The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it..
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.
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TIGER PAW by Charles A Cornell
I read this book some time ago, but it is so awesome, I wanted to share it with you!
“Carleton created IPO’s for them, turned a spectacular profit and everyone in the game won. Greed greased the wheels and the machine accelerated. It became a feeding frenzy.
“Just when we got in way over our heads, he dumped his stock – big time – and began short selling behind our backs.”
“You mean ugly enough to kill?”
(56% on Kindle)
BOOK BEGINNINGS
New York City was paralyzed four blocks either side of Broadway, all the way from Central Park to Wall Street. What had started as a relatively small Occupy Wall Street demonstration had now grown to over one million people – one million very determined people.
People without a clear mission.
Except to be angry.
Very angry.
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SYNOPSIS
As a serial killer wreaks havoc on Wall Street, dismantling a corrupt financier’s empire one body at a time, FBI profiler Scott Forrester uncovers the deadly secret of a demon-worshipping Hindu cult that is determined to change the very fabric of society. Firmly in their assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart their satanic plan?
Royal Palm Literary Award Winner for Best Thriller of 2012 –from the Florida Writers Association
Best Indie Thriller Nominee – Kindle Book Reviews
“A great variation to the thriller genre…the author blended a detective storyline with a thread of the esoteric which makes it stand out from other thrillers. The ending leaves you guessing… a well thought out story, with lots of action. Recommended for all lovers of thrillers and action books.” – Midwest Book Review
“5 Stars! – This book had my juices flowing-my heart pounding, blood boiling, anger, rage, PISSED OFF. It had me thinking of all kinds of things. So applicable to what is going on today. Believable. For a debut novel, I was really impressed.” – Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental Book Reviews
“This book goes far beyond a 5 STAR rating! Charles A. Cornell is a magnificent storyteller and his debut novel is brilliant. Tiger Paw was a very tumultuous read for me. It touches on everything that’s wrong in government and Wall Street. I can imagine the challenge he faces when writing the next novels. It will be hard to top this.” – Laura Thomas, FU Only Knew Book Reviews
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA! THIS JUST OUT! SNEAK PEAK OF THE UPCOMING NOVEL BY CHARLES A. CORNELL – DragonFly
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This is not the official cover. I have been issued a gag order at this time.
Feel free to tell us what you think.
What is your first impression?
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This is a new genre for Charles A. Cornell – sci-fi, fantasy. He has so much more in store for you, though. There will be many spinoffs, such as short stories, novellas and a full length sequel.
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Charles has been very secretive and it has taken much sucking up to get the scoop. If I tell you any more, well, you know………………………So enter at your own risk.
That being said, take this opportunity to have a voice, rise up and be heard. What do you think about the cover?
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To get HER version of the story, go talk to Laura at fuonlyknew.
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CHARLES A. CORNELL’S debut novel – Tiger Paw
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Best Thriller -Florida Writer’s Association, Royal Palm Literary Awards.
Charles wants you to know what he has been up to since writing his Award Winning novel Tiger Paw. I have been eagerly anticipating a peak into the new novel he has been working on so covertly.
It’s been quite awhile since I last posted. I apologize for that. The principal reason is that my new ‘Project-X’ has been extremely time consuming and blogging has taken a back seat. Last time, I said I was writing a new series but left you guessing on what its genre was. I said it wasn’t a mystery or a thriller like my Scott Forrester FBI novel, Tiger Paw. But other than that I was quite vague. So here is the first inkling of what Project-X is all about!
I’m calling it… DragonFly (and yes, the F is capitalized!)
I wouldn’t be a mystery writer if I gave out all the clues at once! This name is not the complete title of the series. If I added just one more word, it would give too much away. Yes, you’ve probably guessed that it will be a combination of science fiction and fantasy. But I can assure you there will be even more than that. Yes, it does have a dragon in it, but nothing like what you imagine a dragon to be! Yes, it has an evil wizard, but again like no other wizard I have heard of before in a fantasy work. If I’m saying that I’m trying to develop something VERY unique, in its own sci-fi & fantasy niche, then the answer is… yes, I am! (or else why do something that has been done before?)
It is a very ambitious project and because of that I’m going to need a lot of help.
DragonFly already has two very important collaborators… two artists whose talents are at the top of their respective fields. Coincidentally, they are both based in Europe. For the science fiction aspects of DragonFly, I have engaged a computer graphics artist from Spain whose code name is ‘Mr. C’. For the fantasy elements, including a very unique creature spawned from the evil mind of my wizard, I have commissioned work from a fantasy artist from Belgium who I will call ‘Mr. J’. In due time, their identities will be revealed and their work on DragonFly will be published here on my blog, on a new website I’m creating, and as illustrations in the first novel of the series.
Work on Lucifer’s Key, the sequel to Tiger Paw continues, but at a reduced pace. DragonFly is easier to write and I plan the first draft to be complete by the end of May. At that time I will go into revision mode and when ready I will be soliciting beta readers for DragonFly before it is published. Several of you have already volunteered, so I thank you in advance!
I expect the first novel in the DragonFly series to be published before Sept 1 and will have a website launch party this summer!
I’m very excited about DragonFly. As an author it has special writing challenges beyond the genre bending aspect of it, which in itself is a bit of a risk. I can also reveal that it will be written in first person from the perspective of a heroine whose quest will define the destiny of her country and will change the course of history. Be patient, you will meet her shortly!
Here’s your chance to discover why Tiger Paw was named the Best Thriller in the Royal Palm Literary Award Competition by the Florida Writers Association!
For three days only – from Saturday, November 17 to Monday November 19 – Charles A Cornell’s award winning thriller, Tiger Paw will be free at Amazon’s Kindle bookstore!
In Tiger Paw, FBI profiler Scott Forrester hunts an assassin belonging to a demonic East Indian cult that is wreaking havoc on Wall Street, murdering corrupt CEOs at the center of a billionaire’s stock scam. Firmly in the assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart the cult’s plans?
“Tiger Paw is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller— an intriguing story that grows exponentially from a serial killer case to a worldwide conspiracy involving financial corruption and religious zealotry on a grand scale. A well researched narrative with vivid descriptions that bring the story’s settings to life. Interesting twists and turns. An excellent debut thriller!”
– Royal Palm Literary Award Judging Panel
“A great variation to the thriller genre…the author blended a detective storyline with a thread of the esoteric which makes it stand out from other thrillers. The ending leaves you guessing… a well thought out story, with lots of action. Recommended for all lovers of thrillers and action books.”
“5 Stars! – This book had my juices flowing-my heart pounding, blood boiling, anger, rage, PISSED OFF. It had me thinking of all kinds of things. So applicable to what is going on today. Believable. For a debut novel, I was really impressed.”
– Sherry Fundin, Fundinmental Book Reviews
“This book goes far beyond a 5 STAR rating! Charles A. Cornell is a magnificent storyteller and his debut novel is brilliant. Tiger Paw was a very tumultuous read for me. It touches on everything that’s wrong in government and Wall Street. I can imagine the challenge he faces when writing the next novels. It will be hard to top this.”
– Laura Thomas, FU Only Knew Book Reviews
Tiger Paw is a thriller cloaked in mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. A story of people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. A story of greed, deception, and revenge. And a story of one man’s struggle to triumph against the greatest evil he has ever faced.
Tiger Paw has won the 2012 Royal Palm Literary Award for Best Thriller from the Florida Writers Association!
Here’s what the judges had to say about Charles A. Cornell’s debut novel:
Tiger Paw is a fast-paced, entertaining thriller— an intriguing story that grows exponentially from a serial killer case to a worldwide conspiracy involving financial corruption and religious zealotry on a grand scale. A well researched narrative with vivid descriptions that bring the story’s settings to life. Interesting twists and turns. An excellent debut thriller! – Royal Palm Literary Award Judging Panel
The judges for the Royal Palm Literary Awards were drawn from the FWA’s membership of current or retired teachers, librarians, professional editors, college professors, published authors, former RPLA winners, journalists, and presidents of writing and reading groups from both Florida and from states across the USA.
The announcements of the Royal Palm Literary Awards were made at the Florida Writers Association Annual Conference & Awards Banquet held in Orlando, Florida on October 19 – 21, 2012.
About Tiger Paw:
As a serial killer wreaks havoc on Wall Street, dismantling a corrupt financier’s empire one body at a time, FBI profiler Scott Forrester uncovers the deadly secret of a demon-worshipping Hindu cult that is determined to change the very fabric of society. Firmly in their assassin’s cross-hairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart their satanic plan?
Tiger Paw is a thriller cloaked in mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. A story of people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. A story of greed, deception, and revenge. And a story of one man’s struggle to triumph against the greatest evil he has ever faced.
International Giveaway of one signed First Edition paperback copy of the mystery thriller, Tiger Paw by Charles A Cornell. This is 1 of only 35 printed prior to small revisions for the Second Edition.
For a second chance to win another copy, see the author’s giveaway contest at www.CharlesACornell.com
Nominated in 2012 for Best Indie Thriller by the Kindle Book Review and Best Thriller by the Florida Writers Association, Tiger Paw is cloaked in mystery, psychological suspense and international intrigue. A story of people who have sold their souls in exchange for wealth and power. A story of greed, deception, and revenge. And a story of one man’s struggle to triumph against the greatest evil he has ever faced.
In Tiger Paw, FBI profiler Scott Forrester hunts an assassin belonging to a demonic East Indian cult that is wreaking havoc on Wall Street, murdering corrupt CEOs at the center of a billionaire’s stock scam. Firmly in the assassin’s crosshairs, Scott Forrester is forced underground to stop the killing spree. But will he survive the deal he must make with the Devil to thwart the cult’s plans?
During our giveaway of Tiger Paw, Charles came up with another giveaway idea. All you had to do was find the answer to the riddle. From Charles:
My Tiger Riddle: What is one thing tigers CAN’T do that other big cats can do?
1) Tigers can do this when they are little, but as they get older they get too heavy!
2) They can do this in one direction but have trouble in the other!
3) In cases of danger, like flooding, they will do this to save themselves but normally they are reluctant to do it.
The answer is CLIMB TREES!
Tigers will climb trees up to the age of sixteen months but after this age they’re too heavy for the branches! In the monsoon season in India and Bangladesh, they will climb a tree to escape flooding, but as the video shows, they can get up the tree but have difficulty getting down. They can’t figure ou that they need to descend backwards!
Congratulations to the First Round Winners: Jill – D.H.Nevins – Janna You’ve won a copy of Tiger Paw.
Once you’ve finished with the awesome trailer, please continue reading for the review and giveaway.
by Charles A. Cornell
Billionaire Matthew Colton was the fifth victim. He was found in his bathtub filled with red wine and an indecipherable script of symbols and lines ending with a bloody paw print. It was the same symbol left at all the crime scenes. His wine collection was worth over 13 million dollars. He had to watch as the killer dumped it down the drain, then filled the bathtub to drown him in it. Fits in with what’s going on today, people’s resentment of the rich and their flaunting of their wealth.
Dominic Sant’Angello looked out the window of his fancy 87th floor office of the John Hancock Center in Chicago, Illinois. He was CEO and principal shareholder of Sigma Venture Capital. He thought of two of their clients, Deuce Meredith, CEO at Razorback Software and Liang Wong, founder of Silicon Pathways, having been murdered. Now Matthew. Two deaths a coincidence? Not three. He was about to lose everything. Bankruptcy was just a matter of days away. He was finished.
FBI Profiler, Scott Forester had spent six months chasing a killer in Denver. He worked at the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime in Quantico, Virginia and had been called back to help when Matthew was killed.The first murder had been done in Florida, then two victims in Wyoming and now the Hampton’s.
The killer used the wine to torture Matthew and make him suffer. Was it a part of the killer’s ritual? Why? There had to be a pattern to all the murders. What was it? Deuce Meredith had been wounded and left alive, yet his guide had died instantly. Each victim had a specific torture attached to it. Was it a test? A contest? Payback? Was the killer making a statement?
I like when Scott places his order at the diner and the waitress reads it off the ticket to Archie in the kitchen:
“One hungry man’s, over cooked eggs, foreign toast and a bottle of red wine!”
“Red wine? Are you sure? With eggs?”
“Okay, make it white.”
Made me chuckle when Scott described it as Archie’s floor show.
Doctor Rajeev Chandra was sitting with the case notes, drinking a cup of tea, in the Garden Cafe at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and waiting for Scott and Special Agent Van Cleyburne. The Doctor had received the information and autopsy reports of the murders to examine. He told them they were meeting some people who would tell them about the killer. If they knew the motive, it would explain a lot, but if Doctor Chandra could tell them about the writing it may give them more clues. The writing was Sanskrit and the symbols were Hindu.
Doctor Chandra rose from the bench he had been resting on and they resumed their walk to the Freer Gallery, the gallery of Asian art. He wanted to show them three paintings, all different yet all the same, the God – Vishnu, Shiva and Brama. The whole exercise was designed to make them think differently. The final painting was the showpiece – The Revenge of Dvaipa. Could the killer be bringing his victims to Judgment Day? She is the daughter of Kali, Goddess of Death and Destruction. Dvaipa in Hindi means ‘from a tiger’ half human and half tiger. The Indian government had considered the sect that worshiped Dvaipa so dangerous they closed all their temples and scattered their sacred objects. She had been exiled to America. Satanists worshiped her. She was revenge Incarnate, the unholy scythe she wields – the Tiger Paw. Below the seated Demon Goddess the letters spelled out, “I am the energy of her divine anger”. The Signature – the incision in victims left earlobe to be able to use the victims own blood to write the message.
Miami – De Andre Antoin had been killed by a sniper bullet on his yacht. It was the same rifle that was used in Wyoming. California – Lian Wong had been strangled by a noose made from the hot air balloon’s guy rope. It was the first murder to use the signature. Now the Hamptons. What did the victims have in common? Why was each victim killed in such a manner that they died slowly? Channels Dvaipa’s anger and becomes her instrument of revenge – the Tigers Paw. Covers it all -Tiger Paw killer – motive – revenge.
Scott’s at the diner again:
“Heart attack on a plate with fries coming up. And a crushed dead fish salad.”
5 STARS – Would buy for Them (lol)
I worked as a waitress and bartender for years, so maybe that’s why these funny tidbits stand out to me.
The cover is awesome. I love the vibrant colors and the photo draws you in, trying to see further into it. Good, catchy title, made me want to know what the story was about. Both the cover and the title lead into the story and with me that is always a good thing. It’s not a quick read and from the very beginning it will draw you in. You will not want to put it down.
Full of intrigue. Complex mixture of plots. Wall Street bigwigs. Greed. House of cards. Scams. Reading along thinking I know were all this is going, all of a sudden there’s another story angle intertwines with the others. Jamie was pathetic. Your typical “it’s not my fault” loser. But what would you do to protect the only family you have? The characters were well-developed and you will love them or hate them. All I kept thinking was, they got what they deserved, ignoring the 99% and thinking the world was theirs for the fleecing.
Should 401Ks, IRAs…be invested in Wall Street, which we all know is full of corruption? What doesn’t change? If you have the money, you have the power and control. Everyone’s rules are different. Things done in the name of religion, fanaticism. When I thought the fight would be over, something would happen and it would continue making me wish it would be done before something worse happened and my hero lost. .
This book had my juices flowing-my heart pounding, blood boiling, anger, rage, PISSED OFF. It had me thinking of all kinds of things. So applicable to what is going on today. Believable. For a debut novel, I was really impressed.
I thought it was ironic that while I was reading this, Shiva was mentioned on the new TV show, Perception.
The ending had me shocked and bummed. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. It has a “killer ” ending. It left me asking ????????????????????? I had to pose the question to the author who responded ?????????????????????????????????????? No peeking. It is definitely worth waiting til you arrive at the last sentence, the last word. You will deprive yourself of an awesome ending, so once again, NO PEEKING!!!!
Giveaway – Charles has been kind enough to offer three ebooks of his debut novel, Tiger Paw. As always, entry is easy. Just leave your email address along with a comment to Charles telling him what you like about tigers. Giveaway ends August 31, 2012 so be sure to enter soon.
Please feel free to like this post and tweet it out to your friends.
It is not required. but following my blog and twitter are always appreciated.
BONUS PLUS: Tigers can swim. The Jaguar is the only other big cat that likes to do this. But, there is something that tigers don’t do that other big cats can do. What is it? The first correct answer gets a copy of Tiger Paw!
THIS JUST IN. We have our three winners to the mini-giveaway- the Bonus Plus. The answer was climbing trees! The three lucky winners are: Janna – D.H. Nevins – Jill
To see what happens when Tigers climb trees, check out this video below:
There are still three ebooks up for grabs.
I am curious to see Laura’s review. Even though we are sitting here together, I won’t be able to see her review until we push that publish button. One, two, threeeeeeeee!
Visit Charles blog to find out more about his mission to save the tiger.
About the author
Charles A Cornell was born in England, raised in Canada and now divides his time between Michigan and Florida. After 35 years of global business experience on three continents, Charles A Cornell brings a diverse and unique perspective to his fiction. His novels are mystery thrillers carved from today’s headlines, blended with action and intrigue, and cloaked in psychological suspense.
The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda’s Voice.The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and find any sentence or a few ( no spoilers) that grabs you and post it..
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
To see my 5 STAR review of Tiger Paw, go 
