Fiction Authors Live On

I’m sure you know that Maya Angelou died recently.  What came to mind is not only the impact that Maya Angelou had on literature, but also the fact that we will not be graced with any new poetry by the author.  That is, unless a posthumous collection is discovered.  The great thing about fiction, however, is that often an author’s characters continue to live on after the author’s death.  Here are some current releases featuring characters and locations made famous by deceased authors.  Descriptions are from the publisher.

Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Out of the Ashes (1947-2013)

A renegade Saudi Prince with ambitions of controlling the world's oil supply has an ingenious plot to manipulate America into attacking Syria and launching a war against Iran. Next, they would ignite a sleeper cell to attack the American homeland, resulting in a bloodbath unlike any other. Only the men and women of Op-Center, using sophisticated technology, realize what is about to be unleashed. Only they have the courage to issue a warning no one wants to hear. But will anyone believe them?

Thomas Kinkade's Angel Island : Harbor of the Heart (1958-2012)

Liza Martin and Daniel Merritt are closer than ever. She alone knows that he gave up his medical practice because he blamed himself for endangering a patient. But she is completely shocked to hear that Daniel is now considering returning to a medical career...which may mean leaving Angel Island--and Liza.
Daniel struggles to make this decision, but they are both put to the test when a sailor wrecks his boat in a vicious storm. Liza witnesses Daniel's medical skills firsthand and finally understands why she must let him pursue his career. If only that didn't mean sacrificing the love of her life...

Robert Ludlum's (TM) the Bourne Ascendancy  (1927-2001)

Kidnapped and transported to an underground bunker, Bourne finds himself face-to-face with an infamous terrorist named El Ghadan ("Tomorrow"). El Ghadan holds as his captive Soraya Moore, former co-director of Treadstone, and a close friend to Bourne, along with her two year old daughter.  Meanwhile, the President of the United States is in the midst of brokering a historic peace treaty between the Israelis and the Palestinians-an event that El Ghadan is desperate to prevent. He demands that Bourne carry out a special mission: kill the President. If Bourne refuses, Soraya and her daughter will die.

 Robert B. Parker's Cheap Shot  (1932-2010)

When off-field violence repeatedly lands the NE Patriots' Kinjo Heywood bad press, his slick agent hires Spenser to find the men who he says have been harassing his client. When Heywood's son is kidnapped, Spenser puts together his own all-star team of toughs. It will take both Hawk and Spenser's protege, Zebulon Sixkill, to watch Spenser's back and find the child.