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Putin's Useful Idiot - Book Tour and Giveaway

2/16/2020

56 Comments

 
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Putin's Useful Idiot
by Kenyon Kane
Genre: Historical Espionage, Romance 

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November 1984, Richard Hart lands at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport carrying a dossier he doesn’t have security clearance to open, a map of Moscow missing most of the street names, five ten-dollar bills (probably dyed with invisible ink) and an American Express card. Acting as a CIA “financial” agent, Hart must close a deal with the KGB, rig the transaction to produce enough “black money” to bribe KGB hard-liners to retire, and get out alive. And he only has Colonel Putin there to help him.


PUTIN'S USEFUL IDIOT is about Richard Hart, a self-centered materialist living in New York City married to a woman half his age, dining out every night at fancy restaurants and spending his weekends shopping with his wife at expensive stores like Bergdorf-Goodman, Henri Bendel, and Gucci. Forced to take an assignment to Moscow, he winds up in an environment where money is worthless because there is nothing to buy, food is scarce and for the most part terrible and even drinking water is impossible to find at times. As he adjusts to his new environment, he comes to find that his materialistic viewpoint is selfish, and in fact unnecessary to his happiness, and as he finds joy in the new friends and relationships he makes, he transforms toward the collective.
But is it all a set-up by his partner in crime V. Putin? Is he just another Useful Idiot? As a counterpoint, while Hart is evolving in his social views toward the collective, his Soviet counterparts evolve toward capitalism because the free markets are coming to the Soviet Union and everyone is going to need western currency to survive. Inspired by true events, PUTIN'S USEFUL IDIOT is a ride-along first person, present tense adventure jampacked with danger, passion and humor



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​CHAPTER 1

Cuffed
Handcuffs, stamped with a metal hammer and sickle, one cuff locks around my wrist, the other to a tubular bed frame. Wearing an over-sized bathrobe, with a Soviet star on the pocket, I'm butt naked underneath, except for the plaster cast on my right leg from mid-thigh to my ankle. Not that I'm shackled in a contorted position, heck they even gave me a pillow, though it stinks of bleach. But it's hard to sleep with one wrist shackled, even though I wouldn't be sleeping tonight anyway. They don't want me to sleep, that's the point. They want me to think about the evil I've done and confess. But it doesn't really matter because by this time tomorrow I'll either be free to go where I want when I want, or I'll be beat-up and suffering in a Soviet prison transport headed for a Siberian labor camp. I just hope I don't have to pee tonight, but they'll be coming for me soon enough. And I've seen their work, and it ain't pretty.

#

10 Days Before – Landing in Moscow
Hanging around the baggage claim area at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, I'm ass dragging waiting for my bags to emerge after an eighteen-hour travel day. All I want is a bed, a bottle of water and a place to smoke a Marlboro Red, but right now I can’t claim my luggage. All the carousels in the baggage claim area have broken down, and the Soviet repair crew has shut-off their power. I'm straddling a carousel because the Soviets don't provide chairs in the baggage claim area, and a carousel is the only place to sit while I wait. And there are no coin operated beverage dispensers either, like at JFK. It's solely a business trip nothing personal. I don't know anyone in Moscow, never been here before, and don't intend on staying long. My job is to close a real estate transaction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and though I appear to be an adventurous entrepreneur carving out a space for capitalism in downtown Moscow, in fact I'm not. Instead, I'm here to produce black money and use it to bribe KGB field operatives. To do it, I've contracted with the Soviets to buy a hotel in downtown Moscow, the Pushkin Hotel, and because of who I work for the U.S. Treasury is going to issue a guaranty to Deutsche Bank my lender. Based on the Treasury Guaranty, Deutsche Bank will loan me one hundred percent of the cost of the Pushkin Hotel purchase, plus the bribes I'm paying to the KGB operatives, plus the renovation of the Pushkin Hotel to Holiday Inn standards, plus a deposit of one million dollars tax-free into my pocket.  

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Kenyon Kane grew up in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles before there were freeways. He worked for two US Cabinet Secretaries. His job was to complete financial transactions in the Soviet Union, Grenada and Northern Ireland.

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Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!
I worked for two US Cabinet Secretaries. I worked in black op financial transactions in the Soviet Union, Grenada and Northern Ireland

Where were you born/grew up?
In the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles, before there were freeways. The Hollywood Freeway ended at Cahuenga Pass, there was no 405 Freeway and to get to the beach you had to take Sepulveda, and Ventura Boulevard ended at Sepulveda.
 
If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
With my family, my wife and three boys,
 
What are you passionate about these days?
Social Justice which is why my book encompasses social impact entertainment.
 
Do you have a favorite movie? 
The Thin Red Line - James Jones - later a movie

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
A Useful Idiot

What inspired you to write this book?
Everyone involved in the assignment to Moscow is dead.
 
What can we expect from you in the future?
Next book - Black op financial mission to Belfast 

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters? 
V. Putin is a character in A USEFUL IDIOT

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
Based on real life people. 

Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick? 

A USEFUL IDIOT is about Richard Hart, a self-centered materialist living in New York City married to a woman half his age dining out every night at fancy restaurants and spending his weekends shopping with his wife at expensive stores, e. g. Bergdorf-Goodman, Henri Bendel, Gucci. Forced to take an assignment to Moscow, he winds up in an environment where money is worthless because there is nothing to buy, food is scarce and for the most part terrible and even drinking water is impossible to find at times. As he adjusts to his new environment he comes to find that his materialistic viewpoint is selfish, and in fact unessesary to his happiness and as he finds joy in the new friends and relationships he makes, he transforms into a communism. But is it all a set-up by his partner in crime V. Putin. Is he just another Useful Idiot? As a counterpoint, while Hart is evolving in his social views towards the collective, his Soviet counterparts evolve towards capitalism because the free markets are coming to the Soviet Union and they all are going to need western currency to survive.

If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Tom Hanks

Anything specific you want to tell your readers? 

Choice lines from A USEFUL IDIOT:
  1. “everyone’s an atheist till it’s time to die.”
  2. Jesus told us: “it is more difficult to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to pass through the gates of Heaven.”

How did you come up with name of this book?
It is a quote attributed to Lenin commenting on the assistance he was receiving from John Reed an American journalist - “Ten days that Shook the World” 

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination? 
All real people.

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? Convince us why you feel your book is a must read. 
It is an historical account that gives the true picture of the Soviet Union in 1984 and dispels the misconceptions put out by American propaganda during the Reagan administration and before. It calls capitalism to account for the poverty and starvation throughout the world through the words of Jesus.

What did you edit 
out of this book?

About 30k words of real life experiences in Moscow that were interesting and environment building, but were not related to plot progression or character development.

Is there a writer whose brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
James Jones - From Here to Eternity and the Thin Red Line because he wrote about his real life experiences during World War 2 with a thematic slant toward the disparity in justice between the officers and the “joes” who actually did the fighting and dying.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
One at a time. Writing requires concentration and total immersion and I cannot do more than one novel at a time.

Pen or type writer or computer?

Computer

Tell us about a favorite character from a book.
V. Putin because he was so different in 1984 than he is today. In 1984 he was struggling to survive in a dangerous environment.

Describe your writing style.
First person present tense with a goal to put the reader in the Novel.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?
Two years.


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56 Comments
Bea LaRocca
2/16/2020 05:01:18 am

This sounds like a very interesting story. Thank you for sharing your guest post and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work

Reply
Kenyon Kane
2/18/2020 04:44:20 pm

Thank you for your kind remarks.

Reply
Shirley Ann Speakman
2/16/2020 08:16:51 am

The Book sounds very intriguing and I enjoyed the interview its great to getting to know a new author to me.

Reply
Kenyon Kane
2/18/2020 04:54:20 pm

Thank you for taking an interest Shirley.

Reply
Rita Wray
2/16/2020 10:46:26 am

The book sounds great.

Reply
Kenyon Kane
2/18/2020 05:19:08 pm

Thank you Rita.

Reply
Amy F
2/16/2020 11:59:47 am

Sounds like a very interesting read!

Reply
Calvin
2/16/2020 12:36:41 pm

Sounds really interesting.

Reply
Victoria Alexander
2/16/2020 01:38:06 pm

Sounds like a wonderful book!

Reply
wendy hutton
2/16/2020 01:38:25 pm

sounds interesting, Love the title

Reply
Dr. Jan Parthasarthy
2/16/2020 01:40:42 pm

Excellent subject for these trying times. So glad Kenyon took the time to share his KGB insights from living in Russia. A must read for anyone who needs to appreciate USA.

Reply
Peggy Salkill
2/16/2020 01:53:01 pm

Sounds like a good read!

Reply
Sherry
2/16/2020 02:05:14 pm

I think the book sounds really good.

Reply
Kelly D
2/16/2020 02:35:41 pm

I like the cover. The graphics are interesting.

Reply
LYNN CLAYTON
2/16/2020 05:44:03 pm

nice cover looks like a great read

Reply
Sara Zielinski
2/16/2020 06:53:18 pm

I think this sounds like a great book.

Reply
Dale Wilken
2/16/2020 09:40:43 pm

The book sounds like a really great read.

Reply
James Robert
2/16/2020 11:16:23 pm

Your book sounds great and I'm glad I got to learn about it. Thank you!

Reply
Susan Smith
2/17/2020 10:33:07 am

Sounds like an interesting book. I like the cover.

Reply
Barbara Montag
2/17/2020 11:50:58 am

I enjoyed reading your review for this book.
The cover is captivating!

Reply
Sandra Sher
2/17/2020 05:32:47 pm

This is not only a must read... but it is a definite fit for a movie! And yes I definitely agree that Tom Hanks should play the lead role as Kenyon Kane❗️❗️

Reply
Beyond Comps
2/18/2020 06:24:30 am

Great cover!

Reply
Piroska
2/18/2020 01:20:10 pm

It sounds like a very intriguing book. Love the cover!

Reply
Christina Gould
2/18/2020 03:17:21 pm

I like the title. It makes me wonder what the book is about. Thanks for the giveaway!

Reply
Terri Quick
2/18/2020 08:44:38 pm

Thank you for this generous giveaway

Reply
Mood Reader
2/18/2020 10:59:51 pm

Looks good!

Reply
Peggy Nunn
2/19/2020 09:03:16 am

I like the cover. It is intriguing.

Reply
jenn fike
2/19/2020 09:07:39 am

What a wonderful cover

Reply
Amy Green
2/19/2020 03:35:44 pm

‘Putin’s Useful Idiot’ could apply to a lot of people nowadays. One in particular springs to mind.

Reply
Shannon Holmes
2/20/2020 10:28:10 am

I love the cover.

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bn100
2/20/2020 10:53:48 pm

nice Q&A

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Debbie P
2/22/2020 03:56:04 pm

This sounds like a great read.

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jan
2/22/2020 04:19:57 pm

totally looking forward to this read!

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Heather Mahley
2/23/2020 12:41:40 pm

I really like the cover

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Nicole Fall link
2/23/2020 06:47:31 pm

The cover is very interesting - Not one I would particularly pick up by looking at it but after reading the synopses I would consider reading this for a change of pace!

Reply
Jeanna Massman
2/24/2020 03:43:47 am

Interesting cover! Thanks for the giveaway!

Reply
Serge B
2/24/2020 04:01:57 am

I liked the cover--not too fancy

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Sandy Klocinski
2/24/2020 04:11:59 am

This sounds like an awesome read! The title caught my attention. Definitely some lessons here for those who don't realize what we have here in the USA

Reply
Nickie
2/24/2020 09:24:58 am

The cover looks interesting.

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athena graeme
2/24/2020 12:25:14 pm

Awesome cover! So relavent to now!

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DeGeorgetown
2/25/2020 12:14:48 pm

The cover makes it look so mysterious and thrilling.

Reply
MARCY MEYER
2/26/2020 04:58:12 pm

The cover looks good. Sounds interesting.

Reply
Wendy Jensen
2/27/2020 11:56:21 am

I love the name of the book!

Reply
Stephanie
2/27/2020 01:01:40 pm

It seems like an interesting read.

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Mary Cloud
2/29/2020 09:51:03 pm

No questions - the cover is unique

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Mya Murphy
3/1/2020 11:35:42 am

I love the unique cover..the color catches my eye. The blurb sounds delightful.

Reply
Julie Barrett
3/2/2020 08:57:30 pm

Sounds like a unique and interesting read!

Reply
Victoria Scott
3/3/2020 01:46:28 pm

Thank you for sharing! Sounds intriguing!

Reply
Sarah Oswald
3/3/2020 09:05:02 pm

I like the look of the book cover and the storyline sounds good.

Reply
Diana Hardt
3/7/2020 03:36:46 pm

Nice cover. The book sounds very interesting, very intriguing.

Reply
Marissa M
3/8/2020 03:16:06 pm

Interesting cover, love the red!

Reply
Jennifer L.
3/9/2020 09:31:13 pm

Great cover. I like the title too.

Reply
Daniel M
3/12/2020 05:47:55 pm

like the cover

Reply
AuntySuzany
3/15/2020 11:26:15 pm

Interesting!
Thanks for sharing this giveaway with us!

Reply
Stacey A Smith
3/16/2020 08:05:16 pm

the cover is very dramatic .

Reply
Jerry Marquardt
3/16/2020 11:56:21 pm

I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including Putins, and wishing the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

Reply



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