We’re working with a new client/author, a former four-star commander of CENTCOM. More to come about their book and their author bio.
Several of our authors and clients are retired Admirals, Generals, and other high-ranking military personnel, as well as professionals with careers in Intelligence, Security, and Law Enforcement Agencies.
[Other clients are Senior Executives (including former CEOs, Chairmen, and SVPs of multibillion-dollar NYSE companies), retired members of Congress and government officials (within DOD), Foreign Policy & Defense Industry Professionals, University Professors, Scientists, Doctors, Surgeons, Attorneys, Entrepreneurs, and Business Professionals.]
McKenna Foel is a widow who began writing while mourning the death of her husband and daughter. Within a year of that tragic event, she left her 15-year position as a Targeting Analyst/Officer in the Intelligence Community to devote full time to writing.
She uses her middle name, McKenna, from her Scots and Welsh heritage, derived from the Gaelic name Cináed, meaning, ‘born of fire.’ And like the legend of the Phoenix, she rose from the ashes of a tragedy to establish a career as a ghostwriter for several bestselling books. That success has led to her writing her own stories under an ancestral surname, ‘Foel,’ and to her upcoming THE LIST OF NEVERs.
Want to receive news and updates on McKenna’s writing?Let us know and we’ll add you to our list of interested readers.
The truth doesn’t always set you free… sometimes it can kill you.
When a young FBI agent discovers a symbol on a dead body linking a cold case to her family’s tragic past, she embarks on a perilous quest to uncover the truth. Only to find that the answers could threaten her life and reveal who—or what—she truly is.
Twenty years ago, five-year-old Elin’s father vanished without a trace, and her mother was brutally murdered, the killer NEVER caught. Raised by a distant grandmother who disapproved of her biraciality, Elin grew up with unanswered questions and a determination to find answers.
After joining the FBI, Elin’s dreams of solving her family’s mysteries are dashed when she’s assigned to the Records Management Division. When an unsolved missing-person-turned-murder cold case crosses her desk, featuring a photo of the victim with an odd mark above their left breast, Elin is forced into a confrontation. Told to ‘process it and move on,’ she can’t. The mark, unknown to investigators, is identical to one of the four symbols on a pendant owned by the woman she swore she’d NEVER see or speak to again: her grandmother.
Her grandmother, a harsh woman Elin thought fearless, pales when told the circumstances and questioned about the symbol. She warns Elin to NEVER ask again and sends her away.
Then, a still-angry Elin receives a call that her grandmother is in critical condition from a series of strokes. Desperate for answers, she arrives in time to hear cryptic last words as her grandmother—who disliked touching—grips her hand: “The hunters… they found your father… NEVER reveal what you are….”
Stunned, Elin returns to work and discovers another cold case. Another of the symbols marks this victim’s chest. She suspects the murders and other missing persons cases she finds are linked to her family’s tragedy. Her grandmother’s last words echo in her mind, the warning about what she is, not who. An unexpected bequest from her grandmother—a property in Wychaven, Connecticut—reveals an even greater, darker secret about her family and herself.
Determined to unravel her life’s tangle, Elin’s private investigation turns deadly, exposing a hidden past and threats lurking within it. She’s forced to confront truths she was NEVER prepared to face.
Early Life and Enlistment: Max Nera grew up in a small, working-class town in the Midwest. The oldest of three kids, his parents worked hard to make ends meet. His dad was a police officer, and his mom a part-time regional Trauma Center nurse. Max loved reading, especially stories by Raymond Chandler, Elmore Leonard, and Dashiell Hammett. After high school in 1998, Max enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving in a Long-Range Surveillance (LRS) unit used for clandestine operations by Military Intelligence for gathering direct human intelligence information.
Military Career (1998-2010): Max spent twelve years in the Army, completing missions worldwide. He led his team through tough times and learned much about duty and people, especially under pressure and with the highest accountability and consequences. Wounded a few times, by 2010, he had decided to leave the military.
Law Enforcement Career (2010-2024): Max joined a large metropolitan police department, where his military experience and skills led to his quickly becoming a detective. While achieving one of the highest case clearance rates in the department’s history, he received several awards. Severely wounded—shot multiple times—in 2019 during an undercover operation gone wrong, he ended up with a permanent limp and a lot of time to recover.
The Transition to Writing: Stuck in the hospital, then at home, Max started writing to pass the time. His stories were real… gritty vignettes that reflected his own experiences. While researching his new novel, a bestselling crime novelist heard of Max’s work and hired him as a story development consultant. Max’s input was so good he soon became an occasional ghost co-writer and ghostwriter for a publishing house’s Crime/Thriller/Suspense imprint and a handful of authors.
Full-time Writing Career (2024-Present): In 2024, Max took early law enforcement disability retirement to become a full-time author, live and read quietly–far from the tumult of his past careers–and turn his experience into gripping stories. Max has found his true calling in crafting stories that keep readers hooked on his characters and turning pages.
MORE DETAILS ON MAX NERA STORIES AND SERIES TO COME…
Adjective: What was but is no more. Belonging to some prior time.
Noun:A person dismissed or ejected from a position.
Each character in the stories is formed by those definitions. The stories are narratives of what once was ‘good’ or ‘bad’ to what might be ‘to come’ that is good or bad. The future is in flux and depends on people shaped by their past. Will Good triumph over Evil? When it has failed in the past, the Dark Times—and the malevolent—reigned.
When What Was Hidden… is Revealed
One Advance Reader of early versions of the stories (under different working titles) that form the series foundation said this: “Character-driven and atmospheric adult fiction that blends history and legend with the tension and intricacies of contemporary society and events. Compelling and complex characters. Thoughtful, evocative, and page-turning; a story that promises to be well-told.”
They’re not the only ones to offer that opinion. The premise and early versions of the stories proved so powerful that we have dozens of other Advance Reader reviews/comments and feedback on the core stories. We’ve planned the development of expanded versions of them to form this new series and to continue it with new stories.
This is a multi-year development project (some already in their second and third year of work) where several of the planned stories (below) will be completed in their entirety before any are released and published:
“Why is it believed broken things are tamed possessions?” –Rebecca K. O’Connor, One More Winter
“Turning and turning in the widening gyre. The falcon cannot hear the falconer. Things fall apart; the center cannot hold; anarchy is loosed upon the world. The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” — William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming
Sometimes you must descend before you can climb. You must fall… before you can rise.
Valencia Margolis—an art historian—lives with a quiet form of Borderline Personality Disorder. Life’s not been easy for her.
It gets worse…
Val’s ‘best’ friend—her only friend—is killed.
It gets worse…
Her ‘mother’ dies, and Val finds she’s been lied to since birth.
It gets worse…
Val fears she’s become a suspect in her friend’s murder.
Then it gets… strange.
Val receives a package at work containing three items: A smartphone she’s never heard of (a Sirin Labs Finney U1), an American Express [Black] Centurion Card, and a passport with a two-year-old photo of her but a different name.
The next day—early pre-dawn—the phone buzzes. Fumbling for it, not hers… without glasses, Val tries to read the blurry text message; it says:
‘They will take you today.’
The phone rings, and Val answers. A distinct contralto voice tells her: “They’ll arrest you… today.”
Head fogged by having just fallen asleep—late in coming because of apprehension at being questioned twice by the police—Val asks, “Who is this?”
The only reply… the other person’s breathing.
“How do you know?” Val asks but hears only the murmur of breath. “Why should I believe you?”
The susurration stops: “You must.” A sibilant sigh…. “I can tell you about your mother… your real mother… and the inheritance.”
“What?”
“Use the passport I sent you… come to Amsterdam. Bring with you anything Sharon Margolis gave or left you.”
“What? How do you know my mothe– … how do you know her? Amsterdam!” Val’s mind races. “Why?
“You must run… or you will die. I’ll tell you ‘how’ and more ‘why’ when you are here.” The voice rose, sharpened. “Come to Amsterdam. I will know when you arrive and send you instructions….”
Silence; no breathing.
Disbelieving and trying to shake off the enigmatic call, Val calls in sick to work three hours later. To learn the police are there, looking for her.
Val runs….
* * *
In Amsterdam, Val begins to discover the truth about her family. How her real father and twin sister died, and about her mother. Val learns she unwittingly holds the key to finding a cache of art lost for centuries and worth millions.
That key also reveals clues that lead to the location of secret documents from World War Two. Evidence that could destroy a corrupt global business empire and a burgeoning political dynasty that covertly spans and influences nations. That’s who murdered her father and sister and almost killed her mother. It’s who has ruined her life—such as it was—and now will kill her to keep their secrets.
To save herself, she must decipher the clues to find the secret documents and the treasure hidden by her ancestor.
HARKEN introduces Valencia Margolis, who learns she’s the daughter of a slain Centro Superior de Información de la Defensa (now Centro Nacional de Inteligencia) officer for the Spanish intelligence service. It begins her transformative journey of retribution and discovery of her identity, her true family, a hidden treasure, and the deadly secrets that could ruin a powerful global organization if revealed.
The story arc is in further development for plotting and outlining.
While researching one of our stories (series in development), whose main character is an ex-OSS officer (former Mercy Team, then X-2 and Secret Intelligence Branch) who operated in Romania and remains in Europe post-WW2, we came across the following (further below) and thought:
What if, during World War Two, an OSS covert Psychological Operation code-named ‘OPERATION: UNDEAD’ to exploit local superstitions in Romania against the Nazis went wrong?
We’re writing an original story that answers that question (and ties into other stories within our QUONDAM series universe). The premise, plot, character list and backstories, historical and cultural research, and story codex have been completed. Writing has commenced.
Here’s the reference we found that prompted the ‘What If?’
OSS Operations in Romania During World War II
Romania was strategically important during World War II due to its natural resources, particularly oil fields in Ploiesti, which were vital for fueling the German war machine. The OSS sought to undermine Axis influence in Romania and supported the resistance against the Nazi-backed government.
Romanian Resistance and OSS Support: In the latter part of the war, particularly after the Battle of Stalingrad, Romania’s political situation shifted. The OSS maintained contact with Romanian political and military leaders who were part of the anti-Nazi underground. Notably, the OSS worked with factions that sought to overthrow the dictatorship of Ion Antonescu, the pro-German leader of Romania. In August 1944, as the Red Army advanced into Romania, King Michael I led a coup against Antonescu and Romania switched sides to join the Allies. The OSS had helped prepare the groundwork for this realignment by fostering relationships with key anti-Axis leaders.
Operation Autonomous: One of the most notable OSS missions in Romania was Operation Autonomous in 1943. A team of British SOE (Special Operations Executive) and OSS officers parachuted into Romania to make contact with anti-Axis factions. The team, including British officers Ivor Porter, Alfred Gardyne de Chastelain, and OSS agent John Houseman (one wonders if this is the renowned British-American actor, Romanian-born as Jacques Haussmann) aimed to prepare for the possibility of Romania breaking away from the Axis. But the operation encountered numerous difficulties. The team was captured by Romanian authorities, who kept the officers in relatively good conditions despite being allied with Germany, understanding the need for future negotiations with the Allies. After the 1944 coup, the OSS and SOE agents were released.
Sabotage of Ploiesti Oil Fields: The OSS played a role in coordinating sabotage missions, targeting the oil refineries in Ploiesti, a critical supply of fuel for Nazi Germany. These operations aimed to reduce the refineries’ output, complementing the strategic bombing campaign against Ploiesti, most famously the low-level air raid known as Operation Tidal Wave in 1943.
Myths and Legends Surrounding OSS Activities in Romania
The mysterious nature of covert operations, along with Romania’s rich tradition of folklore, led to the development of myths and legends surrounding OSS involvement. Some of these tales blend historical facts with elements of fantasy and local superstition.
Vampire Legends and Operation Undead: One of the more intriguing legends is tied to the long-standing association between Romania and vampire folklore, particularly in the region of Transylvania. According to some stories, OSS operatives, unfamiliar with local customs and tales, encountered villagers who believed their presence was linked to ancient vampire legends. In one account, an OSS team operating near the Carpathian Mountains was said to have stumbled upon a remote village that claimed to be plagued by a vampire lord. While this story is likely a fabrication, it underscores how the intersection of wartime activities and local beliefs could create eerie and fantastical narratives.
Secret Nazi Occult Operations: Another persistent rumor was that the Nazis, who had a fascination with occultism and mysticism, were conducting secret operations in Romania to harness supernatural powers or artifacts linked to ancient Dacian or Thracian civilizations. The OSS reportedly received intelligence about these supposed missions and monitored Nazi archaeological digs and occult experiments. No solid evidence has emerged to confirm such tales, but they remain part of the shadowy lore surrounding wartime Romania.
Ghost Army of the Carpathians: One legend suggests that an OSS-backed Romanian resistance group operating in the Carpathian Mountains developed a reputation as the ‘Ghost Army’ due to their stealth and ability to evade capture. Some say that locals believed the group had supernatural protection or that they employed psychological warfare tactics that made the Axis forces fear they were facing an otherworldly force.
While the extent of OSS operations in Romania remains shrouded in secrecy, these myths and legends highlight the nature of covert operations in a region steeped in history and folklore.
Origins of the Operation Undead Myth
Operation Undead is an interesting and rather fanciful legend, but there is no documented historical evidence to confirm the existence of any such operation carried out by the OSS or other Allied intelligence agencies during World War II. The legend likely emerged due to the deep connection between Romania, specifically Transylvania, and vampire folklore, which has captured popular imagination for centuries.
The story of Operation Undead appears to be a mix of historical fact, local superstition, and post-war embellishment. Transylvania, a region in central Romania, is famously associated with the vampire myth, mainly due to Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula and its central character, Count Dracula, who is loosely based on the historical figure Vlad the Impaler, a 15th-century ruler known for his brutal methods of punishment.
When the OSS began operations in Romania during World War II, these vampire legends were already well-known in Western popular culture. The OSS, known for using unconventional warfare and intelligence techniques, would have certainly encountered the strong superstitions and folklore permeating Romanian rural life.
The Alleged Story of Operation Undead
According to the legend, Operation Undead occurred between 1943 and 1944, during the height of the OSS’s covert activities in Eastern Europe. The story claims that an OSS team was deployed into the Carpathian Mountains on a mission to sabotage Nazi operations and gather intelligence on German troop movements. While operating in a remote village, the team encountered locals who warned them of a ‘strigoi’ (a Romanian term for a vampire-like creature) terrorizing the region.
The myth goes further to suggest that the villagers believed the strigoi was collaborating with Nazi forces, leading the OSS team to investigate the possibility that the Germans were somehow exploiting local superstitions for psychological warfare. This narrative plays into the well-documented Nazi fascination with the occult, particularly Heinrich Himmler’s SS, which was involved in pseudo-archaeological and mystical studies across Europe.
In some versions of the story, the OSS agents were caught between fighting the Axis forces and dealing with what the villagers believed was a supernatural threat. The team supposedly investigated eerie occurrences, strange disappearances, and even the discovery of a crypt in a forgotten castle, adding to the mystery of the operation. However, no actual documents, diaries, or post-war OSS reports support these fantastical claims.
Reality vs. Fiction
The OSS was involved in operations that dealt with psychological warfare and engaging local resistance movements. Its focus in Romania was practical: working with anti-Nazi elements, sabotaging key industrial infrastructure (like the Ploiesti oil fields), and gathering military intelligence.
The Operation Undead legend likely arose after the war as a mixture of:
Real OSS and SOE operations that took place in remote and mysterious locations, naturally giving rise to imaginative speculation.
The strong local vampire lore, especially as Western soldiers and intelligence officers encountered these cultural beliefs for the first time.
Popular depictions of vampires in literature and movies added a gothic element to the already dramatic landscape of World War II espionage and resistance efforts in Eastern Europe.
Legacy of the Legend
While Operation Undead remains in the realm of myth, it exemplifies how war and folklore can intertwine, creating larger-than-life stories that endure long after the events themselves. The tale of OSS agents facing off against vampires or Nazi occult forces adds a supernatural element to what was otherwise a brutal and very human conflict. These legends have been further fueled by post-war books, movies, and television shows that depict wartime Romania as a land filled with gothic horror, largely inspired by Stoker’s Dracula and the region’s association with the paranormal.
Want to follow the author who is developing the story based on the above information?
This is a bold-faced yet fact-based brag. Well, maybe better said, it’s a point of pride statement. My company has worked with many veterans, men and women, in government, the defense industry, and intelligence communities. And I’m incredibly proud we’ve helped bring their stories to life.
– Senior VP of a Fortune 500 Company (defense industry)
– US Senator and Congressman (retired)/Army veteran
– A Former Special Forces Officer and Lawyer
– 2 Major Generals, US Marine Corps (retired)
– 2 CEOs of NYSE/multi-billion-dollar companies (defense industry)
– Former Special National Security Affairs Advisor
– 2 Lieutenant Colonels, US Marine Corps (retired)
– CEO of a Washington DC-Based Business Development & Strategic Planning Firm (government and DoD)
– General, US Marine Corps (retired), former Assistant Commandant of the US Marine Corps
– Former Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
– Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Principal Military Advisor to the Secretary of State
The list could go on with those we’ve worked with in business, legal, science, medical, and educational professions (many of whom are also veterans). All of whom have great stories and information to share. We’re also proud to have played a role in their story and book development and publication.
