Second Term, the debut political thriller by J. M. Adams
Author Interview + Book and Author Info + Pet Corner!
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Second Term
A lame duck president’s desperate power grab threatens democracy in the United States—can former intelligence operative and single mother Cora Walker prevent catastrophe?
September 2012. Cora Walker, a DIA defense operative, learns of a terrorist plot in Benghazi and rushes to a secret installation to stop it. When her superiors ignore her dire warnings, she’s forced to mount an unsanctioned attempt to thwart the attack. Her team barely repels the large force of invaders determined to kill Americans.
Sixteen years after her heroic actions in Benghazi, Cora is the press secretary for the Speaker of the House. As a single mom, she’s struggling to balance her demanding job and her home life. Soon, things get more complicated at work as the lame duck president suspends habeas corpus and begins arresting members of Congress in a desperate attempt to retain power.
Cora springs into action to save the Speaker and prevent catastrophe. She’ll have to work strategically to keep everyone safe—alliances turn sour, and her trust in others begins to falter. It’s an uphill battle for Cora until an explosive finale exposes what can really happen to democracy when political extremism reaches new heights.
To purchase Second Term click any of the following links: Amazon, B&N, Apple Books, Hudson Book Sellers, Kobo.
Interview with J.M. Adams, author of Second Term
Second Term features Cora Walker, a single mother, an ex-DIA defense operative, and now the press secretary for the Speaker of the House. What else should readers know about her?
Cora Walker is a loving and gentle mother with a wry sense of humor who does not suffer fools or liars.
Those who fight alongside of her describe Cora Walker as a warrior with liquid silver in her veins. When chaos unfolds around her, an eerie sense of calm washers over her entire being. Any situation that requires life-saving action is nothing more than a mathematical equation that needs to be solved instantly and efficiently. Time slows down as her mind instantly processes every surrounding element and what action must be taken to ensure a favorable outcome.
Second Term focuses on the power grab of a lame duck president. How much have you based the novel on possible events or events you believe could be heading our way?
I believe that what happened on January 6th, 2021 was a practice run, just a warm up to evaluate how the government and society would respond to thousands of people attacking the seat of American government. From that point of view, the attack was a smashing success. Weeks after the uprising, those who helped orchestrate it called the attack nothing more than a “NORMAL TOURIST VISIT.”
This was a slow-moving hurricane that crawled toward Washington D.C. All the politicians and every government agency including the justice department knew what was coming, but they decided to let it unfold rather than take any definitive action to stop it.
If you can spin the fact that thousands of terrorists beat police, smashed the windows of the Capitol and threatened to hang the Vice President as a “tourist visit’ and a large segment of the population believes it, then you have the blueprint for another attack on the sanctity of our democracy.
Second Term comes in part from your fifteen years of experience as a journalist. How much did your career in on-air television journalism impact the book?
I would like to think that all of my experience as a journalist had a direct impact on Second Term. Being in the middle of riots, protests and marches is a fascinating snapshot into how human beings morph into something very different when they become part of a mob.
I was fortunate enough to spend a great deal of time with the military here in the United States and also in the Middle East. My respect and admiration for them knows no bounds and I was lucky to work with them.
What’s it like behind the scenes on-air? Is it all chaos or calm? Or a mix of both?
It really depends on the story.
When you’re reporting from a natural disaster or a violent crime scene, it’s all chaos right up until the time you’re live on air. For other more informational stories and especially court cases, there’s a great deal of waiting time that builds up to those two to three minute hits during each newscast.
What can we find you doing when you aren’t reading and writing thrillers?
My writing time is mostly 4am until it’s time to wake up the kids for school.
I coach a high school tennis team and still play when I can, but most of my awake time is spent with the girls and their various sporting events around Northern New Jersey.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been researching and organizing for Cora’s next adventure. I took a week-long research trip to several Texas-Mexico border towns venturing into Mexico about 12 times to spend time and meet with migrant families, churches, Border Control Officers, ICE agents and members of the Mexican Federal Police Force.
Words of Wisdom for Aspiring Writers:
I’ve always been a researcher at heart. As an investigative reporter years ago and now as author, I lose myself in my research before I ever begin writing. You can never know too much about any topic no matter how obscure it may seem at the time because it will come back to help you when you begin the writing process. It’s always better to have too much information to draw on rather than too little.
Author Pet Corner!
Buddy and Bella are three years old and came from the same Cavachon litter. The plan was to only bring home Bella, but when I met Buddy for the first time, the family had a new choice to make. I explained that we could still get Bella, but Buddy WOULD NOT BE LEFT BEHIND.
So instead of two children, we have four: Two young ladies and two furry terrorists.
The pups are love sponges packed full of personality and mischief and they could not be more different. Bella’s perfect day is full of long naps on the couch with her humans while Buddy is the anxious one, always looking over his shoulder and ready for action.
Adorable!!!
J.M. Adams, Author of Second Term
J. M. Adams is an Emmy nominated journalist with more than 15 years of on-air television journalism experience, reporting for CBS, ABC and NBC news affiliates across the United States and abroad.
Besides being nominated for an Emmy for his news reporting, highlights from his career include going on sea patrols with the Navy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and reporting on location from Kuwait and Iraq while the Air Force enforced No-Fly Zones over Iraq. He also reported on location from a number of hurricane and wildfire disaster zones across the Southern United States and covered multiple high-profile federal court cases around the country.
Second Term is his debut novel.
Adams is an avid history buff who also teaches tennis and coaches a women’s high school tennis team. He lives in Northern New Jersey, with his wife, two daughters, and a pair of Cavachons who appear to have taken over the house.
To learn more about J.M., click on any of the following links: Website, X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads.
Elena Taylor/Elena Hartwell Taylor
