Bøger af Clydean O'Conner

For anyone who has lived in Las Vegas for years or is familiar with the early history of gambling in Nevada, the cover of The Magic Wand is going to evoke memories of by-gone days. The Magic Wand uses Las Vegas as a setting and its people as case studies of human behavior. It is a fable in format, but the content mirrors psychological issues right out of a textbook. The heroine is a fairy sprite determined to climb the ladder of success to become a fairy godmother. Her struggle to change the way people behave is a battle from the beginning.You will recognize these people because you've worked alongside them for years!

At a dig in the mountains above the Dead Sea, an archeologist uncovers a sliver coin and a scroll foretelling the destiny of a "woman called Amariah, come from out of the past." The ancient leather reveals five coins will identify a woman, who will change the course of history. The coin and scrap of leather are rushed to the Vatican.The Pope lies dying and the new Father General of the Jesuit Order, Andrew Simson, has usurped his power and authority. Like many early popes, Simson plans to unite the world beneath the banner of Catholicism. A group of fanatic Jesuits act as advisors to political contenders eager to destroy existing forms of government. Global intrigue escalates as a secret cadre of Jesuits pit the IRA against the British in Ireland; whisks a black political activist from the South African jail in which he has been imprisoned for twenty years; plot economic warfare as they route goods to product-hungry Chinese; ship tons of grain to Russia in exchange for the opening of Catholic churches; and create a homeland for Palestinian refugees in Israel.Recently discovered documents in the Secret Archive reveal information about hidden works of art in the grave sites of early Christians honeycombing the hill beneath the Vatican as a means of hiding the church's wealth. In a bid to influence public opinion, Simson decides to build a new museum to house the treasures he is certain the catacombs contain. The Jesuit Father General gathers historians, researchers and linguistics experts from around the world to authenticate art works and translate documents hidden away for centuries. A Benedictine nun, Sister Amariah, fluent in languages spoken in the New Testament era, is summoned to Rome to participate in the historic endeavor.The fabric of destiny begins to unravel as she translates Aramaic and Hebrew scrolls which reveal the early Church's political ambitions. To her anguish, she uncovers the bishops, who united Christianity under the Roman Emperor, Constantine, rewrote early texts of the Bible to convert heathen masses and control their followers; completely distorting Jesus' original message . The nun wrestles with the importance of her discoveries. She possesses information which could destroy Andrew Simson's vision of uniting the world under one religion and one government.Tension mounts as Jesuits' topple governments on every continent. A master of manipulation, Simson uses the press to further his political intentions for a New World Order. He is hailed as the new Messiah, come to save mankind from its travail. As Sister Amariah translates documents which prove the political motivation behind what information was included in the Bible, and what was deliberately left out, she gradually loses her faith in in the Church and the Father General's vision of the future. When she discovers key documents have been removed from the master computer program named 'Messiah', Amariah decides to flee Rome with her remaining documents, which contain the truth of Jesus' message. As she prepares to go public with her message, she comes to realize it is up to her to stop the Father General. She returns to Rome for a final confrontation between good and evil, as foretold in Revelations.

If you think the mob is out of Las Vegas, think again. Old mobsters sent their kids to college and a new mob took over in the form of predatory banksters and hedge fund managers. This new breed of hooligans made Bugsy Seigel, Meyer Landsky, Lucky Luciano, Joseph Aiuppa, Nic Civilla, Gus Greenbaum and Tony Spilatro look like choir boys. There's just too much money to walk away and let enterprising casinos have it all. The power base shifted to take heat off mob bosses in 80s. If everything goes according to plan, the entire State of Nevada will soon be divided up between the families anyway-with the skim tucked away in mob owned hedge funds, a villainous stock market and tax free off-shore bank accounts.A new set of jackals appeared on the Vegas scene with plenty of money to risk backing casinos anxious to expand their playgrounds-but state officials turned a blind eye to where all the money originated. Casinos aren't the only arena in Nevada where there's big money to be made. Nuclear waste is the ugly by-product of an increasing appetite for power in America. No other states want a dump site, which is radioactive for a billion years, in their backyard. The trucking company who delivers such a volatile nuclear cocktail will make millions hauling a devastating dilemma created by government stupidity and human greed. The barren wastelands of Nevada, populated by coyotes, jackrabbits and snakes seemed like a perfect place to create a vault bored deep into mountains standing guard over uninhabited alkali flats.When a grisly fire in a suite at Caesar's Palace claims the life of the most beautiful showgirl in Las Vegas, Detective Danny Armstrong is assigned to the case. Citizen outrage is at an all-time high because the showgirl was a media darling. An ambassador for tourism, Glitter traveled the world with the Las Vegas Visitors and Convention Authority to promote the gaudy capital of the world.Every clue leads down one blind alley after another. In desperation, Danny turns to the psychic used by every detective at Metro-his mother, Catherine Armstrong. The gifted visionary senses one man sits like a spider at the center of a convoluted web of death and destruction. She warns Danny a plague, like no other in history, is about to be unleashed on Nevada. Catherine feels Glitter was murdered for her part in a frightening vision.Casino bosses, politicians, and a high-ranking military officer with ties to Area 51contractors become sign posts linking the murdered showgirl to New Jersey mob boss, Jake Russo. A simple twist of fate, provided by Catherine Armstrong's psychic powers, uncovers a secret connection to Russo and the owner of a major strip casino, Jordan Gray. Once the foundation of lies and deceit are exposed, Danny soon discovers the mob never really left Las Vegas. Like a virus, it mutated and changed form to continue living off its lucrative host.Prompted by voices from a void which defies human logic, Catherine is guided to the one person who has critical information. This woman is about to be murdered by Russo's henchmen before she can ignite the powder keg which will destroy his operation, along with key figures in the casino industry, military and existing political power structure.Kristin Hastings, sister of the senior Senator from Nevada, and COO for a string of family casino scattered across the northern part of the state, is Jack Russo's long-time lover. Russo planned to use Glitter to infiltrate the highest levels of power and report back to him. He never counted on her falling in love with the God-forsaken Mojave Desert.