Cybersp@ce: Book One in the Cybersp@ce Series

CYBERSP@CE

ASIN: 1938961579 

ISBN-13: 978-1938961571
Genre: Techno-Thriller/Science-Fiction
Now Available
Buy Cybersp@ce on Amazon

A  devastating cyber attack leaves 100,000 people in the United States dead, and evi dence points to the Chinese, setting the world on the inevitable march towards nuclear war. Nick Reynolds with US Cyber Command soon learns that former KGB agent Nikolai Chervanko, who has long dreamt of rebuilding his beloved Soviet Union, could be behind the massacre, with something even bigger planned. Lacking evidence linking Chervanko, however, outrage over the attack soon forces the United States to declare war on China. With no means to stop another destructive cyber attack and prevent a nuclear conflict, Nick finds help from an unlikely source—from Area 51. 

Trailer for CYBERSP@CE:

Press Release for CYBERSP@CE:

Press Release

Captivating New Techno-Thriller from author Jeff W. Horton

Cybersp@ce is an intense, captivating, non-stop thrill ride complete with crippling cyber attacks that kill over a hundred thousand people, a former KGB agent bent on the rebirth of the Soviet Empire, and Area 51.   

Jeff W. Horton's thrilling saga follows Cyber Command's Nick Reynolds and scientist Kate Summers as they struggle to prevent a  massive cyber attack, which they know will trigger a global nuclear war that will devastate the planet.

High Point, North Carolina

Nikolai Chervanko is a former KGB officer with a single objective––to create a new, glorious Soviet Empire that far surpasses the original. To achieve his goal, he comes up with a masterful plan; through a series of deadly cyber attacks against the United States, he will create an international standoff between the United States and China. A devastating war between the two nuclear nations will then create a power vacuum that only the Soviet Empire will be able to fill.

After one hundred thousand Americans die in one of the cyber attacks, with evidence pointing towards the Chinese, tensions run high as the two nations stand on the brink of war. Nick Reynolds and Kate Summers race against time to find a means to thwart the next step of Chervanko's plan, a massive, extremely advanced cyber attack against the infrastructure of the United States. They soon discover that in order to save the future, however, they must first look to the past.

Most of Cybersp@ce takes place in Russia, and at the mysterious Area 51, located at Groom Lake in Nevada. Cybersp@ce is a Sci-Fi/Thriller, and is scheduled to be released sometime in January.

Cybersp@ce, is an exciting, action-packed story with plenty of surprises along the way. "I wanted readers to completely immerse themselves in a story they found too compelling to put down," says Horton. "Cybersp@ce will keep readers engaged from beginning to end and then, just when they believe the story has ended, they learn that in reality, it has only begun."

World Castle Publishing is based in Pensacola, FL.  Cybersp@ce was released in January, 2013 and will be available worldwide. 

Jeff Horton's other novels includes: The Great Collapse, The Dark Age, The Last Prophet,  and The Way of Nacor.

When he's not penning his next novel, he enjoys reading, going to church, and spending time with his family. Jeff Horton is a member of the North Carolina Writers Network.

For more information visit www.hortonlibrary.com or his blog anovelsperspective.blogspot.com

Books and eBooks will be available for review if interviews and/or giveaways included with release.

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Reviews for CYBERSP@CE:

Readers Favorite
Reader's Favorite

Reviewed by Eduardo Aduna for Readers Favorite

"Jeff Horton’s "Cybersp@ce" is a fast-paced technological thriller that acutely captures events which may unfold in the very near future. The United States has just suffered a chilling attack which has led to the wasting death of a hundred thousand people. And that is just the beginning. One man’s ambition has placed two superpowers on a collision course that can escalate to a nuclear war. Nick Reynolds, together with an attractive but highly irritating scientist, must do everything they can to prevent a cyber threat and stop a war. To succeed, they must place their hopes on a dangerous artifact, one capable of altering the very fate of human existence.

Technology can change the world in ways we cannot imagine, and sometimes, in ways we can. Horton’s "Cybersp@ce" strikes a very relevant chord amidst the events happening in the world today. The global reliance on technology has given rise to potential threats that are more difficult to accurately identify, isolate and neutralize. Horton does another marvelous job of tapping people’s current subconscious fears to weave an action-packed yarn. The story is gripping, the action fast-paced and the characters driven towards their own individual goals. It has all the elements necessary for late night to early morning reading pleasure. The book doesn't get too bogged down with details, giving more room for the characters to live in Horton’s setting and making the reader more able to enjoy the novel. Stop the attacks, save the world, get the girl; you’d think it was that simple but Horton manages to add a few twists that make things much more interesting. "Cybersp@ce" is a fun and easy read, yet it has enough surprises to make the reader ponder long after the last page has been turned."

Espionage and Extraterrestrials, December 18, 2012
Espionage and Extraterrestrials
By Jeannie Mancini "vernefan"

This review is from: Cybersp@ce (Paperback)



Out in the desert of New Mexico in 1947, a young boy and his parents, while watching a freak lightning storm, heard a loud crash. Young Henry Summers believes that he has just witnessed what he thinks was an alien spacecraft falling from the sky.

Many years later, working with his daughter at the secret military base Area 51, Henry and Kate Summers together have been working on the astonishing secret of what happened that stormy night long ago. What their years of research has found, will now help the US government as international terrorism threatens the nation with an all-out cyberspace attack that could disempower the United States forever. Nuclear plant meltdowns, and what could just turn out to be the total decline and fall of our political place in the world, now rests in their hands to remedy. But they need help.

A hundred thousand people are instantly killed when a New York nuclear power plant meltdown comes from internet hackers in cyberspace; the culprit appearing to have come from the far reaches of China. But ex-KGB agent Nicolai Chervenko knows better. His secret ambition to bring his Mother Russia back to a communist power that will resume global reign, will have China and the United States warring with each other and falling on their knees in submission and defeat.

Dr. Nick Reynolds, one of the government's top IT specialists in the world of Cyberspace operations and security, is called in to assist the military in cracking the problem of outwitting the mystery hacker in their chess game of internet espionage. When Nick discovers that the United States' inability to beat the enemy at their own game is due to current archaic technology, he is quickly discouraged as he realizes our country is doomed. The United States has run out of time, and there is no way to speed up our technological advancement in order to defend the nation from imminent destruction.

As Nick, Kate, and her father battle against time and the lack of computer power to win the game and discover who and what they are up against, our author Jeff Horton throws a Pandora's box of surprises at them that will come from both sides of the playing field, and from another source they could never have dreamed of. The bad guys are nasty, the good guys heroes. When Area 51 meets the KGB, all hell breaks loose with a cat and mouse chase through internet backdoors and where the world of science and the unknown collide.

Cybersp@ce is a riveting "what if" conundrum of a fascinating and well crafted sci-fi/espionage blend that stirs up ingredients of international intrigue, artificial intelligence, action, suspense, and to put the icing on this novel's cake, a nice dollop of romance to make the reader smile. I started this book late one evening and finished it off the next day within a couple of hours. Unputdownable, Cybersp@ace is fun, exciting and another creative masterpiece from Jeff Horton. I read and reviewed his first book "The Great Collapse" and thought it was great, but I think this novel is even better! Jeff knows how to bring it all together. Great character development for both good guys and bad, excellent plot and story planning, his stories are well penned, and he has the gift of allowing the reader many surprises. You just never know what is coming at you next, and with Cybersp@ce, you'll get a cool surprise ending that this reader did not see coming! Five stars Jeff, keep the stories coming!

AN EXCEPTIONALLY WRITTEN THRILLER THAT INFORMS AS WELL AS EXCITES

December 7, 2012

AN EXCEPTIONALLY WRITTEN THRILLER THAT INFORMS AS WELL AS EXCITES
By Richard S. Friedman "Rick Friedman"
This review is from: Cybersp@ce (Paperback)

"A devastating cyber attack leaves 100,000 people in the United States dead, and evidence points to the Chinese, setting the world on the inevitable march towards nuclear war. Nick Reynolds with US Cyber Command soon learns that former KGB agent Nikolai Chervanko, who has long dreamt of rebuilding his beloved Soviet Union, could be behind the massacre, with something even bigger planned. Lacking evidence linking Chervanko, however, outrage over the attack soon forces the United States to declare war on China. With no means to stop another destructive cyber attack and prevent a nuclear conflict, Nick finds help from an unlikely source from Area 51. Will Nick be able to avert a global holocaust? Find out in Cyber Space"

When I read a new techno-thriller by Jeff Horton..I know I am in for a most superb reading experience. I am happy to say that Cybersp@ce continues to showcase the immense skills of a truly wonderful writer. Plot, character and pace are all pitch perfect, as the reader is swept up into the fast and absorbing action of Cybersp@ce.

Key to the success of any action novel is the lead character. Jeff Horton is an expert at fine tuning his lead- Nick Reynolds - into a fully realized character..flaws and all. The same is true with the large cast of supporting characters..there is not a false note to be found.

The plot involving cyber-terror and world politics is both complex and facinating..not to mention very timely. I was uttely drawn in from the first chapter to the very satisfying climax. Jeff Horton has once again shown that he is a master storyteller! Highly Recommended!!!

A JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB MUST READ
RICK FRIEDMAN
FOUNDER
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB

Excerpt-Cybersp@ce

Prologue

July 2, 1947-Corona, New Mexico

It was a storm that would forever change the course of human destiny. The small, curly-haired boy sat in anticipation on the edge of an old, olive-colored, chair. From his seat in front of a large, living room window, he peered out into the night, gazing in awe at the fierce displays of lightning, which frequently appeared in stark contrast to the blackness of the dark, western sky. Many of the vengeful flashes reached for the ground, while other, multi-forked lightning bolts stretched across the sinister sky as far as the eye could see. Henry's parents had long ago abandoned any hope of keeping the curious boy away from the window completely during such storms, so they had struck a compromise…the six-year old would sit in a chair well away from the window, yet close enough that he still maintained a commanding view.

While Henry took in the fabulous fireworks that lit up the night sky outside their home, his parents went about their daily routine, seemingly oblivious to the commotion outside. His father sat back in his recliner and quietly read War of the Worlds, while his mother busily worked to finish a sweater she’d been knitting for over a month.

“Wow!” Henry yelled out, pointing towards the window. “That one had like five forks, and it was huge!” The boy’s eyes lit up, wide with wonder as a thunderous boom reverberated throughout the house. Jake Summers looked at his son and smiled, fondly remembering a time when, many years earlier, he had been the little boy sitting by a window, wondering at the awesome, raw power of nature on display.

The flashes of lightning and the booming thunder continued to intensify as Henry watched the ferocious storm come closer and closer. Two hundred yards away from the house, several trees stood on top of a tall hill. The boy watched closely in anticipation, expecting that the lightning would at any moment strike one of them.

Suddenly, he saw it; an object, lit up by the abundant lightning that surrounded it, that seemed to be floating quietly above the tree line. In the brief seconds during which it had been illuminated, the object had appeared to be a round, metallic craft of some sort. The lightning quickly disappeared, however, immediately plunging the sky back into darkness so that he could not be certain what he had seen. He continued looking toward the tree line, hoping to catch another glimpse of the object during the next flash of lightning.

Suddenly, there was another huge flash. BANG! The loud noise sounded like a small explosion. All three of them had heard the it, and Jake Summers wasted no time getting over to the window, followed closely by his wife. By the time he arrived next to little Henry, however, the darkness had once more enveloped everything.

“Henry, what happened? Did you see anything?”

“Yes, sir! I was watching, waiting to see if the lightning was going to strike any of them trees on that hill over there, when the lightning lit up the sky all around, and I saw something over the tops of the trees. I was trying to see it better when lightning struck again and hit it! I was—”

BOOM. A second explosion suddenly echoed through the night, except this one shook the house violently.

“Henry, listen to me, this is important. This ‘object’ you saw, was it an airplane? If it was, that sound we heard just now could have been the plane crashing; somebody could have been hurt! Was it an airplane, son?”

“No—maybe—I’m not sure, Dad. Whatever it was, it was big, really, really, big! It didn’t really look like an airplane though; it looked more like one of those flying saucer things the guy in the papers said he saw last week.”

“Okay, son, thank you.” Jake then turned to his wife. “I’ve got to go see if anyone’s hurt, sweetheart, in case it was a plane. I should be back in a little while.”

“Please don’t go out there, Jake!” his wife pleaded. “That’s a terrible storm out there tonight. It’s one of the worst that we’ve had in years!” Jake stood next to the window for several moments and looked out, saying nothing for several minutes.

“Look out there, you see?" he asked finally. "The storm’s already passed over us.” Another flash of lightning flashed in the distance, followed several seconds later by distant thunder. “Well, almost. Listen, Liz, I’ll be fine. If anyone survived the crash, we need to try to help them.”

Elizabeth Summers looked out the window and listened for several moments before replying. “Okay, Jake, I think you might be right. It sounds like the storm’s nearly passed.”

Jake picked up his keys and walked towards the door, with little Henry following close behind.

“Take me with you, Daddy, please! I’ve never seen an airplane up close before, please!”

“No, Henry. If a plane has crashed and people are hurt, I don’t want you to see anything bad.”

“Please, Daddy, please!” Jake and Elizabeth exchanged glances, knowing that Jake was right; they had no idea what to expect out there. Yet, the boy was getting older and Jake might need his help. Besides, he wanted to try to find a way to appease the boy’s excitement.

“Tell you what, Henry, why don’t you and your mother both come with me? If someone is injured out there, maybe her training as a nurse will come in handy. But I insist that regardless of what we find, you stay put in the truck and do exactly what we tell you. Can you do that, Henry?”

“Yes, sir, I will, I promise!” Henry turned to his mother, preparing his most pitiful, pleading face, the one with the really sad eyes. “Can we go Mommy, please?” She looked at her husband with a grimace, before looking back at Henry. She let out a sigh and smiled.

“Yeah, okay, Henry. It sounds like the lightning’s stopped completely now. Let’s go check it out. Remember though, you must stay in the truck like your father said, and you will do exactly as we tell you, no complaining or whining, understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!” answered Henry, already bouncing toward the door.

The small family had a difficult time finding the spot where the craft had crashed to the Earth. They drove all around the hill with the trees, but it was still dark out, and the rain made visibility poor. They circled the area several times and were about to give up their search when they suddenly spotted a series of flashing, multi-colored lights off in the distance, coming from behind another hill. The location was several miles from where Henry had seen something just before it was struck by lightning.

As they made their way toward the lights, the object slowly came into view. Two things soon became evident to Jake Summers. First, whatever the thing was that had crashed near his home, it was enormous, much larger than he had expected. He had thought Henry might be exaggerating, but he could now see that his son had not told the half of it. Second, the craft was definitely not an airplane, but more like what Henry had described; one of the flying saucers he had recently read about in the newspaper.

Jake decided to try to find a better vantage point, and to look for survivors. He suspected that the craft could be an experimental, military aircraft of some sort. After a few minutes, they finally arrived at a spot that overlooked the large field where the craft had crashed. Jake drove up to the edge of the field where they could get the best view. All three of them sat there, speechless. They were surprised to see that not one craft, but two, had crashed in the large field. The larger craft, the one they had seen first, appeared to be out of commission, but still mostly intact. The second, smaller craft had sustained heavy damage and now lay in many pieces. Before them, spread out over the landscape as far as the eye could see, was metallic-looking wreckage. A large section of the smaller, badly damaged craft lay intact in the field a hundred yards from them. Brush was burning in orange flames all around the crash site. About that time the clouds began to part and a full moon revealed itself, bathing the entire scene with enough light that they could now clearly see the reflective, metallic substance, which was strewn all over the field.

“We’ve got to get back to the house and call the army base in Roswell,” Jake said, pointing to something on the ground close by. Henry looked around on the ground, following his father’s finger until he saw it. His eyes widened when he saw, less than twenty-five yards from them, what appeared to be a small, dead person lying lifeless on the ground. What caused the  most excitement, however, was the fact that once he'd  drawn closer to it, he could see clearly that it wasn’t human.

Chapter 1

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes…”

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s First Inaugural Address

Present Day-Fort Meade, Maryland

“This is a special Cox News Alert. If you are just now joining us this morning, we have some important, late-breaking news this hour. Last night, Cox News learned from an anonymous source within the U.S. Cyber Command in Fort Meade, Maryland that two major cyber attacks took place yesterday against the United States. Less than one hour ago, we contacted Cyber Command and they were able to confirm for Cox News that two attacks did indeed occur, although officials there refused to elaborate. Both cyber attacks are strongly suspected to have been state-sponsored attacks.

“According to the source, one of yesterday's assaults was launched against a specific group of computers at the United States Department of Defense. The DOD attack specifically targeted a electronic listing that contained the location of all intercontinental ballistic missile launch sites situated across the United States, along with a listing of all United States Navy ships that regularly carry nuclear armaments. This incursion has already been described by some, as the worst breach of military security since the Cold War

“In the second attack, which occurred at exactly the same time as the first, the attackers broke into a computer system at the U.S. Department of Energy and stole detailed data, plans, and schematics for the facilities and the computer systems at no fewer than fifty nuclear power plants scattered across the country. That means the intruders now have detailed information on nearly half of the hundred or so nuclear power plants built across the United States from Seattle down to Florida. With the data they stole, the people or entity responsible could conceivably shut down nuclear power plants, damage systems, trigger false alarms, and possibly even cause some or all of the reactors in a plant to melt down.

“While Cyber Command refused to provide any specifics about the attacks, our source told us that yesterday's cyber attacks against the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy were later traced back to locations inside of the People's Republic of China. While the Chinese government vehemently denies having anything to do with yesterday's attacks and offers to do what it can to help bring the perpetuators to justice, it seems clear to everyone at Cyber Command that these are only empty assurances.

“Indeed, yesterday's cyber attacks will be added to a long list of successful incursions against government and civilian agencies within the United States over the last decade that have been attributed to the Chinese. Recent cyber attacks have become increasingly effective, and sources within the intelligence community as well as the  military have become very concerned about the possible theft of top secret data on subjects ranging from advanced weapons technologies and military battle plans, to data on the civilian power grid, water systems, and transportation systems.

“To add to the growing concern over yesterday's attacks, there has been a persistent rumor circulating around the Internet over recent months warning the United States that China's People’s Liberation Army’s agency for cyber warfare, the Online Blue Army, has been busy stealing sensitive U.S. military data for quite some time in preparation for what could be a massive, preemptive strike against the United States. The Online Blue Army has allegedly been seeking data related to high tech, cutting-edge weapons technology like the futuristic rail-gun and assorted particle beam weapons.

“According to the warning, the Online Blue Army recently began gathering intel on the U.S. civilian infrastructure as well so that in the event of a war between China and the United States, by crippling the U.S. civilian infrastructure, the Online Blue Army would make winning an all out war against America a much simpler task. When asked to speculate about whether the Chinese could indeed be preparing to  launch a preemptive strike in an all-out military campaign against America, two military analysts we talked to suggested it would make sense for the Chinese to prepare such a plan, even if they never intended to implement it. The analysts pointed out that whether over the long-running dispute regarding Taiwan or the struggle for regional and global influence, particularly in the Pacific Rim, the United States and China often find themselves at odds with one another.

“Regardless of whether China is planning a preemptive attack or not, analysts have begun warning the government and the American people that any future conflicts with other nation states like China will be fought on two major fronts, on the battlefield and in cyber space.

“This is definitely something we will be keeping our eye on, and we will bring you breaking news as it happens.

“In other news… a tragic story this morning about a teenage boy, who was accidentally shot to death last night by his own father. The boy’s father, a Vietnamese immigrant, had been living in fear after hearing and reading about the growing violence and mayhem being committed in his neighborhood by Mexican gangs. As a precaution, he had positioned a shotgun next to his bed in the event of a home invasion. His son, who the father did not know had snuck out through a window earlier last night to see his girlfriend, had decided to re-enter through the front door after the parents had gone to bed. The boy inadvertently triggered the door alarm upon reentering the home. The father, awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of the alarm, heard someone entering the house and, fearing a home invasion, fired at the supposed intruder, instantly killing his son instead…” CLICK.

To see more reviews of CYBERSP@CE on "Ask David" Click Here Cybersp@ce CYBERSP@CE is a techno-thriller involving espionage, Sci-Fi, cyber warfare, and Area 51