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Press Release: Wisconsin Author Pens Second Novel Waterford, WI---Fans of James Patterson, Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton will have reason to celebrate 2007. Dan River Press, the fiction arm of the Conservatory of American Letters based in Thomaston, Maine has contracted with area author Joel Narlock for a technothriller novel called Soft Target: The Air. Scheduled for release in July, Narlock's second novel is the first of a four-book series under the Soft Target mantra featuring terrorism committed on U.S. soil. The Air details an attack on America's aviation industry. "If you fly, or expect to, or enjoy flying, DON'T READ THIS BOOK!" Robert Olmsted, Publisher and Conservatory President warned. "I accepted the novel thinking it was 100% fiction, including the Entomopter, a pigeon-sized mechanical insect that the terrorist uses to threaten aircraft. I thought that the Entomopter was a science fiction device, but it is a genuine technological wonder designed so NASA could survey planetary landscapes. In this otherwise fictional story, a terrorist gets hold of a few Entomopters and brings down three jet liners. It is unstoppable by any security system currently in place. The terrorist just has to be able to see a plane taxi onto a runway for takeoff. We'll be sending a manuscript copy of the novel to all security and law enforcement agencies. Readers can actually see an Entomopter online. It's a very scary premise." Published in 2003, Narlock's first novel was Target Acquired, a fast-paced thriller about one of the U.S.'s most closely guarded weapons---the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, which garnered national attention in the Iraq War. In his famous speech to the United Nations, then Secretary of State, Colin Powell commented that "UAVs constitute an ideal method for launching a terrorist attack." Narlock's access to declassified documents and research with some of the top experts in the field gave Target Acquired a frightening authenticity.

			Book Reviews
			"Before reading this book I had a basic understanding of what a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) was. I'd seen photographs and video of the Predator in Afghanistan, supposedly used to hunt down members of Al Qaeda. After finishing Narlock's novel I think I know more about them than I wanted to. It's apparent that these radio-controlled planes fascinate Narlock and he certainly does his best to make the reader aware of how important they are and will be in the future. Quite possibly this type of vehicle would make it possible for the military to minimize the use of human pilots in bombing and surveillance runs, only utilizing the Top Guns in those situations where the immediate response of a human pilot would be necessary. The story follows the development team for the TIGER, a very high-tech UAV which would work in almost any terrain (urban, desert and jungle), utilizing not only the latest surveillance innovations, but capable of carrying a number of lethal armaments as well. The team is the usual group of brilliant, individuals who are forced by circumstances to work and live together. Just like in all such situations, some of the folks just do not get along. There is also the distinct possibility, hinted at early on, that one or the group has a hidden agenda. When the TIGER finally goes off on an 'independent' mission, the book hits high velocity, with Narlock doing a nice job of finally bringing so many threads together. Three stars. Hey, I liked it!" Steve Chaput, Parting Shots "This was a well-researched book with lots of insight into the world of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). When I got to thinking of all the good that can be achieved through their use, it made me feel very excited. The story was about a company that develops a stealthy and capable UAV for the U.S. government. Very informative and I recommend this book for its technical know-how and some thrills. Rating: A-" Hamzah "The Sheikh" Book Reviews "Great Read! So believable it was frightening. Characters were very well done, fully realized and complete human beings, not stereotypes. I am looking forward to more from this author." Avid Reader "I thought the book was well written and suspenseful. There was good character development and the subject matter was something I've never seen before. It's a little too close to possible and that was somewhat disconcerting. I've never heard about this type of weapon system before. An interesting subject, especially in this day and age." A Reader
			Soft Target's official launch is October, 2007. Advance copies are available now from this site, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.com or for an autographed copy from Joel, click here. All forthcoming media and reader book reviews will be added to my site when published. Be the first to review Soft Target: The Air and have your name posted here!
			Events
			I'm planning an aggressive publicity tour for my second novel, Soft Target: The Air, and the schedule will appear here by event and date. If you would like me to appear at a function, store, or event, send an email to either my editor Robert Olmsted cal@americanletters.org or me by clicking the 'schedule an appearance' email link below.

Joel Narlock   P.O. Box 160   Waterford, Wisconsin 53185   Schedule Appearance