A NEW NOVEL BY:

TED WILLIAMS

Operation Firestorm

A small team of international terrorists are smuggled into the US and embed themselves among the illegal Mexican workers in the high desert of central Idaho. Working as hired hands they quietly prepare and attack Desert Flats Nuclear Research facility, as other terror cells simultaneously attack the transportation system. As the roadside bomb attacks continue to cripple the United States there is a critical shortage of Homeland Security and FBI agents to respond.
When the terrorists escape into the national wilderness area in the remote mountains of Idaho, the local sheriff of Sweetwater County turns to an unlikely ally, Ryan Cooper, a professional combat tracker to track the terrorists down. Immediately Cooper clashes with FBI Agent Manning. Fighting Mother Nature and an ego driven FBI Agent, Cooper doggedly pursues the terrorists, as a raging forest fire threatens them all.


A NEW RELEASE
Size: 6X9 Soft cover, 228 pages. ISBN 1-60813-962-X Price: $19.95. Available now at Publish America. To order online, go to www.publishamerica.com. Click on online bookstore, when it opens click on thriller, after the page opens click on page 30, when it opens click on the Operation Firestorm icon, this will take you to the online order form. Operation Firestorm coming soon through popular book outlets; Barnes and Noble and Amazon .com.


PUBLISHER: PUBLISH AMERICA

Frequently asked questions about Operation Firestorm

Why did you write Operation Firestorm?

My wife, Barbara quietly hinted that I should write the story when I related the basic plot to her during a casual conversation. Over time Barbara’s quiet hints were slowly taking form.
When I finally started to write the manuscript, I found writing dialogue difficult. All of my previous books were technical non-fiction with no dialogue at all. So there was a learning curve.
Originally it started out as a fiction piece to market my business, Tactical Edge, a security consulting and training company. Building on the many aspects of the story it grew in size and complexity.
Anytime you attempt to talk about security, your almost assured that it will be a hard sell. I thought if I could make the story interesting enough I could eventually begin to chip away at the current law enforcement culture of being re-active to being pro-active in addressing terrorist threats.
To do this, I simply did what all security professionals do. I played what if games, and developed a series of cascading events around them. In the case of Operation Firestorm, I asked myself, what would happen if terrorists combined rolling IED (improvised explosive devices) attacks on the nation’s transportation system with a simultaneous attack on a nuclear research facility? What are the national security implications? How would we respond?
In the middle of all this chaos I dropped Ryan Cooper, a professional combat tracker to assist the local County Sheriff track down the terror cell responsible for the bomb attack on a nuclear research facility.

How long did it take you to write Operation Firestorm?

From initial concept to first draft took nearly 9 months. With about 3 months of self editing and revisions. Even after submission to a publisher there were further revisions, and editing.

How did you go about writing Operation Firestorm?

Since I didn’t grow up with computers in the house or at school, all of my books are first written on legal pads before transferring them to the computer. This provides an opportunity to start adding or deleting material, and develop details which make the story more credible to the reader. You could also say it’s a form of early self editing.
The main idea at this point is to get the basic story on paper. I don’t worry about analyzing it, just let it flow. Once the first draft is completed, I can go back in the story and begin the serious task of self editing.
This is where things get real messy. All of my carefully typed pages are filled with cross outs, revisions and changes in dialogue. Along the margins I may include notes for further research.
The next step was to produce a number of review copies, for personal friends to review. The three main criteria I am focused on is did the story hold your interest to the end? Was the story believable? Did it flow easily along without snags? If I receive yes answers to these questions from all of the reviewers, I feel assured that I have a story that I can further develop.
I can usually find problems within the story by reading it out loud. This helps me identify areas that are difficult to read through. These areas are revised until the text flows without interruption. This works well on dialogue, and instantly lets you know if your characters dialogue is weak, out of context or simply doesn’t work.

How much research was required to write the story?

Every great story takes a great deal of research, and Operation Firestorm was no exception. Even though I have years of experience in law enforcement, protective security, and tracking to draw upon, issues came up that needed research.
This is one area I excel in. Research is an ongoing effort on literally dozens of subjects within a story. It’s the details, which if properly researched and explored make the story credible to the reader.

The main character, Ryan Cooper was not impressed with the FBI. Is this also a reflection of how you feel?

The fact is many of the FBI agents I have met are very professional and likable. When I was first starting out in Law Enforcement there was a lot of animosity between the locals agencies and the FBI. Even today in many agencies, there is still an undercurrent of animosity on both sides. In keeping true to the story and real life I chose to use this to develop this animosity to the breaking point.
In Operation Firestorm FBI Agent Manning is a natural at rubbing the local Law Enforcement agencies the wrong way. His attitude created problems within the FBI as well. Even after his face to face meeting with Asad, the terrorist leader and the resulting deaths of his partners he refused to believe he was wrong. In the end it led to his failure as a leader.

Why didn’t Sheriff Duncan know about Ryan Cooper before the attack on Desert Flats?

It isn’t because he didn’t know about Ryan. It has more to do with the fact that he didn’t take Ryan’s terrorism warnings seriously, writing him off as some kind of nut case.

All that changed after the bombing of Desert Flats, and the subsequent getaway of the terrorists into the National Wilderness Area, and the need for a competent tracker was identified.
I think the lesson here is very simple. Sheriff Duncan didn’t feel they were at risk for terrorism because they were relatively small and remote. He never thought of Desert Flats as a potential target, because historically nothing had ever happed there, and they were only a research facility.
As urban areas continue to harden themselves against terrorist attacks, terrorists will seek out more vulnerable targets. In that regard the facility became attractive. Small remote areas such as Sweetwater County are easy to infiltrate, live, work, and prepare an attack without notice.
There is no such thing as a safe place anymore. Rural areas no matter how remote could be potential targets of terrorism.

Don’t you think it’s unlikely that Sheriff Duncan would reach out and tap Ryan Cooper’s expertise?

Sheriff Duncan recognized immediately he had a technology gap. He needed a tracker to track down the terrorists, and was intuitive enough to understand the FBI would need that expertise as well. Being a pro active law enforcement officer he brought Ryan in.
The point of all this is to demonstrate that we all have a part to play in the war on terror. From the neighbor who reports suspicious activity to the professional counter terrorist who invoke the final option. We are all on equal footing.
A smart Sheriff will continually look for operational expertise that may be available in his jurisdiction. Subject matter experts may include linguists, protection experts, or IED experts to name a few. It shouldn’t matter that they come from government or civilian sources. In time of crisis they can be called on to serve.

Let’s not forget Ryan is uniquely qualified for the job, due to his combat tracking background, Military and Law Enforcement experience. He could contribute greatly to the operations success.

When will operation Firestorm be released and how can I buy a copy?

November 7th 2009 you can order your copy directly from the publisher at www.publishamerica.com or through other popular book outlets like Barnes and Noble or www.Amazon.com.

Is there a second book planned?

I am currently writing a second book as a follow up to Operation Firestorm. It will include our hero Ryan Cooper and FBI team leader Hayden, as they initiate counter IED operations against a particularly deadly terror cell. Ryan runs into a new type of deadly IED never before seen, that threatens them all. The first draft should be completed by Jan of 2010.

Excerpt from Operation Firestorm

They had been in Mexico City for nearly eight months now, and Asads patience was wearing thin. Tempers flared, living underground was emotionally and physically draining. The real fear of being caught was a weight that over time was taking its toll on his team.
Eight months of near total isolation in a safe house with four of his team members, immersing themselves in planning, training and learning the Spanish language and the culture left them all feeling like prisoners.
Recently the team had begun having more arguments over trivial things, and Asad knew it was from living in very close quarters for so long. His team was impatient and ready to move to the next step in the operation.
Asad, told himself to be patient with them. Allah would guide them to victory over the infidels in his own time. Even so, Asad was anxious to take up arms in the holy struggle, and reaffirm his commitment to Allah.


BOMB SEARCH AND INCIDENT PLANNING, BY TED WILLIAMS

A complete and revised edition, this book is an authoritative text on Bomb Search and Incident Management. It is applicable to military, Law Enforcement as well as corporate security. The increasing frequency of bombing incidents as well as IEDs makes this book a timely and valuable reference. As terrorists become more technologically advanced in their use of explosives, it is imperative that Law Enforcement do the same.

This edition features two special chapters on suicide bombers, and combat tracking in counter IED operations. This is a must read for those professionals who may have to respond to a terrorist bombing event. Written by a protection specialist and reviewed by technicians and terrorism experts internationally, this publication can assist in saving lives as well as millions of dollars in liability damages. Soft cover, 120 plus pages.

__________Book $29.95

__________Shipping and handling $5.00

__________Idaho residents add 5% state tax

__________Total amount

Send check or money order to:
The Tactical Edge
P.O. Box 566
Arco Idaho 83213

THE NEW TERRORISM FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, BY TED WILLIAMS

This timely publication provides a close look at domestic and international terrorist groups currently operating in the United States. Written for Law Enforcement officers this book provides valuable information on how terrorists pick their targets, as well as useful terrorist profiles, and information about how they finance their operations. This is a detailed guide for law enforcement, which provides critical information on tactical site surveys, intelligence gathering, command and control, as well as response to biological and chemical threats.

This publication also features a chapter on how to respond to a terrorist event, and safely investigate acts of terrorism. Other topics include surveillance operations, interviews of terrorist suspects, and finding fugitive terrorists, Soft bound, 100 pages

__________Book $29.95

__________Shipping and handling $5.00

__________Idaho residents add 5% sales tax

__________Total amount

Send check or money order to:
The Tactical Edge
P.O .Box 566
Arco Idaho 83213

SURVIVING TERRORISM, HOW TO TRAVEL SMART, TRAVEL SAFE
BY TED WILLIAMS

A guide to surviving in today’s terrorist oriented world. This is an informative and timely text that explains in detail how to travel safely. This is a must read for anyone who is planning a trip overseas or just across the country. It explains what to do if taken hostage, transitory protection, security and the family, hostage rescue and more. An excellent text that gives the traveler the tools to be secure and confident in their ability to travel safely in not so certain times. Soft bound, 103 pages

_________Book $29.95

_________Shipping and handling $5.00

_________Idaho residents add 5% sales tax

_________Total amount

Send check or money order to:
The Tactical Edge
P.O. Box 566
Arco Idaho 83213

THE COMPLETE COUNTER TERRORISM MANUAL BY TED WILLIAMS

An authoritative text, which explains in detail terrorist operations, and counter measures. This manual is applicable to Law Enforcement, Military, as well as corporate managers. Bomb search techniques and incident management are explained in easy to understand terms. Special chapters on suicide bombers, and combat tracking in counter IED operations details prevention, response, and post event procedures. Tracking in counter IED operations are completely new tactics, which the author has developed to locate, suspected IEDs.

This manual provides a close look at domestic, and international terrorist groups operating in the United States. This is a valuable resource, which provides chapters on tactical site surveys, intelligence gathering in rural operations, as well as investigating and responding to acts of terrorism. Responding to bio-chem, and radiological threats also receive attention.

Another must read, includes chapters on personal security and the family, risk assessment, transitory protection, as well as what to do if taken hostage. Detailed case studies of terrorist hostage taking noting what was done wrong, as well as what was done right make this a timely text, which provides a realistic look at terrorism, and counter measures. This one publication of over 300 plus pages provides valuable information, which can save lives.

___________Book $65.00

___________Shipping and Handling $5.00

___________Idaho residents add 5% state tax

___________Total amount

Send checks or money order to:
The Tactical Edge
P.O .Box 566
Arco Idaho 83213