Stinger: Operation Cyclone (Rick Fontain 2) by Bill Fortin

Publisher:  Cold War Publications (February 9, 2018)
Category: Action/Adventure, War, Military, Crime
Tour dates: May/June, 2018
ISBN: 978-0996478618
Available in Print and ebook, 432 pages

Rick Fontain is back… This Cold War adventure takes the reader inside the classified exploits of Senator Charlie Wilson and CIA’s Task Force Chief, Gust Avrakotos. Strange bedfellows they were… their alliance proved to be one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the CIA. Stinger: Operation Cyclone recounts the outcomes of their efforts.

The adventure begins with the election of Ronald Regan in 1979. This was the same year that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Early in 1982 POTUS called for a plan of action to arm and finance the Jihadi warriors known as the Mujahideen. Operation Cyclone was the code name assigned to this project.

Rick is re-united with his Redeye instructor, Andy Davis, and together they would design a plan to kill buku Russian aircraft. The operation stalls until Rick thwarts an assignation attempt on one, Maalouf Torki bin Taisei. Mr. Taisei is a Malaysian government official. He is also the largest arms dealer on the Pacific Rim.

The Russian KGB suspects that President of Pakistan, Zia, and his ISI have aligned themselves with the American’s. Their attacks are fierce, but, the result was not what they expected. President Regan issued a change to the original operation requirements. The gloves were to come off. Rick Fontain is told to do whatever it takes to get Stinger into the hands of the Afghan Freedom Fighters.

American Special Forces, the Green Beret and DELTA, are sent to the ISI’s Ojhri Camp located just outside of Islamabad. CIA operatives LTC Jim Pezlola and CWO Gary Larson, solicit the Mujahideen Command to provide students for the very first class of Stinger shooters.

Rick takes the graduating class into Afghanistan to the Russian airbase at Bagram. The rest… as they say… is history. Operation Cyclone may not have ended the Cold War, but it certainly had weakened the Soviet Union’s resolve. So much so… that in 1993 it financially collapsed.

Trailer Stinger: Operation Cyclone (Rick Fontain 2) by Bill Fortin

Stinger:Operation Cyclone from Bill Fortin on Vimeo.

Praise Stinger: Operation Cyclone (Rick Fontain 2) by Bill Fortin

“This story has it all, war, politics, history and more. Enjoyable and thought provoking. I stumbled upon Bill’s first book Redeye Fulda Cold and really liked it so I decided to try his follow-up. Great read! Can’t wait to read the next one. I can easily see it being adapted for the big screen. From the opening scene in the elevator to the scene high on the narrow path to the helicopter attacks, crashes and the sad death of Rick’s friend and fellow Stinger expert Andy Davis, this book has it all. Terrific international locations and cast of characters and compelling story of providing and attempting to control the transfer of weapons and expertise needed for their use to be successful. You feel immersed in the detailed descriptions of locations in Afghanistan, Kula Lumpur, London, etc. Bill’s greatest strength as an author may be his ability to make you question how much of this is fact and how much is fiction.:”-billq, Amazon Review

Praise Redeye Fulda Cold: (Rick Fontain 1) by Bill Fortin

“With a smooth, wry touch, Bill Fortin spins a page-turning Cold War tale capturing both the great bravery and the occasional comic moments — some intentional, some classic SNAFUs — of U.S. military intelligence saving the world from Russia invasion.”- W.E.B. Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV, #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Authors

Rick Fontain tells us about his exciting adventures through a first person narrative.  As a reader, I felt that I could connect easily with Rick on his incredible journey as he takes you by the hand and doesn’t let it go until the last page. Fortin does a remarkable job of describing the people and the landscape of the late 1960s, while throwing more light onto the tactics that the American military deployed to contain Russia in the Cold War. I certainly hope that this isn’t the last we have heard from Rick Fontain, and do hope that there is a sequel in the near future, as I cannot wait to read more of this young hero’s adventures and more of his infectious good humor. Fortin has put together a remarkably well written story with a vast amount of meticulous research.”- C.R.Putsche, Amazon Review

“a fascinating, eye-opening story of the American military move to contain Russia during the Cold War in the late 1960s, when most American eyes were focused on Vietnam. Told in short scenes, making the plot really easy to follow. There is a lot of detail—I was surprised, for example, to read about the use of drones in 1969—but always the story spins out in real-life scenes. It is clearly an army account, but the emphasis stays on “story.” Descriptions, of churches, towns, airplanes—all the scenes of the book—are so good we can “see” the places. Dialogue is snappy and real. I felt I got to know Rick Fontain, and look forward to meeting him in future historical novels. He has a freshness of view that makes the very tough Cold War story understandable. Extensive footnotes show the thorough research behind this book, and above all, it is so well written that I was always surprised to see how many pages had gone by. Read this to be entertained, but also to discover a successful and little-known war-front deployment that Americans are grateful for.”-Kay In Seattle, Amazon Review

“Bill Fortin’s, Redeye Fulda Cold, is a historically accurate, yet humorous account of one soldier’s mission during the Cold War.
Although written as fiction, the novel is an exercise in authenticity, with stretches illuminating the technical expertise required for a unit to accommodate seemingly never-ending revisions to Cold War objectives. Fortin cloaks the technical military facts and technology in character moments, using them to highlight Fontain’s sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor. Can’t wait to read the next Rick Fontain novel!”-Lisa Wieman Meerdter, Amazon Review

Interview With Bill Fortin, Author Stinger: Operation Cyclone 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are those of the author’s, Bill Fortin  and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus.

TR: Please tell us something about ‘Stinger’ that is not in the summary.  (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

BF: The late 1980’s was a missed opportunity not only for the United States but the entire world… It was yet another example, probably the largest ever, of the failure of communism.  The conservative President Ronald Reagan made demands to the General Secretary of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev… Reagan’s speech at the wall in Berlin lead the way for the destruction of the Berlin Wall… this ultimately led to the dramatic downfall of communism in Europe.  Even so… the succeeding U.S. President’s all failed to mold a meaningful strategic relationship with the Russian people.  A lost opportunity, for sure, in the history of the world.  The Russian people will not be speaking out to any of us any time soon…

TR: Without giving away spoilers, what is your favorite scene in the ‘Stinger’?

BF: The conversations with President Reagan were special… I wish I had the opportunity to meet him in person growing up.  And, of course, the very real character of Senator Charlie Wilson whose patriotism and perseverance saved the Afghans and forced the Russians from their country.

TR: Why?

BF: Ronald Reagan’s conservative vision cemented America’s leadership on the world stage.  In 1989 President George W. Bush was faced with a series of decisions that had outcomes that are still being dealt with today… Ross Perot threw a monkey wrench into the Presidential election of 1992. The result of eight years of the Clintons set the stage for present day world events … In 2014 the people of the Ukraine felt the full force of Vladimir Putin’s resumption of the Cold War.  The question I raise… would 4 more years of George Bush, the senior, have produced a different result? A Russia behaving differently than the one we see today?

In 1982 Charlie Wilson found 2 different CIA’s at work in Afghanistan… his ‘under-the-table’ partnership with Gust Avrakotos, the Afghan Task Force Chief for the Central Intelligence Agency, provided the pathway framework through the proverbial minefield that led to the defeat of the Russian military.

TR: Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

BF: Chris Pine as Rick Fontain and Kevin Costner at Bill Douglas.  Also, there would be a whole lot of 60’s rock & roll songs… just saying!

TR: How much time and effort went into your research for the book?

BF: The two most asked questions …Number one, how long did it take to write the manuscript? And, the second most asked… ‘I read your book… Did that really happen?’ In other words… ‘How much of what you wrote was based on personal experience?’

Well… Redeye was at least 60% real and took about 6 months to finish the submittal document to the editor… the people, the places, and the weapons… were formulated on past memories and research of that time period.  Stinger, on the other hand, required the same research effort but the time line was extended due to some family circumstance requirements… STINGER, while based on the actual accounts of the Afghan War, Stinger recounts certain events and battles that take place in the mid 1980’s. The narrative of Stinger: Operation Cyclone includes many famous people of the time, however, the storyline and conversations are 100% fiction.

Are any of your characters based on real-life friends or acquaintances?

I think we all know where the character Rick Fontain hails from…  My first novel, Redeye Fulda Cold, was chocked full of friends and acquaintances from my time in service.  These were the people I served with in 1969…  Stinger, not so much. 

Tell us about your cover. Did you design it yourself?

As the graphic suggests… the injection of the Stinger missile into the mountains of Afghanistan is articulated very well on this novel’s cover.  The illustrations were gathered from several sources and put on canvas by S.R. Walker Designs, based in Atlanta, GA.

Describe the room you are sitting in as though it was a scene in one of your books.

OK, you asked for it… The room is located on the lower level of our home.  And, because of the contour of the land the lower level opens onto a full access to the back yard.  I’m seated on my favorite Father’s Day present.  A dual leather recliner with a console storage unit installed between them.  Each chair has full motorized position control.  Directly in front of me, just 9 feet away, is an array of digital HDTV monitors.  At the center is a 65” screen surrounded by six 32” displays.  Each one capable of being interchanged by a multi-input HDMI digital switcher. The services available are CCTV, Multiple MAC/Windows 10 work stations, SAT TV, and Internet subscription services.

Directly above me is a large Hunter ceiling fan.  To my immediate left is a large red brick fireplace with a substantial wood storage bin built into the wall. Across the room to my right is an ‘L’ shaped wet bar that seats 6 comfortably.  The entire room is paneled in wood, a knotty pine, from the 1960’s.  All in all, if reading one of my novels doesn’t cure your insomnia, sitting in this room certainly will.

TR: What writers have you drawn inspiration from?

BF: This is a great question.  I found Mark Greaney in 2013 when I was trying to understand the Catch-22 marketing protocols; designed to keep all new author publications completely secret from the published marketplace.  Mark had released several of the Gray Man series by this time… he had just joined up with Tom Clancy and has been on fire ever since.  Mark is one talented guy… he has been extremely supportive.

Barry Eisler redefined… for me at least… the true meaning of the term action packed.  Yes, I would suggest anyone show jumping his storyline character, John Rain, should be wearing a seat belt while turning the pages…

WEB Griffin, aka. Bill Butterworth and son, I would say… have had the most influence on my writing. I find one of the traits I look for in a novel is its appeal to be revisited and re-read from time to time.  I have re-read every one of their stories more than I care to admit…

TR: What do you do when you are not writing?

BF: Since retiring from Bell Labs in 2001 I’ve been wearing several different hats.  Besides being the CEO of Integrated Building Solutions, INC, I am a member of Rotary Club of Westminster which involves me in a number of domestic and international projects.  I also do a lot of data networking pro bono work in the local retirement communities.

We have 3 border collies, McGee, Moss, and Molly, who demand a great deal of play time. The 2 cats, 2 parrots, a Betta named ‘Silver’ not so much.  My wife’s two horses pretty much round out our normal ‘28’ hour day…

TR: What are you currently working on?

BF: Book 3 of the Cold War trilogy, Medellin: Acapulco Cold, is well under way.  Hopefully we can get it done by year’s end. 

About Bill Fortin

Bill Fortin served in the United States Army, 3rd Armor Division, from April 1968 to the first part of 1970. In 2012 while transporting Redhawk, a Quarter horse, to a medical facility in Pennsylvania he had a flashback to 1970.  The cause was the turnpike signage that pointed to the VA Hospital at Perryville.   He knew at that moment that the exploits of Cold Warriors of 40 plus years passed had waited long enough to be told. The result was a novel entitled Redeye Fulda Cold.

He had retired from Bell Labs in 2001, and is currently the CEO of IBS, Inc., specializing in systems engineering. He has a Master’s in the Management Sciences from the University of Baltimore. He lives with his wife Judy, a gaggle of Border Collies, and other 4 legged and featured companions in the rolling hills of Westminster, Maryland.

Website: https://booklaunch.io/704732506290559/54bfb1709a8c4222149ddd7e
Blog: http://billfortin.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bill.fortin.104
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillFortin

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