m inspired, I’ll write. I did do some research, looked up the power structure of the Soviet Union and the KGB, where certain real-life Soviet leaders were at various points in the ‘60’s to the ‘90’s. I also have references to terrorist attacks and airplane hijackings, so I attempted to follow the original attacks but linked them to the fictional storyline of the novel. It involved doing a lot of searching online to find out about the TWA hijacking, the killing of Israeli athletes at the ’72 Olympics, both WTC attacks, and the Oklahoma City bombing, for example.

What do you hope your readers come away with after reading your book?

I would hope they’re entertained, and can see the alternate universe I created.

Where can we go to buy your book?

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Usurper-Cliff-Ball/dp/1453702725

Kindle – http://www.amazon.com/The-Usurper-ebook/dp/B003VP9VVK

Barnes and Noble – http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?r=1&ISBN=1453702725&r=1

Nook – http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?ean=9781452429205

Smashwords – http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18734

CreateSpace – https://www.createspace.com/3469577

Borders – http://www.borders.com.au/ebook/the-usurper/12699340/

Any other links or info you’d like to share?
Author website: http://cliffball.webs.com

Blog: http://cliffball.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cliff_ball

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cliff.ball.author

Excerpt from book:

From Chapter 4

For the next five years, by the time Gary was 10 years old, Agent Putin and John al Hussein had taught young Gary about their ideas of the evils of the world. They poured into his head all sorts of ideas about how the United States, in particular, had caused droughts in Africa, all the economic collapses in the world in the last two centuries, both world wars, and was a threat because of their use of nuclear weapons against Japan. They told him capitalism was evil and must be brought down.

“Can I ask why we use Comrade Bornos’ money for all of this if capitalism is so evil?” asked the 10 year old.

“Herr Bornos isn’t using his money for his gain. He is using it to fight the United States, that’s why he supplies us with everything we need monetarily. The KGB has the means, but, not the money. Does that make sense?” asked John.

“I guess. The United States is bad because the government doesn’t have total control and nobody is equal, while the Soviet Union is good because the government controls life and everyone is equal. Did I get it right?”

“Yes you did, very good Gary. We call that social and economic justice. Do you know who else is enemy of the people?” asked Putin.

“The enemy is anyone who questions the word of the government and the KGB. They must be destroyed; nobody can be spared if they disagree,”

“You know who is one of your enemies, Gary?” asked al Hussein.

“No, who?”

“One of your enemies is your mother. She doesn’t agree with the government controlling peoples’ lives, and she thinks terrorism to control the people is bad. What do you think we should do with her, Gary?” asked Putin.

“My mother is an enemy? But, she could be on our side,” Gary innocently said.

“We’ve talked about this before, Gary, and you know what you must do,”

“But… but…. I don’t want to do this,”

“Yes, I know, but she will destroy all that we are working for, and all of your future hopes and dreams. Again, I ask you, what should we do to people like her?”

Gary sighed, gulped a couple of times, and said, “The enemy has to die as an example to others not to think for themselves and do what they want. If my mother is an enemy, she must die,”

“Correct response. We need to go visit your mother and see that she is no longer a threat. Let’s go, Gary.” ordered Putin.

A few minutes later, the trio arrived at the house where Gary and his mother lived. They went inside, where Ann was in the kitchen cooking dinner, when she heard them come in. She went to meet them, saw her son, and went to hug him, but Gary didn’t hug her back, so she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“You are the enemy, you must be destroyed.”

Putin handed Gary a Russian-made Tokarev TT-33 service pistol, and Gary aimed it at Ann, who was shocked, and wasn’t sure what was happening. Gary, who had no expression on his face, aimed the gun, and fired point blank at her forehead, his mother had no time to react. Blood and brain matter spattered everywhere, Ann died instantly, and her body fell to the floor with a thud. Gary handed the gun back to Putin, left the room, and he was determined to leave this in his past, hopefully to never be dwelled on again. Putin checked to see if Ann was completely dead, which she was, and the three quietly left the house. Putin called for a clean-up and for the house to be destroyed.