Giveaways

(1) $25 Amazon Gift card & (10) e-book copies of the “shorts” in the Enigma Series

Our cyber-crime learning curve

We thought it would be fun to share how much we have learned about cyber-crime since we began writing the Enigma Series.

Breakfield and Burkey learned early that there is no shortage of ideas to take into the next stories. Breakfield had suggested a trilogy when The Enigma Factor was nearly completed. Burkey, however, insisted on a series. Technology evolution is so fast and so prevalent that each day brings a new way to position the risks in stories.  Add in our travel, relationships, intrigue, good and evil character universe, with a splash of humor, and you will discover a fun story.

What we find unsettling is seeing ideas or threats we felt were possible but unlikely showing up as current cybercrime exploitation, front-page headlines. We hope we are not giving the criminal element any ideas of what to try next!

Parts of what we see with digital evolution is ugly and terrifying, which is another lesson. For instance, we came across some real-life examples of using software programs run on high-end graphics computers to produce deep fakes. These films, videos, etc., are the result of deep learning or a desire to create fake media. These types of applications use deep fakes to distort legitimate information and weaponize it. 

Case in point, a manufactured video was used to ruin a political career in Malaysia.  Using enhanced audible engineering, a convincing voice mail was constructed using the voice of a U.K. firm’s CEO demanding a targeted CFO transfer nearly 200,000 British pounds to a Hungarian bank account.  Social engineering powered by AI & ML. Outrageous and yet prevalent!

We used the concept of deep fakes in our story threads in our newest techno-thriller, The Enigma Threat, which leans heavily on this latest attack vector from the Darknet. Readers might recall what Obi-wan said in the original Star Wars. “Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them!” Of course, it’s a little impractical for us running around in this galaxy using a Jedi masters’ lightsaber to defend ourselves from the bad actors of the Darknet. Plus, our stories are more Science / Technology facts rather than Si-Fi. However, if that is the only way to win, we might reconsider.

Amazon, Netflix, and smart cities such as Barcelona, Spain all have artificial intelligence and machine learning baked into their operational models. These elements help drive sales, suggest the next streaming media series, or help efficiently locate an open parking spot downtown. Many see the positive benefits, but we are in a race with bad actors from the Darknet to survive their predatory onslaught.

We agree artificial intelligence and machine learning have many positive use cases. The benefits of using visual perception, speech recognition, language translations, pattern-extraction, and decision-making capabilities support several different fields and industries. Sadly, these digital inroads are often abused for criminal and malicious purposes.

Therefore, it is urgent to understand the capabilities, scenarios, and attack vectors that demonstrate how these technologies are exploited. By working toward increased awareness, we are more prepared to protect systems, devices, and the public from sophisticated attacks and abuses.

In 2016, we published book 7, The Enigma Gamers. We envisioned ways cyber thugs could capitalize on artificial intelligence and machine learning enhancements for extortion and profit.  Imagine two criminal masterminds, each with their own enhanced supercomputers hammering multiple businesses and governments for sport and profit. Picture a wholly automated mining operation when all of its computer-driven equipment turns on itself after the organizational management rejected the call for blackmail monies to be paid.

What if a fully automated distribution center ruined every product in the warehouse?  Utilizing a space the size of an enormous sports event venue, or downtown of a small city, with automated programs piling all the consumer products for sale in a heap. We created several scenarios where our cyber heroes dispatched personnel to locations to stop the digital carnage. Then the heroes needed to discover the identity of the evil masterminds of this global mess.

Does this sound farfetched?  The Trend Micro, the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and Europol people don’t think so. Many folks in technology agree with the possibilities and provide the documentation on their analysis to back up the cases. Breakfield and Burkey continually scan the technology horizon looking for interesting facts to adapt to intriguing and possible storytelling.  You might enjoy looking at our Kickstarter campaign for The Enigma Threat to see the book trailer and other exciting details on this book releasing January 2, 2021.

Blurb: The Enigma Threat

In the new digital world, there is no tolerance for privately owned supercomputers. Globally, computers are hunted and destroyed for the greater good, by the new cyber police CESPOOL. The information this group receives is manipulated by subversive hidden machine learning devices, the MAG running on the dark net.

Judith and Xiamara are freebooters who steal machine time for their PaaS, porn as a service business. The machine they chose for delivery is the last untapped supercomputer not in the hands of a sovereign. Their activity is spotted by the MAG, but the renegade R-Group steps in to alter the outcome. Leroy teams up with Zara to help these opportunists escape prosecution. They are drafted as reluctant participants in the fight.

Jacob and Quip are trapped in the Chihuahuan Desert trying to reconstruct the base of ICABOD’s logic core. The stress of their isolation is taking a toll. Their wives and children are safe in Brazil for the time being, but Interpol is prowling for answers.

The R-Group has assembled a way to communicate with orphaned satellites. While the next R-Group plans the ultimate honey pot to trap their nemesis who is driving their corrupted agenda. The odds are against R-Group’s success, but they have creative surprises on their side.

The stakes have never been higher. The R-Group young and old must rise to defeat the MAG.

Author biographies

Breakfield is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He’s also a fan of wine tastings, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking.

Burkey is a 25+ year applied technology professional who excels at optimizing technology and business investments. She works with customers all over the world focusing on optimized customer experiences. She writes white papers and documentation, but found she has a marked preference for writing fiction.

Together they create award-winning stories that resonate with males and females, as well as young and experienced adults. They bring a fresh new view to technology possibilities today.

Contact Breakfield and Burkey

Email:            Authors@EnigmaSeries.com

Website:      www.EnigmaBookSeries.com

Blog:              https://EnigmaBookSeries.com/the-enigma-chronicles/category/blog-statement/

Connect and follow on Social Media: 

LinkedIn:      https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesbreakfield  and

https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxanneburkey

Twitter:        https://twitter.com/EnigmaSeries  

and https://twitter.com/1RBurkey

Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/TheEnigmaSeries/

YouTube:      https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Vz4x5ctTnx3yUhZk1OJkw

Pinterest:     https://www.pinterest.com/enigmseries/

Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/enigmabookseries/

Bublish:        https://bublish.com/author/breakfieldandburkey

RRBC:            https://ravereviewsbookclub.wordpress.com/about-breakfield-burkey-enigmaseries-rrbc-rrbc_community/

To follow along with the rest of the tour, please visit the authors’ tour page on the 4WillsPublishing site.  If you’d like to book your own blog tour and have your book promoted in similar grand fashion, please click HERE. Thanks for supporting these authors and their work!

We took the boys to EuroDisney for four days the week before Christmas in 2009. That year saw heavy snow in the UK and France and I was thrilled by the white world, taking dozens of photographs. Here are a few that include doors, of our trip to the station to get the Eurostar to EuroDisney and in the park.

Thursday Doors is hosted by Dan Antion at No Facilities blog. This prompt is on its annual haitus but I decided to do it this week anyway because these photographs remind me of great Christmas and New Year’s past. You can find out more about Dan Antion and his fascinating blog here: https://nofacilities.com/2020/12/31/looking-back-ahead/

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Hope is everywhere

Within each unfurling bud

In the sun’s hot rays

And winter’s bitterest chill

Morning always dawns

By Roberta Eaton Cheadle

This poem is written for Colleen Chesebro’s #Tanka Tuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge. You can join in here: https://wordcraftpoetry.com/2020/12/29/tanka-tuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge-no-209-last-challenge-of-2020/

She’s multicoloured

While he’s solid black and white

She’s a bright rainbow

He’s plainly comfortable

A perfect combination

By Roberta Eaton Cheadle

This poem is written for Mindlovemisery Menagerie’s photo challenge. You can join in here: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/12/22/photo-challenge-346/

‘What is one thing you would like to learn?’

This is an interesting question and one I had to reflect on today.

When I finished school, I did an aptitude test and studying accountancy was recommended. It was quite an irony as my biological father was a chartered accountant. I never knew him as he died when I was three months old, but his abilities were clearly passed down. I studied for years to qualify as a chartered accountant and that has been my day job for over twenty years.

In 2012, I decided I had an interest in economics. As mentioned previously on this blog, the firm I work for gave me the opportunity to research, write, and publish a series of publications about Investing in Africa. My research covered a myriad of topics including the ease of doing business in Africa, Corruption in Africa, the African stock exchanges, the African mining and mineral exploration environment, the African debt market and the fourth industrial revolution and Africa. I also researched and wrote articles about other stock exchanges and investment environments. This satisfied my interest in economics and enabled me to ‘study’ the parts that interested me without being bogged down in the stuff that doesn’t interest me which is what would have happened if I’d undertaken an economics degree.

History and literature have both always been interests of mine and I get to indulge both of these passions with my reading and writing hobbies. I read everything and anything including classics, children’s books, graphic novels, poetry, plays, non-fiction, and many other genres and types of books.

My writing allows me to dive into historical research as my books and stories nearly always have a historical thread. While the Bombs Fell is about World War II in the UK, Through the Nethergate explores a number of historical periods and some famous historical people too and A Ghost and His Gold [coming out in January 2021] is about the Second Anglo Boer War.

Many of my short stories are also based on real historical events. I have two South African frontier stories in Spirits of the West anthology, a story about the Inca child sacrifices in Spellbound anthology, three historical stories in Death Among Us, and a story about the destruction of the pink and white terraces in New Zealand in forthcoming anthology, Wings & Fire.

I am also interested in genetic engineering and the fourth industrial revolution and my writing has also enabled me to expand my interest and research in these two areas. One of the result short stories will appear in Wings & Fire and another may be in another forthcoming anthology.

My conclusion is that both my work and my hobbies have enabled me to dive deeply into all areas of study and research that interest me. As a result, I don’t feel there is any particular thing that I would like to have studied that I haven’t already investigated or won’t have the opportunity to look into in the future.

What would other blog hoppers like to learn. Follow the link below to find out.

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

InLinkz

Thank you to author, Stevie Turner, for nominating me for this award. You can read her post here: https://steviet3.wordpress.com/2020/12/17/the-mystery-blogger-award/

The Rules:

• Display the award logo on your blog.
• Thank the blogger who nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
• Mention Okoto Enigma, the creator of the award.
• Tell your readers 3 things about yourself.
• Answer 5 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
• Nominate 10 – 20 bloggers.
• Notify your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Ask your nominees 5 questions of your choice, including 1 weird or funny question.
• Share the link to your best post.

Do you find it difficult to come up with interesting topics to blog about?

I am a bit of fly by the seat of my pants blogger. On this blog, Roberta Writes, I participate fairly regularly in a couple of writing prompts, a photograph challenge, and a blog hop, I share extracts and news about my writing and latest books, I share book promotion posts and book reviews, and anything else that grabs my fancy. I am not a planner and very rarely schedule posts ahead of time.

Where do you find inspiration for your blog posts?

As mentioned above, I am a pantster blogger. If I see a writing prompt and inspiration strikes, I write for it. If it doesn’t inspire me, I don’t write for it. I never try to force my creativity. I read a huge amount and I post one review a week on this blog and another on my children’s writing and baking blog. I also share photographs of my garden and my travels as and when I think of it or feel inspired. I am a very unplanned blogger which is why it is a total relaxation for me. My work and writing life is very structured so I deliberately keep my blogging hobby unstructured and fun.

What’s the best thing about Christmas?

In South Africa, Christmas falls during our hot summer. It is the time when we have our main holiday period for the year. The schools and universities close for approximately five weeks and businesses that are not involved in retail or entertainment, close for between three and four weeks. I love being on holiday at this time of year as my clients are also on holiday so it is peaceful and I can relax.

Christmas is a big family time for me. All three of my sisters and their families live close by and we all visit each other and host each other over this period. I usually host Christmas, Hayley hosts Christmas Eve and Catherine hosts New Year’s day. My sisters and their children drop by frequently over this period and the kids all swim and entertain each other.

I am a summer person so this time of year is my favourite and I love my beautiful and colourful garden.

Would you eat a worm if you knew you would be a millionaire after you’d eaten it?

Sure, mopane worms are a delicacy here in South Africa and a lot of people eat them. I have tried them once and they’re not that bad although I wouldn’t make them a regular feature on my menu.

A TV dinner or caviar and champagne?

Neither of these fits me. I have never eaten a TV dinner in my whole life. In my family, someone cooks every night unless we go out for a meal. We never go out for ‘take away’ meals, but always to a sit down restaurant which offers a wholesome menu. We cook a lot of stews, casseroles and pasta dishes as well as some roast meat meals which include roasted potatoes and vegetables. My dad is the king of roasting potatoes so that is his job. My mother is very good at stews and goulashes, my husband is great at curries, stir fry’s and risotto and I do all the baked dishes like pies, quiches, pizzas and such like. Michael is starting to cook now too, so everyone gets a break from cooking.

As for caviar and champagne, I don’t drink champagne, only the very odd glass of wine or a brandy and coke [plebey I know]. I don’t like fish very much either so caviar will never be on my menu. I don’t like fussy food, but prefer the wholesome home cooked meals I grew up with.

I am going to be lazy and not nominate any bloggers for this award. If you’d like to join in, please do so and link back to this post so that I can visit and comment.

Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing your link in the comments below, anytime between 12:01 am Thursday morning and Saturday noon (North American eastern time).

Here are a few pictures of the doors at Hobbiton in New Zealand. I think they are so cute.

You can join in the Thursday Doors Challenge here: https://nofacilities.com/2020/12/17/2020-in-review-thursday-doors/

I am guest posting over at author, Jane Risdon’s, lovely blog with a post about the siege of Mafeking that took place during the Second South African war. You can read the post here: https://janerisdon.com/2020/12/15/the-versatile-and-prolific-robbie-cheadle-is-my-guest-author-with-something-for-kids-and-adults/

Thank you, Jane, for hosting me.

About Jane Risdon

Jane Risdon began writing several years ago having had a successful career in the International Music Industry which has taken her all over the world working with everything from Rock, Thrash Metal, and R&B/Pop to Chinese Opera. Her work has taken her to North America, Europe, and Singapore: even to Taiwan.

She’s been involved in Music Production, Television, Radio, and Movies around the world.

Jane has published a collection of her short crime stories: Undercover: Crime Shorts available on Amazon and most digital platforms and from Waterstones and Blackwell’s stores in paperback.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Undercover-Crime-Shorts-Jane-Risdon/dp/0359397832

In 2014 Jane signed a publishing contract with Headline Accent part of the Hachette group.

Her recent co-written novel with award-winning author Christina Jones is entitled ‘Only One Woman’ published by Headline Accent. Christina and Jane have a shared history of the 1960s and the music scene back then and have written a fictional story about two girls and a lead guitarist whose band is touring and recording in England when they meet. It is garnering rave 5* reviews from men and women.

Paperback: ISBN 9781783757312
Audio: ISBN 150037635
e-pub: ISBN 9781783757329

Jane has contributed to well over a dozen anthologies – some award-winning and others nominated for awards – as well as contributions to print and online magazines including The writing Magazine, and she has a regular series in The Writers and Readers’ Magazine. She is a regular blogger and guest author on blogs. She also appears regularly on internet radio online, such as The Authors Show, Brian Hammer Johnson Show, Chat and Spin Radio, and the virtual literary festival and library (video interview) on MYVLF.com

Jane’s Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00I3GJ2Y8

Her main focus remains on crime writing, however, she is a multi-genre author. She is working on a series of novels called ‘Ms. Birdsong Investigates’ centered around a glamorous ex MI5 Officer forced into early retirement, who is trying to keep a low profile in a rural village in Oxfordshire. Her past experiences come to the fore when she finds herself investigating a murder. Soon she finds herself back on old territory with Russian Mafia, Ukrainian People Traffickers and an old flame to deal with.

Jane hopes that this series of novels will be published in 2021.

Drop by Jane’s website and blog where she writes about her writing, entertains guest authors, and blogs about her ‘jollies,’ when she visits lots of interesting places, and she shares her photos and thoughts about her visits – she is an avid photographer and her blog is filled with lots of her photos. Visit her Amazon Author Page to find out more about her and her Facebook Author Page.

Jane’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JaneRisdon2/
Jane’s Author Blog: https://janerisdon.wordpress.com/

Thanks for reading this. Let me know you have and do please, leave a review. We authors need all the help we can get. Have a fab day. Jane xx

You can read my Amazon review of Jane Risdon’s collection of short stories, Undercover, Crime Shorts, here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1D5K3YJUUDG6K

What Amazon says

Winner of Readers’ Favorite Five Star Award

Cortés’ fleet wallows at the bottom of the ocean, and his army marches for Tenochtitlan. Aided by aggrieved vassals and rapacious soldiers, Cortés has assembled an army unlike any in all the One World. Even the Mexica, the undisputed overlords of the region, may not be able to best them on the field.

A shocking act of violence makes it clear, however, that conflict cannot be avoided. But is there an alternative to direct confrontation?

Motecuhzoma, leader of the Mexica Confederacy, thinks so. Ever one for creative solutions, he settles on a plan as devious as it is risky. If his approach succeeds, peace will prevail in the One World. If his approach fails, the Mexica will pay with blood. Filled with complex characters and soaring action, The Bend of the River returns readers to pre-Hispanic Mexico and offers gripping insight into one of the most famous military campaigns in all of history.

My review

The Bend of the River is the second book in this series about the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 16th-century. It is not imperative to have read the first book in this series in order to enjoy this book, however, I would recommend it as the first book sets the scene for the events that take place in this second book. The Bend of the River starts with the ruthless and cunning, Hernan Cortés, leader of the Spanish invaders, setting out on the long march to the valley of Mexico and its capital city, Tenochtitlan.

The route is arduous and the Spaniards have to scale mountains, face frigid temperatures, and navigate rough terrain to reach the valley. They also need to overcome other vicious tribes intent on defending their territory. Cortés knows he needs to form alliances with these tribes in order to have any chance of overthrowing the Aztecs and their leader, Motecuhzoma II. His methods are shameful and make you cringe as a reader.

My dislike for Cortés and a few of his other leaders was far greater in this book than in the previous one as they used the most underhanded and devious of methods in their strategies, including rape, kidnapping, mass murder of innocents, and treachery. This book certainly put the Spanish invaders in a very bad light. The Aztec’s had some awful religious practices such as the mass sacrifice of humans to their gods and the enslaving of girls from conquered tribes into a life of prostitution, but they also had a well functioning and sophisticated society. They are portrayed as having certain morals and ethics in war which the Spaniards did not.

The author has clearly done extensive research into this period of time and the Aztec Empire and culture as well as that of the Spanish invaders and this leads to a fantastic book from a historical story point of view.

My criticism of this book is that there was no relief from the endless battling, blood, and gore. I found it a bit tedious towards the end and had tired of endless bloody scenes of death and destruction. It would have been nice if there had been a little relief from all the gore with some other descriptive distractions or a sub-plot. The author did tie up all the lose ends nicely and the book was well finished in a stand alone capacity.

If you enjoy a good historical novel and don’t mind a lot of battle scenes, then this book is an excellent choice.

Purchase The Bend of the River by Edward Rickford

Amazon US

Drawn towards the flames

Mesmerized by the bright lights

Flits the social butterfly

Naïve and unsuspecting

Dancing towards fiery death

By Roberta Eaton Cheadle

This poem is written for Mindlovemisery Menagerie Photochallenge #344. You can join in here: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2020/12/08/photo-challenge-344/