Ghosts of Honolulu

Ghosts of Honolulu depicts the incredible high stakes game of naval intelligence and the need to define what is real and what only appears to be real.

A U.S. naval counterintelligence officer working to safeguard Pearl Harbor; a Japanese spy ordered to Hawaii to gather information on the American fleet. On December 7, 1941, their hidden stories are exposed by a morning of bloodshed that would change the world forever. Scrutinizing long-buried historical documents, NCIS star Mark Harmon and co-author Leon Carroll, a former NCIS Special Agent, have brought forth a true-life NCIS story of deception, discovery, and danger.

Hawaii, 1941. War clouds with Japan are gathering and the islands of Hawaii have become battlegrounds of spies, intelligence agents, and military officials - with the island's residents caught between them. Toiling in the shadows are Douglas Wada, the only Japanese American agent in naval intelligence, and Takeo Yoshikawa, a Japanese spy sent to Pearl Harbor to gather information on the U.S. fleet.

Douglas Wada's experiences in his native Honolulu include posing undercover as a newspaper reporter, translating wiretaps on the Japanese Consulate, and interrogating America's first captured POW of World War II, a submarine officer found on the beach. Takeo Yoshikawa is a Japanese spy operating as a junior diplomat with the consulate who is collecting vital information that goes straight to Admiral Yamamoto. Their dueling stories anchor Ghosts of Honolulu's gripping depiction of the world-changing cat and mouse games played between Japanese and US military intelligence agents (and a mercenary Nazi) in Hawaii before the outbreak of the second world war.

Also caught in the upheaval are Honolulu's innocent residents - including Douglas Wada's father - who endure the war's anti-Japanese fervor and a cadre of intelligence professionals who must prevent Hawaii from adopting the same destructive mass internments as California.

Star of screen, television, and stage, Mark Harmon is now taking on the publishing world with Ghosts of Honolulu. Probably most recognized for his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the hit drama NCIS, which he led for 18 seasons, Harmon is also an executive producer on the show.

Star of screen, television, and stage, Mark Harmon is now taking on the publishing world with Ghosts of Honolulu. Probably most recognized for his role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the hit drama NCIS, which he led for 18 seasons, Harmon is also an executive producer on the show.

Born and raised in Southern California, Harmon excelled in sports. He quarterbacked UCLA to multiple winning football seasons and was presented the National Collegiate Football Foundation Award for All Around Excellence. The National Football Foundation recently bestowed Harmon with their highest honor, the Gold Medal, making him the first recipient in their organization to receive both the Scholar Athlete Award and the Gold Medal. He is a cum laude graduate with a degree in communications.

Mark Harmon and Leon Carroll, Jr., a former NCIS Special Agent, bring forth a true-Life NCIS story of deception, discovery and danger.

Leon Carroll Jr. is the technical advisor on the hit drama NCIS. A native of Chicago, Illinois, he attended Lindblom Technical High School and went on to earn a BS degree in business economics from North Dakota State University. Leon was a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving on active duty for 6 years and 3 years in the Marine Corps Reserves, attaining the rank of Major. His duty assignments included serving in the Fleet Marine Forces and Sea Duty onboard the USS Ogden (LPD-5). Following his stint in the Marine Corps, Leon began a 20-year career as a Special Agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). He served in 7 different locations, including tours as a Special Agent Afloat on the USS Ranger (CV-61) and as the Special Agent in Charge of NCIS offices in the Republic of Panama and the Pacific Northwest. Upon retirement from NCIS, Leon was selected to be the technical advisor for the top-rated drama of the same name, holding that position for 20 seasons. His experience in Foreign Counterintelligence gives him unique insight into the world in which Doug Wada operated.

What Could Happen Thirty Years From Now?

Sid Balman, Jr.

I am not a climate scientist or a therapist counseling violent extremists. I’m a journalist, novelist, and writer in residence at Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX. whose Seventh Flag Trilogy culminates in August with the release of Algorithms.

As far as climate change goes, I don’t need to be a scientist to see the changes wrought by our careless stewardship of earth: unusual seismic events caused by hydraulic fracking in the Permian Basin a few hours from my home; temperatures so high hikers are dying in unprecedented numbers a short drive from me in Big Bend National Park; and the smoke from wildfires as far away as Colorado.

And although I’m not a therapist, I have spent much of my life as a war and national security correspondent for a major international news agency covering fanatics, terrorists, despots, warlords, and the metastasizing extremism that is fueling culture wars in America that are threatening the foundations of our nation. It is a sickness, no different from a contagious virus, that grows out of abuse, disenfranchisement, disrespect, and brainwashing at the hands of skilled predators in the hidden chat rooms of the Web and the seats of power in Washington.

These are the dominant themes in my Seventh Flag Trilogy, which traces the journeys of two families in the tiny West Texas town of Dell City from World War II to thirty years in the future after what I call The Fall of civilization as we know it. The Laws and Zarkans are quintessentially American, the former a prosperous ranching family and the latter a family of Syrian Muslim immigrants that help them build an agriculture empire in the high desert of a uniquely iconic swath of the United States. And they are linked by the iconic common denominators that typify so many American families: sports, military service, hard work, loyalty, patriotism, betrayal, and love.

The first two novels, Seventh Flag and Murmuration, journey from the barns and football fields of West Texas to West Point and wars in the Pacific, Middle East and Central Asia, and to the annals of governance in our courts and the White House. The tip of that spear - the shiny, razor-sharp point in the trilogy – cuts to the bone in Algorithms, which hits bookshelves Aug. 1.

The first part of Algorithmsheraldedes on the culture wars, climate irregularities, military crises, and corrupt governance that herald a series of apocalyptic events which lead to a total breakdown in society. Hence the title, Algorithms, which have largely taken control of humankind through the dominance of artificial intelligence. Once an international hacker group manages to flip the switch on the Web and to turn off the digital dominance of malign machine learning, the world disintegrates into no-tech self-ruled fiefdoms, typified by the Free People of West Texas led by the matriarch of the Zarkan family, the indigenous Tribes of the Mountain West, and a cult of radicalized women warriors known as the Sisterhood. Their quest is to recover a cache of hard drives housing the digital infrastructure of the world that have been pilfered from undersea Internet cables by an aquatic acoustics expert in the U.S. government and inserted under the dorsal fin of what may be the world’s last surviving blue whale.

The whale, an actual leviathan that is currently being tracked by real-life scientists who named her 52 Blue for the 52-megahertz frequency at which for decades she has transmitted her otherworldly songs, and the Mountain Tribes of the West, comprised of the remnants of Lakota Sioux in the Dakotas and the Tarahumara in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, represent the antithesis of digital life. And it is their insoluble, spiritual connection to nature, which I call the Terra-Algorithm in the book, that imbues the remaining humans with the resiliency and self-reliance to prevail over climate catastrophes and culture wars. An author and a story are the sum of many parts. And this part of the novel came through the guidance of my most trusted content editor, who lives the Terra-Algorithm and helped me understand why it could be the last hope for humanity.

While some might view Algorithms as a tale of darkness and desperation, what one reviewer observed as a mix of Cormac McCarthy and Larry McMurtry, which I take as the highest compliment. I prefer the observation of another reviewer who wrote that it is a “convincing argument for optimism.”

Pulitzer-nominated war and national security correspondent Sid Balman, Jr. – currently a writer in residence at Sul Ross State University – is releasing a harrowing follow-up to his award-winning novels “Seventh Flag” and “Murmuration.” The third and final book in the series, “Algorithms” will be published on Aug. 1, 2023, with SparkPress.

He has covered wars in the Persian Gulf, Somalia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Kosovo, and has traveled extensively with two American presidents and four secretaries of state on overseas diplomatic missions. After leaving daily journalism, he helped found a news syndicate focused on the interests of women and girls, served as the communications chief for the largest consortium of U.S. international development organizations, led two progressive campaigning companies, and launched a new division at a large international development firm centered on violent radicalism and other security issues on behalf of governments. In addition to his current position as Writer In Residence at Sul Ross State University, Balman remains a working journalist and magazine contributor. A fourth-generation Texan, as well as a climber, surfer, paddler, and benefactor to Smith College, Balman lives in Alpine, TX, and has two children and a dog. You can find out more about him at: https://www.sidbalman.com/

Healing and Breaking Free

Kenneth Nixon, Jr.

As someone who has personally experienced the impact of severe mental illness on a loved one, I am deeply passionate about mental health advocacy and reform. That's why I wrote "Born Into Crisis," a powerful memoir that sheds light on the dire state of the American mental health system and the devastating consequences it has on those who are suffering.


In today's news cycle, mental health has taken center stage as we witness a rise in depression, anxiety, and suicide rates nationwide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately one in five adults in the U.S. experience mental illness each year, with 50% of all chronic mental illnesses beginning by age 14. These statistics are staggering, and they highlight the urgent need for systemic change.


"Born Into Crisis" is a firsthand account of my journey with my mother and her severe mental illness. It chronicles the challenges we faced as we navigated a broken and underfunded mental health system that failed to offer us the needed support. My mother's illness impacted every aspect of our lives, from our finances to our relationships. It was a constant struggle, and we felt utterly alone.


Unfortunately, our story is not unique. Millions of families nationwide are struggling with mental illness and facing the same systemic obstacles we did. The mental health system is vastly underfunded, with only 6% of U.S. healthcare spending on mental health. This lack of investment has led to a shortage of mental health providers, limited access to treatment, and a lack of resources for struggling families.


I wrote "Born Into Crisis" to raise awareness of the urgent need for systemic change and to call for action. We need to invest in mental health resources and support systems that prioritize early intervention and prevention. We need to ensure that families have access to affordable and effective treatment. We need to work towards destigmatizing mental illness so that people feel comfortable seeking help when they need it.


I hope that readers of "Born Into Crisis" will come away with a greater understanding of the challenges faced by those living with severe mental illness and their families, as well as a renewed sense of urgency to push for meaningful change. We cannot afford to ignore this crisis any longer––we must act now to ensure that everyone has access to the care and support they need to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Kenneth Nixon Jr. is a pastor, community organizer, and mental health advocate. He knows firsthand what it means to navigate personal mental health challenges while also navigating a broken system on behalf of a loved one. Kenneth speaks out about the need for reform in the mental health system, and works to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness. He also is the founder of the non-profit justice organization called Justice Now. 

Find out more about him at www.authorkennethnixon.com. Follow Kenneth Nixon Jr. on Instagram: Instagram

In his debut memoir, “Born Into Crisis” (Burning Soul Press, May 2, 2023), pastor and community organizer Kenneth Nixon Jr. discusses the necessary steps to healing and breaking free from the cycles of family traumas. Drawing from his own experience with dysfunctional family dynamics, Kenneth uses his story to call attention to the need for systemic change in our mental health system.

The American mental health system is in crisis, and those affected by its shortcomings are drowning without the tools and resources they deserve and need to thrive. In “Born Into Crisis,” Kenneth shares his story of growing up with a mother with severe mental illness and a family stuck in an enduring cycle of trauma. He knows firsthand the impact trauma can have on a person's life. Kenneth not only takes you on a powerful journey through his stories, he provides cogent and practical strategies for creating lasting change in our mental health system. “Born Into Crisis” is more than just a story of resiliency. It's also a call to action.

Creating Your Own Sell Sheet

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Recently, I helped an author create a "sell sheet" for his first book, The Gates of Hell, in his Biblical historical series. The author, Earl C. David, Jr. is a member of our writers group.

Why is a sell sheet helpful? Consider your fan base via email. You want to let them know with the click of a mouse about your latest book with live links for them to purchase your book. In Earl's case, he is asking that all his fans then forward the sell sheet to their email list in hopes that it will continue. You can also use it to send to bookstores and request a book signing or media event.

To create a sell sheet, make it a one-page concise document. It is virtually an announcement your book is finished and available.

Earl's sell sheet was created using a Microsoft Word document. You can also create a double-fold or trifold brochure. I suggest playing around with the documents you create and then compare them. You may want to create several sell sheets, one targeting fans, family and friends, bookstores, etc.

Definitely put the title of the book at the top of the page. Consider the font size and text color and make the title a different color with a live link to your book sale site. Make sure you include picture of your book's cover. I placed the book cover in the upper left corner of the sell sheet. To the right of the book cover, include publishing details about your book, the title and a short impactive summary. Below the book information include a headshot picture with your book and a short bio.

Make sure when you send out your sell sheets that you can monitor and respond to any emails.

You may be a published author, but your job is not over. You have to market your book for readers to find you.