"Ludlumesque" Thriller, DEPARTMENT THIRTEEN, Wins 2012 IPPY Gold Medal

Kansas-born, Adelaide-based bestselling author JAMES HOUSTON TURNER wins a 2012 Independent Publishers Book Award GOLD MEDAL for his "Ludlumesque" thriller, Department Thirteen (Comfort Publishing).
By: 2 Oz Productions
 
 
Department Thirteen book cover (Comfort Publishing). Graphics by Reed Karriker.
Department Thirteen book cover (Comfort Publishing). Graphics by Reed Karriker.
May 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Coming on the heels of being voted the USA Book News "Best Thriller of 2011," James Houston Turner's bestselling thriller, Department Thirteen (Comfort Publishing), has just scored another award with a prestigious GOLD MEDAL in the thriller/suspense category of the 2012 Independent Publisher's Book Awards.

Said Turner from his home in Adelaide, South Australia, "I thought I needed caffeine to start my day, but this was a power breakfast all on its own. I check my emails every morning at 5:30am, and the President of Comfort Publishing, Pam Tolen, had sent me an email congratulating me for the award. I was so pumped I forgot about the coffee. My deepest thanks go to my wife, Wendy, for supporting me all these years in my writing; to Pam Tolen and all the remarkable people at Comfort Publishing; to Qantas Airways, Jacob's Creek wine and King Island Dairy, for helping sponsor my 2011 Department Thirteen USA book tour; to all the fans who have lifted me on so many occasions with their emails, prayers and support; to the actual KGB agent who, at tremendous risk to himself, inspired the creation of Aleksandr Talanov; and of course to the great people at the Independent Publisher Book Awards. This is the first gold medal I've ever received for anything, so I'm deeply honored."

Department Thirteen has been described as "Ludlumesque" by The Dallas Morning News, "Unputdownable" by critic Peter Goers at The Sunday Mail, "Masterful" by Who magazine (Time Inc), and "A ripping good thriller" by Samela Harris, News Ltd.

UK film and book critic Daniel Cann, who has read both Department Thirteen and an advance review copy of its upcoming sequel, Greco's Game, calls Turner's signature hero, Talanov, "a modern day knight [and] champion," and says Greco's Game  ". . . is a bold move and gamble by author Turner, taking his creation (Talanov) into radically different territory. Human trafficking is a subject rarely tackled, so Turner cannot be accused of playing it safe for his follow up to Department Thirteen.”

"I want readers to be surprised and delighted with each Talanov thriller," says Turner. "This incredible award, the IPPY, lets me know I'm off to a great start. Thank you again for this wonderful honor."

Attracting thousands of entries from numerous countries, the Independent Publisher Book Awards (the "IPPYs") are open to all members of the independent publishing industry, and to authors and publishers worldwide who produce books written in English and intended for the North American market. Since the inaugural contest in 1996, over 4,500 books have received IPPY Awards. A complete list of the IPPY Award winners can be found at http://www.independentpublisher.com/2012_IPPY_Awards_Resu....


ABOUT DEPARTMENT THIRTEEN

Department Thirteen -- the assassination and sabotage unit of the KGB -- never officially existed. But retired KGB colonel Aleksandr Talanov knows that it did, and it's but one of the many secrets he's worked hard to forget.

Now living in Australia, Talanov and dozens of dinner guests are suddenly the target of assassins. On a stroll to the beach with his wife, Talanov and Andrea are mistakenly spared, but soon find themselves running for their lives: hunted by the killers, blamed by the police, increasingly pivotal to an invisible network of death about which they know nothing.

But someone thinks they know.

For in 1983, a second Department Thirteen was created and Talanov discovers they have but one purpose: to kill him, whatever the cost.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Kansas, JAMES HOUSTON TURNER turned to writing fiction as a result of his years as a smuggler behind the old Iron Curtain. He has been on a KGB watchlist, organized secret midnight meetings with informants, located hidden mountain bunkers, and investigated legends of forgotten tunnels beneath the cobblestones and bricks of some of Central Europe's most venerated cathedrals. A former journalist in Los Angeles, he holds a Bachelor's Degree from Baker University and a Master's Degree from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. He and his wife, Wendy, a former triathlon winner, live in Adelaide, South Australia.

You may visit him at http://www.jameshoustonturner.com.
End
Source:2 Oz Productions
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Tags:Ippy Awards, James Houston Turner, Department Thirteen, Comfort Publishing, Adelaide, Book Awards, Thrillers, Fiction
Industry:Books, Entertainment, Literature
Location:Adelaide - South Australia - Australia
Subject:Awards
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