For today’s blog post, I’ve asked Cole Haufner of Dark Spiral Down by Michael Houtz to tell us more about himself. Without further ado, take it away Cole…
Hello everyone! My name is Cole Haufner,
and I’m a professional mixed martial arts fighter. I have a confession I want
to share with you all—I hate interviews. I know I’ve performed in some of the
biggest pay-per-view fights and sat on post-fight podiums speaking to reporters
and fans across the
I think I get that from my youth growing up in a Shaolin temple in China. Can’t say there’s a lot of attention seekers in that part of the world. Anyone with that type of personality tends to either leave or learns to suppress those urges. We’re kind of a stoic bunch.
Hmm, what else? Oh, I love dogs. My best friend has a German Shepard, Zeus. That dude is a total badass. Oops, can I say that word on here? I probably shouldn’t say that anyway. If I wasn’t traveling all the time, I’d totally get one. Maybe when things slow down a bit. Who am I kidding? My cowriter here has zero plans I’ll ever slow down. I threatened to choke him out if I didn’t get a break, but I don’t think he even heard me.
Love kids! I have a real soft spot for them. I’m normally a chill guy but when I hear a story of abuse of any kind, I tend to lash out pretty quickly. There was this one time I followed a bad guy to…Oh, sorry. I’m getting a hand signal I can’t talk about that. Guess the laws in that part of the world wouldn’t like what I did to him. Too bad—I thought it was pretty clever…okay, fine. I see your hand waving again.
You probably know my wife. She’s a pretty famous ballerina. Most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Guys, back me up on this. Right? She hates my fights. Can’t say I particularly care for them either, but she REALLY hates them. We agreed on one more before I announce my retirement. I haven’t told anyone that yet so let’s keep that little gem between us. I figured I go undefeated and win the middle-weight world championship. Just about there. After that, I’m off to med school, like we initially planned. I want to take care of little kids like my cowriter here.
That’s enough about me. Tell me a cool story about you!
About the Author
He lives at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in
Colorado.
His latest book is the
thriller/international/action novel, Dark
Spiral Down.
Website: www.mikehoutz.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelhoutz
About the Book:
COLE HAUFNER is a reluctant superstar in
the professional mixed martial arts world. After his latest fight, his wife and
child perish in a car crash. His grief deepens when his brother, BUTCH, a
Delta
Force operator, is absent from the funeral and reported missing by two furtive
strangers who show up unannounced at the burial. Despairing, and acting on a
tip, Cole travels to his childhood home in southeast China, looking for his
brother.
Butch and his teammate, HAMMER, are the
sole American survivors of a gun battle between their unit and North Korean
commandos, both sides fighting over possession of a stolen suitcase containing
a miniaturized fusion device that could either provide unlimited clean energy
or be converted to an undetectable bomb seven times more powerful than a
nuclear explosion. Leading the North Koreans is the sociopath, Commander PARK.
Pressed into helping the Koreans is a disgraced former CIA operative, BARRETT
JENNINGS.
Cole meets with the uncle who raised him,
MASTER LI, and is warned to stop his search for Butch. Barrett discovers Cole’s
identity (with the help of a genius computer hacker, LILLY), which opens a
twenty-year-old wound when Barrett was blamed for the disappearance of Cole’s
father, along with the man’s invention. Barrett enlists the 14K organized crime
syndicate to help capture Cole. Hammer, separated from Butch during the fight
for the device, thwarts the gang’s attempt to kidnap Cole, and the two then set
off to find Butch and the device. All parties converge on the city library
where Butch, now disguised as a monk, is attempting to communicate with the
Pentagon. Barrett and Park capture Butch, while the 14K gang nabs Cole.
Danger mounts as Chinese authorities begin
investigating foul play within their borders. Cole fights his way free of the
gang and reunites with Hammer. Both men
find Barrett’s apartment and discover Lilly (the man’s stepdaughter), who
divulges Barrett’s identity and plan. Cole clashes with Hammer, who is willing
to sacrifice Butch in order to recover the fusion device. Lilly offers her help
in exchange for her and Barrett’s rescue from Park’s grip. Meanwhile, Barrett
discovers the true nature of the case the North Koreans are pursuing and,
sensing he and Lilly are to be assassinated by Park once he has the device,
frees Butch. Butch, trusting Barrett was sent to rescue him, leads the turncoat
to the site where he hid the device. Barrett, hoping to make a quick fortune
selling it, shoots Butch before escaping with the case.
Cole, along with Hammer and Lilly, arrives
at the location of Butch and finds him gravely wounded. Butch fingers Barrett
for shooting him and for stealing the case. Cole wants only to save his brother
but Butch makes him promise to kill Barrett and recover their dad’s invention.
The revelation that the device is his father’s scientific discovery propels
Cole forward to fulfill his brother’s mission. Cole is forced to abandon Butch
at a hospital. Cole pursues Barrett to a remote dock where the ex-CIA man is
planning to escape China by boat. With the Chinese military now actively
looking for Cole, Cole confronts Barrett and Park sparking a gunfight. Barrett
kills Park. As Barrett turns the gun on Cole, Hammer kills Barrett. Cole,
Hammer and Lilly escape via the boat, and the fusion device is safely returned.
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Book Excerpt:
Anger born of helplessness rose in his chest. In
contrast to Master Li’s placating tone, Cole straightened to his full height
and stared into the man’s face. “Let me guess, more 14K cowards?”
Another man stepped forward and cocked his
pistol’s hammer. “I show you coward.”
As at the Crowne Plaza earlier, Cole refused to
back off, even in the face of impending conflict. “The coward is the man who
needs a gun.”
The other with the shotgun pointing at Cole’s
chest stood only some seven or eight feet away. “You will come with us now!”
“Please. Violence is forbidden here,” Master Li
spoke again. “The Temple is sacred. We cannot have this type of behavior.”
“Maybe you don’t hear so good,” the leader
sneered. “He comes with us whether you approve or not.”
“He is a famous American! If you take him, the
government will arrest anyone involved. They will have no choice but to hold
immediate trials and executions.” Master Li cupped his hands together and held
them against his chest.
“Famous American,” the man chuckled. “If you are so
famous, what are you doing here then, huh?”
Cole stared straight into the man’s eyes. He took
several steps toward the shotgun-wielding thug. “How about I show you?”
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