From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns

Jeremy Burns is a rule breaker.  If there’s such a thing as poetry in death, Jeremy has found it as he rivets your eyes to each sinister page, describing what assassination looks like, tastes like and feels like.  In the first fifteen pages you hope the killer will be foiled.  You keep saying to yourself, it won’t happen, it won’t happen, it won’t happen.  And then you hold your breath until it does.

The book is FROM THE ASHES. And Jeremy Burns is part of a great experiment by Fiction Studio Books to get good authors noticed and into the hands of people who like reading works by good writers.  Published January of 2012, the experiment is working.  Jeremy has already generated buzz from Barnes and Noble Booksellers.  But perhaps the biggest buzz will be in what he chooses to write.  Jeremy says, “I decided to look at the historical record and see what mysteries no one had yet covered, and I created a strikingly plausible scenario that fits in rather eerily with the established history.”

The storyline is simple, weaving together actual history and landmarks, fictional back stories from 1932 and 1957, and multiple subplots on top of the main story creates a complex and layered story.  The American Government and those sworn to protect the constitution sometimes get lost in their own sense of evil purpose.  You don’t have to be an historical scholar to know that bad men in our history paved our road to freedom with terrible acts for the manifestation of the greater good. Jeremy goes through the history books and worms his way through holes to create his own very believable, very chilling and very thrilling truths.  “The story revolves around a terrifying conspiracy dating back to the Great Depression – one entangling the Hoover Administration, the Rockefellers, and the rise of Nazi Germany – and its present day repercussions”, says Burns.  “On my first trip to New York City, I fell in love with the rich history, the vibrant culture and the unique atmosphere that Manhattan has.  I had recently changed my major to History and decided that I wanted to write a novel in the historical conspiracy thriller genre”.

And while some wouldn’t touch the subject of history with a ten foot cattle prod, Jeremy’s treatment of it is exciting, thought provoking and entertaining.  Somewhere in the neighborhood of a bucket of cold water in the face while sipping your third martini, From the Ashes is one of those wake- up calls that’s both painful and delicious, at the same time.  Jeremy continues, ” I discovered a distinctive history involving John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Using my university class work and papers as a jumping off point, I scoured libraries and returned to Manhattan to explore the hidden history behind some of the most famous monuments in the city, learning more than I ever thought I would about the 1930s, the Rockefellers, and a disturbing history of covert policies by the American government dating back nearly a century.  It was actually quite surprising how well the pieces of the conspiracy I’d devised fit into the established historical record, almost to the point where I would sometimes wonder if I had in fact unwittingly stumbled upon a real conspiracy.”

A devout researcher and somewhat of a Method writer, part of the adventure for Jeremy has been living what he writes.  “I made several trips to Manhattan to find all the routes that my characters would take, to explore all the churches, monuments, and museums that would be featured in the book, and to get a more comprehensive feel for the city’s dynamic and creative possibility.  If my characters were going to be chased through Grand Central Station, I wanted to see what they would see and experience what they might experience.  Walking through the streets and key locations that my characters would be inhabiting allowed my mind to explore the possibilities inherent in what the city already had to offer – which was a lot.  At one point in my story, I have a character climb up on a world famous monument in order to see what secrets might lie within. In order to see what he would see, I did the same.  Not only was I able to see what my character would discover – something that, without having climbed up there, I would not have been able to view – but I was also surprised to find that none of the many passersby paid any attention to my climbing on the monument, a surprising detail that I have my character reflect on when the same thing happens to him.”
Jeremy says he’s stoked by the number of fans he’s already gotten in the first month of his maiden release and is already at work on his next novel, tentatively titled OF FAITH AND TREASON, the next Jonathan Rickner adventure, the second in the series.  Expect excitement, expect history and expect Burns to break the rules.

But in the meantime, for FROM THE ASHES, hold your breath before you dive in.  It will take a moment to breathe.

*****

“From the Ashes is an ingenious, thought-provoking, and emotionally engaging thriller. This novel will resonate with you for a long time.” ~Lou Aronica, New York Times bestselling author

“With From the Ashes, Jeremy Burns establishes himself among the best authors of taut, historical thrillers. In this gripping debut, Burns lays bare a fascinating conspiracy of deceit, full of action and twists. You’ll find yourself rooting for his heroes, repulsed by his villains, and rethinking what you think you know about one of history’s darkest times. Truly, a must-read for fans of suspense, action, and history.” ~Robert Liparulo, author of THE 13TH TRIBE, COMES A HORSEMAN and the DREAMHOUSE KINGS

*****

Jeremy Burns is a former educator and journalist who holds degrees in History and Computer Science. He taught literature, political science, creative writing, and philosophy at an international school in Dubai, and has traveled to more than twenty countries across four continents. When not exploring a new corner of the globe, he lives in Florida, where he is working on his next novel.

To learn more about Jeremy, please visit his website.