Green Desert (Accidental Spy Prequel) [Kindle Edition]

Lada Ray (Author)

Book Description

Meet Jade Snow, kick-ass international journalist, turned stay-at-home mom (Stepford USA), turned spy extraordinaire (Gold Train). 

Set in Iraq, this short novella is her experience before the start of the Accidental Spy Series. (Includes extensive triple bonus!) 

Five Stars 
"Riveting story with powerful message!" Meredith Carvin

Five Stars
"This story will rock your world." Bill Tillman

Five Stars
"A powerful, gripping and entrancing story. The author's ability to take a topical subject and combine it with talented descriptive writing and creativity always thrusts the reader into the very heart of her books." J.J. Collins, Author, Famine to Freedom, The Irish in the American Civil War (London, UK)  

International Kindle bestseller in Mystery & Thrillers/ Women Sleuths. Reached #26 USA; #16 UK; #9 ES; #11 IT #25 DE

International journalist Jade Snow travels to Iraq to shoot a documentary about the Iraqi insurgency. In Baghdad she, as usual, finds herself in the wrong place at just the right time. After witnessing a dramatic suicide bombing, and as two unlikely letters from the opposite sides of the conflict drop in her lap, Jade must trace the shocking connection between the suicide bomber, a young Iraqi girl and American sergeant killed in the attack.

Sample Lada's writing at no extra cost! Includes comprehensive Accidental Spy Sampler:
Bonus 1: Extensive excerpt from STEPFORD USA, Accidental Spy US Adventure
Bonus 2: Extensive excerpt from GOLD TRAIN, Accidental Spy Russia Adventure
Bonus 3: Excerpt from DRAGON GATE, upcoming Accidental Spy Asia Adventure

Also by Lada Ray:
New release! CATHARSIS, Legend of the Lemurians (Earth Keepers Chronicles: Book 1)

GOLD TRAIN, rip-roaring thrill ride across Russia. Based on true historic events (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure, Book 2)
STEPFORD USA, psychological mystery thriller (Accidental Spy US Adventure, Book 1)

Coming soon:

THE EARTH SHIFTER, new YA fantasy thriller 

Earth Keepers Chronicles: Books 2-4

DRAGON GATE, Accidental Spy Asia Adventure

Editorial Reviews

Review

Five Stars 
"Riveting story with powerful message!" Meredith Carvin

Five Stars
"This story will rock your world." Bill Tillman

Five Stars
"A powerful, gripping and entrancing story. The author's ability to take a topical subject and combine it with talented descriptive writing and creativity always thrusts the reader into the very heart of her books." J.J. Collins, Author, Famine to Freedom, The Irish in the American Civil War (London, UK)

From the Author

Books by Lada Ray:

GOLD TRAIN, rip-roaring thrill ride across Russia. Accidental Spy Russia Adventure, Book 2

Stepford USA, psychological mystery thriller. Accidental Spy US Adventure, Book 1

Green Desert, riveting story set in Iraq. Accidental Spy Prequel

Coming soon:

THE EARTH SHIFTER, new YA Fantasy

DRAGON GATE, Accidental Spy Asia Adventure

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 308 KB
• Print Length: 99 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Ray House; 1 edition (September 18, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005O0QJKQ
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #480,498 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful, gripping and entrancing story. June 13, 2012

By J.J.Collins

Format:Kindle Edition

Green Desert by Author - Lada Ray, is an enthralling, captivating read. The author's ability to take a topical subject and combine it with talented descriptive writing and creativity, always thrusts the reader into the very heart of her books.

Green Desert introduces us to daring investigative Journalist - Jade Snow, and is set against the backdrop of the American forces occupation of Iraq. The author uses exceptional imaginary throughout her story, to capture sheer mayhem and volatility of Baghdad, post the Saddam Hussein era.

The book has two central characters - Mohammed, a bright and ambitious young Iraqi man, who at the outset, harbours hopes to study in the West. On the other hand, we have the Oklahoman American Solider , Bill O'Shea, on his second tour of the country and missing his wife and family back home in the United States.

Jade witnesses the devastation of an explosion and the tragic aftermath of this unfortunate event takes us on the very real and moving journey, one filled with harsh realities and the subsequent very personal and real repercussions of war.

This journey is made all the more remarkable, as it is only after reading an unexpected hand delivered letter from a young boy in the street ,that Jade can discover the hidden truth of these two men.

The letter allows Jade to use her investigative instincts to follow its contents in uncovering the truth, revealing the heart-wrenching pain and sacrifices of a young man caught in the middle of a war zone, trying his best to keep his family alive and safe. Only by tracing Mohammed's story through the contents of the letter can Jade learn the truth about Sergeant William O'Shea....

This story will have you questioning the morality and justification of war, and what are the long term consequences of decisions to go to war. Is it a case of a "Rich Man's" War and a "Poor Man's fight?" or it is more a matter of a Western failure to understand Middle Eastern culture and their interpretation of freedom and democracy.

A powerful story in which Jade uncovers how two very different men, are intrinsically linked, despite their national and cultural differences.

A gripping and entrancing story. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Green Desert May 25, 2012

By Bill Tillman

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Being in the right place at the wrong time exposes Jade to a tragic attack. The to complete the picture a small boy hands her an envelope from the suicide bomber, a former University of Baghdad student. This story will rock your world.

What does it feel like to see both sides in a conflict? This short story will give you and up close and personal view. Sometimes life is just not fair, its so easy to choose a side and push all fault and blame on the other.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Death of a Dream May 6, 2013

By Sherry Fundin

Format:Kindle Edition

One day, the Iraqi desert will be a garden...again.

Mohammed al-Tikriti, suicide bomber, former University of Bahgdad student

"I want you to give this after the explosion to that pretty lady dressed as a man," he told the boy as he handed him an envelope.

That is how international journalist Jade Snow was led on a life altering journey.

Jade is in Iraq to shoot a documentary about the insurgents. All that changes when she witnesses a suicide bombing in Baghdad.

As Jade and her cameraman, Alejandro, took cover from the blast, she felt a tug on her sleeve. The boy handed her the envelope and she read - "Why I became a terrorist." The letter was so tragic, she could not ignore it. envelope photo:

With letter in hand, she is determined to get the real story. The Army threw the word "regrettable" around like it was confetti and it pissed her off. It drove her to seek answers.

Jade was able to talk to Sergeant Lucas, a friend of Sergeant O'Shea's. O'Shea had been driving the truck when Mohammed rammed into it.

Sergeant Lucas took her to O'Shea's room and she saw the desk, paper, pen and envelope, waiting for the letter that would never be written.

He also wanted to show Jade the garden. As she wondered at the Daisies growing in such a hostile place, he reached into his pocket......

The Media can be scum sucking leeches, would Jade prove the exception to the rule?

5 STARS - Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Amongst all the ugliness, how ironic that these men could see the beauty the desert beheld.

Lada Ray's style of blending history and fiction makes me feel as if I am living the story.... The emotions washed over me, leaving me with a sense of futility and profound loss.

The cover alone made me feel.....Well, I had preconceived ideas about the book. I devoured it. I thought I knew the story before hand, and felt such sorrow when it all came true. BUT Lada Ray added a little twist that I didn't see coming.

Shows life comes full circle and it is a small world. Think about it . Has something ever happened to You, that caused you to feel that way? I feel this book shows that we have more in common than we think.

Supposedly, we got involved in Iraq because of Saddam, who killed and tortured his own people. Now that he was gone, why were we still there? Smart bombs and accidents. Weapons of mass destruction. But, why were we really there? Did the President have an ulterior motive? Were we deliberately deceived? All the questions have been asked. Were they ever answered? Makes me think of things I really don't want to think about. It makes my head spin with feelings of anger and betrayal, not only for myself, but for the soldiers who put their lives on the line for us. Will we ever know the truth?

How lucky we are, here in the US! No matter how bad it gets, would you want to be anywhere else? Just think how people, like the Iraqi's, with war all around, still have to go about their daily lives - work, school........

What's that saying - "Walk a mile in my shoes".

I won this book on Lada Ray's blog, along with Gold Train and Stepford USA, books in the Accidental Spy Adventure Series. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.

Green Desert (Accidental Spy Prequel) Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, mesmerizing, clever. January 4, 2013

By Mardi

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

In Green Desert we meet investigative journalist, Jade Snow, who is in Iraq during the American occupation. We are immediately dragged into the intense and unstable environment with the devastating explosion that Mohammed, a suicide bomber, has just caused.

When a small boy hands Jade a letter explaining the reasons behind the revenge attack, Jade plummets into a heartrending journey to find the truth.

This very clever story gives us the opportunity to gain insights into both sides of the war through Mohammed - a boy who started out with so much hope for himself, and Bill - an American soldier who is missing his home life. The letter becomes a key to unlock the truths that we must finally be privy to so that some understanding of human nature under such pressure can be comprehended. Both characters became very real to me and I ached for them both.

There is a lot to say in this novel and Lada Ray does it with purpose and eloquence. It is a story that will have you asking many questions and even querying your own morals. The narrative will stay with you for a very long time and so will the brilliant descriptions.

Excellent, fascinating, well written.

More About the Author

"I've loved all the varied and exotic things I've done in life, but writing is by far my biggest love affair and most exciting adventure. Can't wait to share it... See you on pages of my books!"

Lada Ray is a writer, internationally certified feng shui master, world traveler, linguist, financial consultant, nature/animal lover and metaphysics researcher.

Born in Russia, Lada always wanted to write cool stories, which she'd been imagining in her head ever since she can remember. Instead, she listened to her well-meaning parents and started her life in a more traditional way (for her, that is.)

Lada holds a Master's Degree in comparative linguistics (graduated summa cum laude,) is fluent in several languages and has traveled to over twenty six countries worldwide. She had worked in Havana, Cuba as an interpreter for the Russian educational exchange delegations, including a couple of interviews with the man himself - Fidel Castro.

In the USA, she published articles in the Hartford Courant & taught Russian on cable TV. Then, something inexplicable possessed her to work as a financial consultant for AIG and Smith Barney/Citigroup.

But later, she came back to her senses and quit the corporate world to pursue her dreams. She traveled to Asia to study with the revered Hong Kong Masters of Feng Shui and obtained her International Master's Certification (graduated first in class) with Lillian Too, world-renowned feng shui author and teacher. For years, Lada operated an extensive feng shui website and blog - a hit with both local and worldwide fans - and authored over thirty articles on feng shui and spirituality for her own website, as well as for the World of Feng Shui and other international publications. At the same time, she taught her proprietary feng shui courses and did public speaking.

Lada imagines her stories in bustling New York City and beautifully serene Upstate New York, where she lives with her family and gorgeous calico cat Lily.

Lada Ray is the author of:

~GOLD TRAIN, gripping mystery/thriller set in Russia and based on true historic events (Accidental Spy Russia Adventure, Book 2)

~STEPFORD USA, psychological mystery/thriller (Accidental Spy US Adventure, Book 1)

~Green Desert, riveting story set in Iraq (Accidental Spy Prequel)

Upcoming books include:

~THE EARTH SHIFTER, YA fantasy/thriller set in Russia (Moscow & Siberia,) US, China and other mythical locales of this surreal Blue Planet

~DRAGON GATE, Accidental Spy Asia Adventure, Book 3