Never for Glory: Josh Kavanagh Thriller, Book 2 by Lloyd Lofthouse
Publisher: Three Clover Press (June 25, 2023)
Category: Action, Suspense, Thriller, Love Story (but NOT a romance)
Tour dates: January 11-February 22, 2024
ISBN: 979-8988505709
Available in Print and ebook, 293 pages
Description Never For Glory by Lloyd Lofthouse
He’d give his life for his country. But this time, it’s personal.
Josh Kavanagh burns for vengeance. Parachuting with no backup into a lawless area of southern Venezuela, the Special Ops legend is intent on hunting down the rogue agent who put his wife in a coma. But as soon as he gets feet on the ground, the loyal protector discovers he’s dropped into a trap… and a sex trafficking operation run by the Russian mob.
Fighting his way out and desperate to rescue the victims with minimal body count, Josh plans a daring raid on a remote ranch. But after learning the identity of the mastermind behind the hit on a former lover, the talented operative takes the law into his own hands on a hell-bent solo mission for revenge…
Will Josh’s single-minded thirst for justice finish on the wrong side of a gun barrel?
Never for Glory is the pulse-pounding second book in the Josh Kavanagh thriller series. If you like determined heroes, tough conflict ripped from the headlines, and page-turning action, then you’ll love Lloyd Lofthouse’s pursuit of payback.
Excerpt Never For Glory by Lloyd Lofthouse
From Never for Glory CH. 28
He thought the mess they were in was his fault. Wanting to catch the monster that almost killed Rachel, he’d carelessly rushed into a mission without one of his special ops teams and no backup plans. He’d never done that before. That recklessness had almost gotten Mia, Adrienne and the others killed, and this shit-show wasn’t over yet.
His stomach was tied in knots and ached. It also didn’t help that his mouth tasted awful from the coffee beans. With him as useless baggage, the odds were against her making it to the coast. It was time to say goodbye and send her on her way. He didn’t see another choice. He didn’t have to lie to her… much. All he had to do was convince her to go to the coast alone and meet The Oath Group Team on the trawler.
“What’s taking so long?” he called, hating the sound of his feeble voice.
“You will see,” she replied.
“I want to talk to you.”
“So, talk.”
“To your face.”
“Porra de merda,” she cursed. “No time for this.”
Jesus, he thought, she sounded like someone on a special ops team. God, he was going to miss her. Then he laughed, grimacing from pain as he did so. Once he was dead, he would miss no one. That cursed emotion was for the living, the friends and family that might grieve after he was gone. He knew what that was like. He still grieved, survivor’s guilt, for all the team members he’d lost.
He didn’t fear death, but unbidden memories of his SERE training had triggered a lot of lost sleep over the years, often waking up drenched in sweat, desperately gasping for air. The only person he’d talked to about what happened during Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training was Dr. Tate. It was one of those courses you wanted to forget that refused to leave you alone when you slept.
During SERE, the red team had captured him and waterboarded him in a shed with black widows, their webs clouding the ceiling, crowded with eggs, hundreds of spiders hanging there watching. When he wasn’t strapped to that chair with the cloth bag over his head thinking he’d die as they poured water over his face, there was the loud poetry and music filling that freezing, bare concrete cell so he couldn’t sleep. Sometimes, when he awoke in the dark from one of those flashbacks, he heard that freaky recording of Boots, a poem by Rudyard Kipling, or Throbbing Gristle’s Post-punk crap, taking him back, shivering on the wet concrete, praying for silence, begging God for the peace that came with death.
That’s why on missions, he always carried a pill and reserved one pistol round in case he lost or couldn’t reach the pea-sized cyanide capsule. If SERE wasn’t the real thing, he didn’t want to find out what was.
And with all the top secret shit he knew, there was no way he’d risk becoming a prisoner and propaganda tool for his country’s enemies. If he’d been with one of his teams, they would’ve carried him out, even if he was dead. They’d all been through SERE, and knew what each of them would do to avoid capture, explaining why special ops teams will fight to the death against overwhelming odds.
“What you want?” she asked, opening his door, bringing him back from those past horrors.
Breathing slowly, he looked her in the eyes. “Show me you still know the morse code I taught you.”
With a sigh, she fished in a pocket and took out the small laser light and showed him she knew what to flash at the trawler. “Now, I go back to work.”
“Not yet. When my team picks you up, they’ll take care of you. I already made the arrangements. I want you to know you’re going to be safe in your new life. Cat and Clay will treat you like family.”
Since losing the cyanide in the Toyota, when the truck exploded at the roadblock, he had no choice but to use the Sig Sauer, right after he set the truck on fire to burn his body to charcoal. Leaving no evidence that might be traced back to him and The Oath Group.
Clearly irritated by his silence, she placed both fists on her hips and repeated. “No time for this!”
Unbidden, his eyes filled with tears, and his nose started leaking. “You’re not making this easy, okay?” His voice cracked; tears blurring his vision. Good God, why did his fucking emotions have to betray him and turn this farewell into a melodrama?
“I’m trying to say goodbye,” he continued, forcing the words out. “The odds are against you making it if you have to lug me through these mountains to reach the coast. That’s why you have to go alone.” Now was the time for the little lie. “After you link up with the team, you can bring some of them back to get me. That wristwatch will guide you to this spot.”
Her silence wasn’t what he’d expected, along with her angry expression. Why wasn’t she arguing with him? Damn! He wanted—no, needed—a different parting, one that at least ended with a hug or handshake. He tried one more time. “If we don’t see each other again, I want you to know that you have earned my deepest respect. I’m proud of you!”
She continued glaring at him. “Finish it, puta de cu punk,” she said, spitting the words at him like shards of ice. “You lie!”
That shocked him. Drying up the tears. “Okay,” he said, fighting anger, wondering why she’d insulted him like that.
Adrienne reached into a pocket and pulled out a handful of bullets. “I’m not stupid, idiota,” she said, …
Praise Patriot Oath (The Josh Kavanagh Thrillers, Book 1) by Lloyd Lofthouse
“The writing is fantastic, and the characters are very well-developed. Although this is a great work of fiction, if you are a conservative, a Christian, or a Trump supporter, you probably don’t want to read it.”-Lisa’s Writopia
“The author did a fine job of fleshing out his characters. Overall, the story carries you in fine style toward the conclusion. It gets a bit gory at the climax but with the news stories we see today on the television and internet, it’s not uncommon to see these things. I understand that there will be another book in the series called Never For Glory and this reader would be interested in seeing how it picks up the storyline.-Marion, Moonlight Musings
“a fascinating storyline that jumps out on the first page and does not quit giving till the last. The action is incredible with lots of new gadgets and toys for the guys to play with. The mystery and intrigue keep redlining and blowing off the top. The best part is the descriptions and details that Lloyd brings to us to put us right in the middle of the action, so don’t forget to breathe while you’re reading! Certainly, can’t wait for the next book from this exciting author! An amazing read from a former US Marine and now giving us a sample of his knowledge.”-DeeGott
“excellent characters, interesting moral ambiguity. sad ending. but one of the best books of its type that I have read in a long time.”- Gary Furrow
“I really enjoyed this book, particularly the characters. I will be disappointed if this not book 1 of a multi-book series.”-Joe D.
“Excellent book, story and clear history to the end. I strongly recommend the book and the book writer to be followed.”- Cesar Carreras
“I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great story and unforgettable characters!”-Daniel Pyle
About Lloyd Lofthouse
Multi award winning author, Lloyd Lofthouse is a former US Marine (1965—1968) and combat vet managing PTSD. After the Marines, he went to college and earned a BA in journalism and later an MFA. After working as a nightclub maître d, he taught English and journalism in a public high school. For his first published novel, My Splendid Concubine, Lloyd visited mainland China several times to learn more about that country’s people, culture, and history.
He’s the author of the award-winning novels My Splendid Concubine, Running with the Enemy, The Redemption of Don Juan Casanova, and the memoir Crazy is Normal, a classroom exposé. His short story, A Night at the Well of Purity was named a finalist in the 2007 Chicago Literary Awards.
Websites: http://lloydlofthouse.org/ & https://thesoulfulveteran.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lflwriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lloyd-Lofthouse-168775989838050/
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This giveaway is for 3 ebook copies and is open to the U.S. only. This giveaway ends on Feb 23, 2024 midnight, pacific time. Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.
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