After killing off Big Chang, Little Chang, Jian-mei's mother, and taking the sanity of our heroine, it was time to clean up the mess. The tanker of oil provided for the financial futures of Billy Ray, Cloud, and Jian-mei. Unfortunately, General Ping was still out and about for future reference. Billy Ray, in his own twisted way, decided to salvage Jian-mei. He took her to his family home on the banks of the Sulphur River in East Texas. With help from Cloud and the healing powers of the piney woods, Jian-mei gradually regained her composure. While she regressed at times during the year they spent there, she made more forward steps than backward ones. She regained the ability to love and to trust. Finally, she announced that she would like to leave her safe haven for a visit to the outside world in celebration of her pregnancy.
The sequel has a working title of Day of Vengeance. It is finished and edited, but I am not satisfied with the finished product. I will get away from it for awhile and, likely, add a few more chapters. It is a bit thin. General Ping, his renegade buddies, his chief of staff, Maryanne, Cloud, Jian-mei, and Billy Ray all made the cut. The plot is based on some drug wars in Dallas instigated by the General. He also makes the mistake of trying to kill Billy Ray's and Jian'mei's new baby. Big Mistake!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Plot Work
We got our characters in all sorts of trouble, then the time came to settle the issues. We tried to give each cast member the latitude to act as their character dictated. We expected the worst from Big Chang, Wen-biao, and General Ping. Jian-mei was the product of her horrible life, but we gave her the opportunity to recapture her humanity through her feelings for Billy Ray and her mother. Maryanne became a major character in how the scenario played out. Hong, our man in London, continued to be a shadowy figure, but important none the less.
We expected the best from Cloud, Billy Ray, and Maryanne. We got nothing less. Jian-mei's mother died at the hands of Big Chang. Even though he felt secure surrounded by the security of his own headquarters in Macao, General Ping's man got to him. The word seeped down to Jian-mei about the death of her mother and her father, and she went berserk. She killed Wen-biao knowing he was her blood brother. The act pushed her over the edge and she, essentially, lost her mind. Billy Ray, for reasons that even I don't understand, took her under his wing and nursed her back to mental health. Cloud survived the efforts of Wen-biao to take her life by the skin of her teeth. Maryanne cleaned up after Jian-mei, took over the tanker of oil, and negotiated a settlement with Billy Ray for the money.
Next: The conclusion.
We expected the best from Cloud, Billy Ray, and Maryanne. We got nothing less. Jian-mei's mother died at the hands of Big Chang. Even though he felt secure surrounded by the security of his own headquarters in Macao, General Ping's man got to him. The word seeped down to Jian-mei about the death of her mother and her father, and she went berserk. She killed Wen-biao knowing he was her blood brother. The act pushed her over the edge and she, essentially, lost her mind. Billy Ray, for reasons that even I don't understand, took her under his wing and nursed her back to mental health. Cloud survived the efforts of Wen-biao to take her life by the skin of her teeth. Maryanne cleaned up after Jian-mei, took over the tanker of oil, and negotiated a settlement with Billy Ray for the money.
Next: The conclusion.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
What went wrong?
The fact that Mossad stumbled onto the renegade plot to steal the warheads and sell them to Iran was purely serendipitous. The Israelis feared that Iran would bring their nuclear program out in the open and that there would be nothing they could do about it. No longer would Israel be free from nuclear retaliation should they bomb the nuclear facilities in Iran.
Strangely, the Iranians blew the deal when they did not deliver the quality of oil promised. General Ping went ballistic. The Iranians didn't care since the warheads were at sea and under their control. Ping ordered the deaths of Billy Ray, Cloud, Big Chang, and his old friend, Chung, in London. Meanwhile, he fled China. His comrades planned to leave a couple of days later, but fell victim to the PRC who imprisoned both.
Chang Wen-biao and Cloud got together for disparate purposes. Finally, Wen-biao and his buddy, Chan Ya-gong got the word to eliminate Billy Ray, Cloud, and even Jian-mei. All of this took place while the deal was being consumated in Monte Carlo. The bottom line asks--who killed who?
Strangely, the Iranians blew the deal when they did not deliver the quality of oil promised. General Ping went ballistic. The Iranians didn't care since the warheads were at sea and under their control. Ping ordered the deaths of Billy Ray, Cloud, Big Chang, and his old friend, Chung, in London. Meanwhile, he fled China. His comrades planned to leave a couple of days later, but fell victim to the PRC who imprisoned both.
Chang Wen-biao and Cloud got together for disparate purposes. Finally, Wen-biao and his buddy, Chan Ya-gong got the word to eliminate Billy Ray, Cloud, and even Jian-mei. All of this took place while the deal was being consumated in Monte Carlo. The bottom line asks--who killed who?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Minor Characters
In no particular order, I will describe some minor characters. Some became almost major considering their impact on the story:
Chang Wen-biao was the son of Chang Dong-hue, aka Big Chang. Wen-biao was worth a chapter. He was a handsome, brutal man who was groomed to lead the Chang dynasty in Macau, but he constantly failed to live up to the standards demanded by his father. As a result, he became the enemy of Jian-mei and would have killed her but was warned off by Big Chang.
Chan Ya-gong was Wen-biao's companion and body guard. He was physically designed after the character "Odd Job" from the Bond movies. Ya-gong was in the background for several scenes in the book.
Hong Ben-zhou played a major role in both Macau and London. He began by running the streets on the heels of Big Chang as they grew up. When he got on the bad side of the People's Republic of China, he fled the country and set up shop in London. He met up with Billy Ray while consumating oil deals, and they formed a good working and personal relationship.
Lee Pan-kie, recruited early in the game by General Ping, acted as his right arm. He managed Ping's schemes whenever action was required. Lee escaped China on the heels of his commander.
Pan Wei-song was a tragic figure, but necessary for the theft of the warheads. He paid for his trusting soul with his life.
Yang Gu-jun was the close comrade of General Ping and a long-time associate. He ascended to the military council in the politboro and worked closely with Ping and Zhao to promote their agendas.
Zhao Ming-juan, also a politboro member, was the third member of the renegades along with Ping and Yang. We made him physicall interesting by taking an eye, a hand, and a foot. To complete the picture, we gave him buck-teeth and a verbal whistle.
Chang Wen-biao was the son of Chang Dong-hue, aka Big Chang. Wen-biao was worth a chapter. He was a handsome, brutal man who was groomed to lead the Chang dynasty in Macau, but he constantly failed to live up to the standards demanded by his father. As a result, he became the enemy of Jian-mei and would have killed her but was warned off by Big Chang.
Chan Ya-gong was Wen-biao's companion and body guard. He was physically designed after the character "Odd Job" from the Bond movies. Ya-gong was in the background for several scenes in the book.
Hong Ben-zhou played a major role in both Macau and London. He began by running the streets on the heels of Big Chang as they grew up. When he got on the bad side of the People's Republic of China, he fled the country and set up shop in London. He met up with Billy Ray while consumating oil deals, and they formed a good working and personal relationship.
Lee Pan-kie, recruited early in the game by General Ping, acted as his right arm. He managed Ping's schemes whenever action was required. Lee escaped China on the heels of his commander.
Pan Wei-song was a tragic figure, but necessary for the theft of the warheads. He paid for his trusting soul with his life.
Yang Gu-jun was the close comrade of General Ping and a long-time associate. He ascended to the military council in the politboro and worked closely with Ping and Zhao to promote their agendas.
Zhao Ming-juan, also a politboro member, was the third member of the renegades along with Ping and Yang. We made him physicall interesting by taking an eye, a hand, and a foot. To complete the picture, we gave him buck-teeth and a verbal whistle.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Showdown
The scene was set. We had several protagonists, several antagonists, stolen warheads, and a boatload of crude. For the deal to reach fruition, the Chinese must deliver the warheads to Iran, collect the oil, sell the oil, and distribute the proceeds.
Billy Ray in the company of Cloud McFarland connected with Chang Wen-biao and Feng Jian-mei in Monte Carlo. My co-author, Dick, and I spent a week in that unusual city for the sake of research. We visited the French Riveria and the walled city of St. Paul de Vance as well. All of these places found their way into the book. A dinner at the Hotel de Paris accounted for another chapter. The real dinner was memorable because of the $2K bill for four people. Back in the Gulf of Mexico, Dick and I shared a deep-sea fishing excursion on the boat of a friend, and that trip accounted for two chapters. It is so much easier to write about something one has seen or done.
Not really understanding the nature of the Chinese, the Iranians substituted heavy crude for light. While the difference was only $500K or so, the renegades were offended. They panicked and began killing people. One act triggered another. Jian-mei was ordered to take out Billy Ray, but found that she could not do so. Meanwhile back in Macau, her mother attempted to kill Big Chang. He turned the tables and killed her. The next day, the renegades killed Big Chang. Jian-mei learned of her mother's death and that Big Chang was her father. She went into a rage, killed her half-brother, and lost her mental equilibrium. Billy Ray picked up the pieces.
The timeline for these events was a challenge because they occurred during a matter of a few days.
More later......ES
Billy Ray in the company of Cloud McFarland connected with Chang Wen-biao and Feng Jian-mei in Monte Carlo. My co-author, Dick, and I spent a week in that unusual city for the sake of research. We visited the French Riveria and the walled city of St. Paul de Vance as well. All of these places found their way into the book. A dinner at the Hotel de Paris accounted for another chapter. The real dinner was memorable because of the $2K bill for four people. Back in the Gulf of Mexico, Dick and I shared a deep-sea fishing excursion on the boat of a friend, and that trip accounted for two chapters. It is so much easier to write about something one has seen or done.
Not really understanding the nature of the Chinese, the Iranians substituted heavy crude for light. While the difference was only $500K or so, the renegades were offended. They panicked and began killing people. One act triggered another. Jian-mei was ordered to take out Billy Ray, but found that she could not do so. Meanwhile back in Macau, her mother attempted to kill Big Chang. He turned the tables and killed her. The next day, the renegades killed Big Chang. Jian-mei learned of her mother's death and that Big Chang was her father. She went into a rage, killed her half-brother, and lost her mental equilibrium. Billy Ray picked up the pieces.
The timeline for these events was a challenge because they occurred during a matter of a few days.
More later......ES
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Enter Mossad
Finding a place for an Israeli beauty in a story about Chinese and east Texas folks took some creativity. Our Rhone Valley sweetheart made her way to the land of her mother, Israel. Unable to deal with the loss of her own true love back in France, she chose to make a place for herself in Mossad. Our story opens at a called meeting of department heads in Tel Aviv for the purpose of reporting some strange information coming out of China. I used several characters in this meeting. I took their names from some Jewish tennis buddies.
Mossad serendipitously discovered the theft of the warheads and traced them to the port of Macau. One of their best agents, an ex-patriot Chinese in London, informed them about Billy Ray's involvement in moving the oil. The agent was a life-long friend of Big Chang and set up a meeting with his son, Jian-mei, and Billy Ray for the purpose of arranging the transportation and sale of the oil. Maryanne was assigned the project and she deliberately hooked up with Billy Ray at the meeting in London. He was unaware of her affiliation with Mossad. They spent a night together that cemented their relationship.
To complicate matters, Chang Wen-biao, Big Chang's son, despises his half-sister, Jian-mei. The feeling is mutual. Neither of them realize that they are related.
Next: How the deal implodes.
Mossad serendipitously discovered the theft of the warheads and traced them to the port of Macau. One of their best agents, an ex-patriot Chinese in London, informed them about Billy Ray's involvement in moving the oil. The agent was a life-long friend of Big Chang and set up a meeting with his son, Jian-mei, and Billy Ray for the purpose of arranging the transportation and sale of the oil. Maryanne was assigned the project and she deliberately hooked up with Billy Ray at the meeting in London. He was unaware of her affiliation with Mossad. They spent a night together that cemented their relationship.
To complicate matters, Chang Wen-biao, Big Chang's son, despises his half-sister, Jian-mei. The feeling is mutual. Neither of them realize that they are related.
Next: How the deal implodes.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Making a connection
While Cloud prospered in New York, and Billy Ray built his oil trading business, Feng Jian-mei suffered under the hand of the Korean, Ki Jin until one day at the age of seventeen, she snapped. Big Chang’s men found the old man crumpled in a heap of broken bones. Jian-mei expected to lose her life, but she heard nothing from Big Chang. Over the years, she had proven to possess a high level of academic prowess, but she was surprised to learn that Big Chang had enrolled her in the University of Macau. Three years later, she graduated at the top of her class. Soon, offers from graduate schools around the world arrived. Big Chang chose Cambridge and informed her through an intermediary. After reading international finance, she returned to Macau, met with Big Change, and they ironed out the details of their relationship. Jian-mei would take a position in Chang Limited and perform the wet work he prescribed. If she followed the plan, her mother would remain safe. Jian-mei agreed to the plan but promised retribution if any harm came to her mother. Big Chang would have expected nothing less.
We tried a number of products that our heroes could trade that would involve the Texas connection, but could come up with nothing other than oil. Since the Iranians had oil, we need something to trade to the Iranians for oil. At first, we tried cruise missiles, but found that Iran already had a stable of such weapons. We decided to steal nuclear warheads from the military, and in order to do that, we needed a People’s Liberation Army person to pull off the theft. Along came General Ping and his two politburo companions. Nearing retirement, the general found no satisfaction with his future, so he chose to do something about it. He arranged to substitute counterfeit warheads for the real thing and move them to Macau for shipping. Then, he and his companions met with the Iranians and arranged to trade the warheads for a tanker of oil.
Having no expertise in the movement and sale of oil, the renegade Chinese contacted Big Chang and gave him the task of arranging to have the oil picked up from the Iranians, shipped to India, and sold at market value. Chang contacted Billy Ray and charged him with the task. Viola! We made the connection. Now we had a story involving Jian-mei, Cloud, and Billy Ray. Next, we needed to bring in Maryanne.
We tried a number of products that our heroes could trade that would involve the Texas connection, but could come up with nothing other than oil. Since the Iranians had oil, we need something to trade to the Iranians for oil. At first, we tried cruise missiles, but found that Iran already had a stable of such weapons. We decided to steal nuclear warheads from the military, and in order to do that, we needed a People’s Liberation Army person to pull off the theft. Along came General Ping and his two politburo companions. Nearing retirement, the general found no satisfaction with his future, so he chose to do something about it. He arranged to substitute counterfeit warheads for the real thing and move them to Macau for shipping. Then, he and his companions met with the Iranians and arranged to trade the warheads for a tanker of oil.
Having no expertise in the movement and sale of oil, the renegade Chinese contacted Big Chang and gave him the task of arranging to have the oil picked up from the Iranians, shipped to India, and sold at market value. Chang contacted Billy Ray and charged him with the task. Viola! We made the connection. Now we had a story involving Jian-mei, Cloud, and Billy Ray. Next, we needed to bring in Maryanne.
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