The Usurper by Cliff Ball

Since the site on Ning is closing, I figure I'd post here again.

Here is my third novel, The Usurper

Ever wonder what would happen if our worst fears were realized, and we elected someone who was willing to destroy the USA, even if he was destroyed himself? The Usurper is that novel. It is a fictional account of what would happen if the Soviet Union and KGB were given the chance to take down the United States from within using various methods at their disposal.


The USSR embarks on a plan to destroy the US from within, using the American political structure, and education system at first, but, starts backing any terrorist organization who has a beef with the USA, after they see how terrorism is an effective tool to use. Eventually, Al Qaeda fills the power vacuum left by the meltdown of the USSR, and they help the Soviets' inside man to completely destroy the US. A small group of resistance, led by a survivor of Flight 93, tries to bring down the now terrorist backed President of the US.


This novel takes you on a voyage from mentions about the 1972 Olympics and the terrorist threat there, to the Iranian Revolution, to the TWA hijacking in the late 1980's, to the first World Trade Center bombing, through Waco and Oklahoma City, and the 9/11/01 attacks. Discover what would happen if they were all linked, with the ultimate goal being the total collapse of the United States of America.

Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (July 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1453702725 ISBN-13: 978-1453702727

Currently available on Amazon, B&N, Books a Million,
Apple
Kobo
Sony
Smashwords

Hi Cliff,

Intriguing story and great cover! Good luck with it!

Some timeline issues with your description:

• Khrushchev was not Premiere until 1958.
  
• McCarthy's reign of terror and intimidation in the Senate ran from about 1950 until 1954, when he was censured. He died in 1957.
  
• Although the House Un-American Activities Committee existed throughout the era you address, its prominent period was the late 40s, early 50s. That's when the celebrity blacklistings brought it to the public's attention. That and live TV coverage of its hearings.
  

You probably have these proximities covered in your roman a clef, but your description suggests that your history is flawed. Educated readers will pick up on that and might avoid your book.

Al Stevens wrote:

Some timeline issues with your description:

• Khrushchev was not Premiere until 1958.
  
• McCarthy's reign of terror and intimidation in the Senate ran from about 1950 until 1954, when he was censured. He died in 1957.
  
• Although the House Un-American Activities Committee existed throughout the era you address, its prominent period was the late 40s, early 50s. That's when the celebrity blacklistings brought it to the public's attention. That and live TV coverage of its hearings.
  

You probably have these proximities covered in your roman a clef, but your description suggests that your history is flawed. Educated readers will pick up on that and might avoid your book.

I actually have the history right, I just didn't write a very good blurb. My novel starts in 1963, and only mentions that the Soviets want to start over after the problems they had with McCarthy. This time, they want to do a more subtle takeover. I'm just not good at writing blurbs.

If you know the problem, you should be able to fix it!

Does this sound better?

Ever wonder what would happen if our worst fears were realized and we elected someone who was willing to destroy the USA, even if he was destroyed himself? The Usurper is that novel.

The Usurper is a fictional account of what would happen if the Soviet Union and KGB were given the chance to take down the United States from within, through the corruption of American politicians, the American education system, terrorism, and environmental disasters.

The novel begins in 1963, and the Soviet Union and the KGB refuse to let the purging of communists in the United States government in the 1950's, by Senator Joe McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, deter them. Soviet Premier Khrushchev authorizes the KGB to embark on a subtle and more ambitious, decades long plan to destroy the United States from within. Be it right wing or left wing, the KGB helps whomever wants to destroy the US, with the monetary backing of a man who once sided with Hitler as a young man. Once the Soviet Union dissolves, the man the Soviets raise to take down the US decides to continue on the mission and sides with the one terrorist organization in the world that nobody seems able to stop.

Much better. Only one problem remains. McCarthy and the HUAC never purged any real communists. They made headlines with scare tactics and with their only objective being to advance their own political careers. And they destroyed the careers of many solid citizens. Most people of my generation know this. So, in the blurb, you might say,

"... and the KGB refuse to let the public persecution of accused communists in the United States in the 1950's, by Senator Joe McCarthy and the House
Un-American Activities Committee, deter them."

I deleted "government" because HUAC went after everyone--actors, writers, directors, screenwriters, etc. They were best known for that because of the celebrity of their targets.

Thanks for the advice.

In the novel, the only line, and that talks about a minor character who was an American born KGB agent in the novel, says, "He was one of the few who hadn't been found by Senator Joe McCarthy's purge of Communists in the United States through the House Un-American Activities Committee."

I guess I should expound on that, since it never really crossed my mind that, even though it's an alternate history novel, people are going to want accurate history that was before the novel starts. I need to be a better nitpicker when it comes to my own novels!

That's wrong. McCarthy was not part of the HUAC. McCarthy was a Senator, not a member of the House of Representatives. McCarthy chaired the Army/McCarthy hearings. which were televised. Those hearings were not associated with HUAC.

Check out JC Phelps' blog, I'm doing a giveaway for a signed proof copy of the novel.

http://jcphelps.blogspot.com/2010/10/usurper-giveaway.html

The contest will close on October 19th at 11:59 PM MST, and open to US residents.

The Usurper has received its 5th 4 star review on Amazon, from a Brian Knapp:

Cliff weaves an interesting story with enough connections to real happenings in the world today that this book seems to be non-fiction.

Just when you think you know where the story line is going Cliff changes up on you. While some things are predictable others are not, which adds to the enjoyment of the book.

Some events catch you totally off guard. While it may seem to start slow stick with it, you will not be disappointed.

Currently The Usurper is on KDP Select, so you can borrow the novel for free.
and is available on all Amazon stores.

Has 23 reviews, a very mixed group of either love it or hate it.

As for the issues above, I actually re-wrote the beginning and fixed a lot of other issues people have had with certain things in the novel.