Liars in Love
San Francisco, 1980. Hustlers run The City. And having a good story is all that matters.
Sam is fresh out of San Quentin and wants to go straight. A few hundred dollars in his pocket and a brand-new Macy's suit, and he is ready to be a new man. But when his old crime boss Paul shows back up in his life looking for the money he owes him, Sam can't talk his way out of it.
Strutting around in pencil skirts and knocking back whiskey, Kath is a far cry from the grimy street kid she used to be. And if she lifts a pair of gloves from a department store every now and then, no harm done, right?
The first time they meet, Kath smiles at him, and time freezes. Then she punches him in the face and steals his wallet. Sam is instantly mesmerized.
But Kath is also in Paul's pocket. He pulled her out of the gutter, and now she owes him. Paul senses Sam and Kath's sizzling chemistry. He makes them a deal: they can team up on a burglary job and get their lives back.
Things between Sam and Kath heat up. But both are hiding secrets. Paul won't hesitate to play them against each other. As danger grows, all their lies begin to unravel. And they could lose everything.
Amazon Reviews — 4.6 out of 5 stars
I recommend this book to anyone who likes cops and robbers themes…
If you like a good romantic noir story, you'll like this book. I like a great heist and this one delivers. It is a fun fast read…
A couple of thieves in 1980s San Francisco under the thumb of a local mobster is a great combination for lovers of noir crime stories…
t's a heck of a fun read, and the action never stops…
I spent a beautiful rainy day reading Liars in Love. What a flashback to the past! Bull captures memories of my beloved San Francisco in meticulous detail. It was filled with nostalgia, great suspense and the way he integrates glimpses into the future is very clever. I was hooked from the first sentence. Every San Franciscan needs to read your book as well as all the androids that have overrun our city streets. I think it also has international appeal.
4 out of 5 stars, Writer’s Digest Competition 2018
The vicissitudes of love for a pair of criminals forced together lead to a very entertaining novel. San Francisco itself becomes a focal element in the story. The story moves along fluidly, with the motivations and mind-sets of the duo clearly and often amusingly depicted as they try to steer clear of the law, fool the boss, and plot their strategy. Suspense is maintained to a surprising ending. The dialogue is fresh and credible, with an amusing run of banter between the eventual lovers.
Facing Reality
In Hollywood, you go big, or you go home. But how do you know when it's time to face reality?
Then
Paul landed in LA fresh out of film school with a hot new script and bright sunny future. Studio doors were opening, and when he spoke, people listened.
He was poised to be an overnight sensation, Hollywood's newest wunderkind. But Tinseltown is a fickle place...
Now
Paul is drowning in debt, mooching off his girlfriend Maggie, and screening his creditors' phone calls. The money ran out on his movie masterpiece, and he's writing a screenplay no one wants to read.
Desperate, he applies for a job on a reality TV movie.
Hours before his interview, Paul crashes his car in a mad dash to escape the repo man. Undeterred, he limps into the interview, bleeding all over the movie producer's expensive leather couch.
He's hired on the spot.
After so much struggle, Paul finally gets his break. He’s already charting his path to the top.
But this new project is not the brass ring Paul imagined. There is a dark side to the glitz and glamour. As both Paul and Maggie get sucked deeper into La-La-Land's underbelly, they will have to learn the real price of fame.
Reviews for Facing Reality 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon
In Facing Reality, Ian Bull explores the ethical minefield that is reality television. Set in 2000, when unscripted entertainment was starting to boom, this fast-paced nail-biter takes us through the technical and personal challenges of TV and film production. It culminates in a clever study of the editor's astounding power to distort and transform. Bull sees a microcosm of the moral difficulties of all work in entertainment, and the inherent tension between profit and integrity. But above all, Facing Reality is the kind of gripping storytelling that keeps the reader turning pages late into the night.
4 out of 5 stars, Writer’s Digest Competition 2018
The characterizations are deft, revealing the mind-sets and motivations of the two lovers as well as those involved in the TV show. The action sequences are vividly handled. The dialogue is also credible and effective in establishing the different personas. Graphic sex scenes fit into the story line.
Murder at Tourmaline
Tourmaline Beach is a historic surf spot in San Diego where you can ride waves all day and then enjoy the sunset. But when a German female tourist is murdered on a perfect summer evening, there are no suspects and no answers. It looks like a cold case until SDPD Detective Lucy Mendoza digs deeper and discovers a string of similar murders over the years, at beaches that stretch up the California coast to Mendocino.
This book is being written now! I’ll send you preview chapters and a free copy when the book is done — just send me your email.