In the science fiction/historical fiction/fantasy mashup novel IT GIVES YOU STRENGTH, the fictional characters interact with historical figures of the prohibition era. One of the main protagonists is fictional World War One hero turned bootlegger Major Mike Kelly (ret.). In STRENGTH, the reader learns that Major Kelly has dreamed of being a heavyweight prizefighter for most of his life. In Kelly's mind, he certainly has the ability and the desire. Kelly needs the man and the opportunity.
Kelly's "man and opportunity" arrives in legendary pugilist, Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey. Men with lesser vision would not see the possibility of stepping into the ring with Dempsey as an opportunity, but Kelly does.
By way of background, most of STRENGTH occurs from May to September 1926. In August 1926, Dempsey had been the heavyweight boxing champion since 1919. Nevertheless, Kelly firmly believes that since many of Dempsey's sparring partners had gone on to have very successful boxing careers in their own right, Kelly will too. If only he could spar with Dempsey. Of course, that was how Kelly saw it in his plan. In reality, few concrete examples supported Kelly's dream.
Dempsey returns in HARVESTING EARTHLINGS FOR FUN AND PROFIT-the sequel to IT GIVES YOU STRENGTH. Readers of STRENGTH will recall that Kelly and Dempsey‘s relationship did not end on the best of terms in Book 1. In HARVESTING EARTHLINGS, when the two are reunited, they are almost immediately back at each other’s throats. But they are forced to join forces to fight a common enemy—aliens who have traveled to Earth as part of an Intergalactic reality series/game show to Harvest Earthlings. One fan commenting on Goodreads remarked after reading HARVESTING EARTHLINGS, “who knew that Jack Dempsey was a Space traveler.” Although in a sci-fi novel as unconventional as HARVESTING EARTHLINGS, Dempsey could have attempted space travel, his “close encounters“ mainly occur on Earth. Raising other, equally important questions.
Does the fictional bootlegger Major Mike Kelly (ret.) space walk with the iconic Jack Dempsey? If so, does the Kelly’s plan work out the way that he had hoped? Will the evil dictator Arixn kidnap sufficient Earthlings to keep his intergalactic coliseum in business? These and other important questions are answered in HARVESTING EARTHLINGS FOR FUN AND PROFIT. Out now.