Book Tour and Guest Post: Fade to Blue by Hank Scheer

 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  FADE TO BLUE by Hank Scheer
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  288 pages
Genre: Thriller 
Publisher:  Top Reads Publishing
Release date:  Mar 2023
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (USA), and ebook (MOBI FILE (FOR KINDLE), EPUB, PDF).
Tour dates: Mar 14 to Apr 3, 2023
Content Rating: ​PG-13 for some bad language

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"Fade to Blue kicks off with shocking twists and attention-grabbing characters. The ongoing discussions between cat and mouse are tense, especially as the lines between terrorists and anti-terrorists working undercover become blurred. The stakes are high but also personal—Marcel’s monologues, while not likely realistic, are a lot of fun. Filled with vivid characters and a fast moving plot, Scheer has written a winning page-turner." -BookLife, Editor's Pick 
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"Hank Scheer’s debut novel offers readers an engaging medical mystery, after which the plot becomes a swiftly paced thriller. Sarah is a capable and appealing protagonist, and a canny plot twist gives the narrative geopolitical heft and spurs interest in what might happen next." - Kirkus Reviews

"The secondary cast is vibrant and varied; their personalities are distinctive, and their conversations have a charming effect. Sarah’s combative exchanges with René, a French inspector whose penchant for sarcasm matches hers, add particular color. And the well-described settings further flesh out and ground the otherwise dizzying, swift-moving story. Working toward an open-ended but triumphant conclusion, Fade to Blue is an exciting thriller in which a scientist tries to stay alive after creating a brain-destroying drug that others want." - Foreword Clarion Reviews

"The strong characters, fast-paced action, and ethical dilemmas create thought-provoking reading suitable for book club discussion, contrasting nicely with other standout medical thriller genre reads." - Midwest Book Review

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Book Description:

Will Dr. Brenalen's unauthorized experiment lead to a cure for Alzheimer's, or will it be used for bioterrorism?

Biotech researcher Sarah Brenalen is frustrated by her boss’s dismissal of her controversial theory, so she secretly injects lab mice with experimental Alzheimer’s drugs of her own design. Sarah is stunned when one of her experiments goes horribly wrong. But Marcel and his international cabal are intrigued. Sarah's brain-destroying T-3 formulation could be just what they need.

Fade to Blue is a high-tech, fast-paced, cat-and-mouse game played for keeps. What Marcel didn't count on is that two can play this game.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N 
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Hank Scheer's writing journey began during a work break when a coworker said, "Hey, let's write a short story." They were working for a steel mill in Pittsburg, California, so brainstorming ideas became a fun way to pass the time.

At one point the following week, after the manufacturing process caused a computer to crash, Hank had his idea: an evil scientist creates a drug that destroys a person's brain.

Now it was a simple matter of plotting the story and writing it. Fade to Blue is the result of three trips to Paris, France, and long weekends spent driving around the San Francisco Bay area.

It doesn't involve steelmaking, but the science is just as real and the potential for trouble exponentially more terrifying.

Hank is now retired and lives in Martinez, California. He enjoys writing and recording music, world travel, biking, downhill skiing, and supporting other working people fighting for a better world.

connect with the author: website ~ goodreads

Guest Post:

Creating Sarah and Marcel

When I began writing Fade to Blue, my protagonist was an evil scientist named Edgar Brenalen, who concocts a brain-destroying drug to use against his enemies. I quickly decided there are enough evil people in the world and changed him to a well-meaning scientist who accidentally creates a horrific drug. That evening I told my wife I was going to write a book. To my surprise, she didn’t laugh.

“Really? What’s it about?” she asked.

“It’s about a scientist who’s working on a cure for Alzheimer’s. One day he accidentally creates a brain-destroying drug, and he . . .”

“Why does your scientist have to be a man? Why not a woman?”

Realizing she’d cut me off, she offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I interrupted you. Go ahead.”

“Thank you. Anyway, as I was saying, it’s about a scientist. One day she accidentally creates a brain-destroying drug.”

And just like that, Dr. Edgar Brenalen became Dr. Sarah Brenalen.

Sarah’s nemesis in Fade to Blue is a professional assassin named Marcel. While creating his character, I remembered the movie Three Days of the Condor, in which Max von Sydow plays a hitman named G. Joubert. Unlike the vile killers I’d seen in other movies, Joubert was a gentleman—well-dressed, articulate, and soft-spoken. He was an artist, listened to classical music, and just happened to kill people for a living.

I stole G. Joubert from Three Days of the Condor and made him Marcel Joubert in Fade to Blue.

Enter the Giveaway:

FADE TO BLUE by Hank Scheer Book Tour Giveaway

My Review: 

Fade to Blue is a fabulous debut for the new author Hank Scheer. I found this book to be one that held my attention from page one until all the way to the end. The mystery and suspense often had me sitting on the edge of my seat. With all of the twist and twists, I could feel my head was spinning, making it seem as though I was on a scary roller coaster. Whew, what a ride! This is one of those books I could never be able to predict as to what would happen on the following scenes, forcing me not to put it down. Sarah was a character that had me wanting to keep rooting for her. Her tale is filled with action, danger, adventure, mystery, and suspense. All of it had me thinking "what if", and if it could be something that could really happen.  It looks like Hank Scheer has earned himself a new fan, and his talents have truly shown through in this book.

I am giving Fade to Blue five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading suspense filled mysteries. I am looking forward to reading more books by Hank Scheer to find out what other thrilling reads he will release in the future. This one is most definitely not one to be missed and is worth reading. Readers will not be disappointed.

I received a paperback copy of Fade to Blue from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.