Brent Venturi, ex-leader of Delta Force's Phantom Squad is haunted by nightmares of his past. His life is turned upside down when he is bequeathed a rare book collection from Joseph Conklin. Among the books he finds a note from his late grandfather. He has also been passed clues to a lost secret, known as The Endowment. A secret so old, it dates back to the dawn of creation. A secret that began as a gift from God, but has become so evil that if it were to fall into the wrong hands, Armageddon would occur. A secret passed to one man of each generation since the time of Noah. A secret that is a Cursed Blessing. The secret was the reason for Joseph Conklin's murder. Brent is contacted by Maddie Smith, an old colleague of Joseph's. That night he finds Lucille Conklin beaten and left for dead. She tells him of a safe deposit box. Its contents and the information in his grandfather's note will lead him to the secret. Brent confronts Maddie. She swears she is innocent of Lucille's beating but knows who ordered it. In turn, she confronts Donavan Ferric, a sadistic murderer who is blackmailing her to work for him. She is given an ultimatum of killing Lucille or she will suffer the same fate. He and Chloe, along with Maddie discover the hidden underground world of The Endowment and save Lucille. Chloe is kidnapped by Ferric. Brent must call upon his past and reunites with The Phantom Squad. During the rescue, his worst nightmare comes to fruition. Ultimately, the true nature of the secret is revealed. Brent discovers that the man he was, the man he is and the man God wants him to be are one in the same.
About the Author: J. M. LeDuc is a writer of inspirational fiction; in the thriller genre. He is a native Bostonian, who transplanted to south Florida in 1985. What started out as a reprieve from the cold weather became a permanent move due to meeting and falling in love with his wife of twenty-three years, a native Floridian; Sherri. They are the proud parents of a twenty year-old daughter; Chelsea. When asked, why he writes, J. M. responds, "The answer is actually quite simple: It's just part of who I am. I was blessed to have had a mother (under whose maiden name I write) who loved the written word, and passed that passion on to me. When I was eight years old I was diagnosed with a rare congenital joint disease which prohibited me from playing sports, so all my adventure was pursued through writing and reading. By the time I reached high-school the doctors gave me permission to actively participate in sports and I threw myself into the fray headfirst. "I started out with snow skiing and quickly added the adrenaline rush of skydiving, scuba diving, and triathlon racing. My adrenaline pumping adventures culminated by competing as a bull and bareback rider on the rodeo circuit out in Colorado and Wyoming. I later got into survival/adventure racing, in which the races would last from 4-5 hours to 4-5 days. "My competitive days quickly came to an end with bilateral hip replacements in both 2000 and 2003. From that moment on I once again turned my adventurous spirit inward and quenched my thirst for adventure through my writing. You'll find that many of the activities that I have been personally involved in become part of the protagonist's personality." J. M. is an active member of the Mystery Writers of America, Florida Writers Association, and the Christian Writers Guild. You can contact J.M. LeDuc at jm_leduc@yahoo.com.