New Novel - Secret of Ekaterinburg: The Hour-Glass

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: from Olive Grove Books
For more information, editors can email: OLIVEGROVEBOOKS [at] Roadrunner.com

Web Address: http://www.olivegrovebooks.com/

NEW YORK – From the best-selling author of The Palestine Conspiracy who predicted the Intifada, the Persian Gulf War, Iraq War, and the liberation of Libya, Robert Spirko’s new novel, the SECRET OF EKATERINBURG: THE HOUR-GLASS, reveals a tale of intrigue, love, hope and historical consequence when justice meant revolution and freedom meant escape.

Starting with the brutal murder of Czar Nicholas II and his family in Ekaterinburg ordered by Lenin’s Bolsheviks, suddenly, out of Russia, comes a family that holds deep and ordained secrets that can unlock the shackles of misery for millions.

In remembrance of this historic carnage, one person escaped to tell the truth of that fateful night after a Lenin death squad executed the Romanov family in cold blood without trial. Then, as now, only a few knew the real truth behind the Bolshevik motives that led to the untold thousands who would succumb to Trotsky’s and Stalin’s deadly purges. Relax, if you can, as you begin a veiled journey into the evil depths of red terror, of secret murderous deals by Beria and his Cheka and NKGB killers.

Sergei Boscov and Andre Kirov, two boyhood friends, raised on a dacha in the Urals, kindle a lifelong brotherhood, even as they go their separate ways – Andre to a political career; Sergei to a military one – do they finally discover who their sister “Ana” really is. In a stunning conclusion, they become interlocked in a saga of espionage and deception, which holds the lives of millions in the balance.

From the Urals to Moscow, from Langley to London, and from Tehran to Jerusalem, Spirko weaves a spy-thriller that will ensnare the world in a crisis of colossal proportion as CIA analyst Alex Ayers discovers that nuclear missiles are headed for Iran in exchange for this “miracle” of Ana.

When you realize what is happening, it’s too late. The Secret of Ekaterinburg has the power to restore everything. Remember, 1918 is now. And, the future may never come.

The novel is being released as a mass market paperback and eBook to book sellers and electronic outlets worldwide and is available through Amazon and a wide variety of eBook sites. They are available through Books-A-Million, BarnesandNoble, Amazon and other retail book stores including online web book sites nationally and internationally through Ingram Books, Atlasbooks, Baker & Taylor, and other major national and international book distributors.

Spirko says, “Anastasia is the Amelia Earhart of Russia. Nobody exactly knows what happened to her, except a few.”

The story has two parallel plots which converge involving Iran developing nuclear weapons threatening the entire Middle East region and the United States.
He says, “The nuclear option for Iran must be stopped. Iran’s leadership must understand the continuing march toward weapons of mass destruction and terrorism against nations who wish to live in peace will end in the destruction of that nation and others like it. Time is running out in the hour-glass.”



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Spirko is a graduate of the Kent State University School of Journalism, and studied for his MBA at the same school. He was previously a Middle East analyst for 25 years and owned his own investment advisory firm near Cleveland, Ohio, and was responsible for predicting wars in the Middle East, including the recent Libyan intervention. He has worked as a consultant to the National Security Council for four presidents including the current Obama Administration. At the 2000 Camp David Peace Conference, Mr. Spirko was instrumental in establishing new ideas between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat, and his contributions nearly culminated in a peace agreement, but the effort ultimately failed because neither side would take that final step to agree to Palestinian reparations and the abolishment of settlements on Palestinian land. The BBC termed his ideas on the Jerusalem problem as “brilliant”, recommending the use of the Holy City as dual capitals of both nations, simultaneously, something that has never been done before in history.

His remarkable ability to forecast events before they occur has been described as truly uncanny by his friends and acquaintances. His predictions
about a coming war with Iran are dire unless steps are taken to neutralize Iran’s drive for nuclear weapons and missiles that can threaten Israel and the United States, as well as Russia, Great Britain, all of Europe, and the Middle East region as a whole. Spirko, whose background includes a stint in U. S. Air Force and newsroom operations, knows first-hand what it takes to be an intelligence field agent.
An executive at Ingram Books says, “The book is absolutely spectacular in the manner in which Mr. Spirko, tells his tale. He is truly a master analyst. The book won’t let you quit turning pages until the very end. If you need twisting plots, thrilling spy-action and intriguing characters, then this is the book for you. His knowledge of the trade makes the story dauntingly similar to Boris Pasternak’s “Doctor Zhivago.” ”
“SECRET OF EKATERINBURG drips with reality,” quips a book reviewer from Olive Grove Publishers. If books were rated by Siskel & Roeper, it would have been given a two-thumbs up.”
SECRET OF EKATERINBURG is a mass market paperback produced by Olive Grove Publishers, and can be purchased at area bookstores through Gazelle Books, Lancaster, U.K. at http://www.gazellebookservices.co.uk; Ingram Book Group, New Leaf Distribution, and Baker and Taylor, priced at $14.99, ISBN 0-9752508-0-9. THE PALESTINE CONSPIRACY can also be ordered on the web at http://www.atlasbooks.com, or email orders from: order [at] bookmasters.com, or BooksandBooks.com; Amazon.com, Nook, Books-A-Million, BarnesandNoble, efollett.com & Follett bookstores at colleges and universities, Walmart.com, Target.com and other popular retail stores. Or, readers and store managers can call 1-800-BOOKLOG, or 800-247-6553 direct, to order.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:





NEW YORK - Robert Spirko, author of THE PALESTINE CONSPIRACY, a spy-thriller about the Middle East, says he expects the United States, Israel, Britain, Turkey and its NATO allies to be involved in a war against the Syrian Assad regime and Iran as NATO and Arab countries come to the relief of Syrian rebel fighters in the months ahead.
Spirko, who predicted the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, says, "It's related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict which I said back in 1987 was the crux of my book. It is the core issue in the Middle East. It always will be until there's a Palestinian state,” Spirko says. “My novel is a book about peace and the hard choices that have to be made to achieve that.”
Spirko, a financial and geo-political analyst, turned his attention to the Middle East in 1987 after discovering several common elements related to the Middle East question. He has given his advice over the years to the National Security Council including the 2000 Camp David Peace Talks under President Bill Clinton, both Bush presidents and the current Obama Administration. He wrote down his analysis, and when he was finished, he not only had a solution to the quagmire, he had a story to tell. THE PALESTINE CONSPIRACY foreshadowed the Persian Gulf War by three years, and the Sept. 11 attack followed by the resultant Iraq War.
A Middle-East analyst and geo-political expert and author, Spirko says he thinks the Russians might get involved in Syria by going in and securing the chemical weapons they themselves gave to the Syrian government stored somewhere in northeast Syria.
"Indeed, if that occurs, with the blessing of the United States, it could signal Israel to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities dragging the U.S. into the war if Iran then attacks U.S. bases or the 5th Fleet in the Persian Gulf," Spirko notes.
"The Turkish army would sweep across Syria in a heartbeat; and of course, you remember from history, Turkey's Ottoman Empire ruled Syria for more than 300 years. In short, all hell will break loose in the region. How far it will go and how long it will last is anybody's guess. One thing is for certain, Iran will not succeed in getting nuclear weapons. You might even see the use of tactical nuclear weapons used for the first time since Hiroshima and Nagasaki."
"Nobody wants war; everyone is tired of constant war. It is a dreadful thing because it destroys capital - human capital. A war fought with weapons of mass destruction will threaten to annihilate great masses of population. It should be avoided at all costs. We must find a way toward peace."
Olive Grove Books also announced the sale of Spirko's book on Kindle, Nook and all popular worldwide eBook formats. The novel was fourth on the best-seller category of Atlasbooks and Ingram distributors, and delves into the issues of the Middle East including the Palestinian-Israeli problem (the core issue in the Middle East), weapons of mass destruction including nuclear-tipped missiles that can reach Israel, all of Europe including London, southern Russia and the United States.
“There are several elements of new danger in the Middle East - the time-tested Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty which has lasted for 33 years is in danger of collapsing if extremist Islamic leadership overthrows the current attempt at a democratic government. In addition, Jordan and Israel signed a peace agreement 17 years ago, that must be preserved. And, of course, Iran is developing the threat of nuclear weapons possibly to be used against Israel and the United States.”
"We're not talking about a serpent-tongued, false prophet who will negotiate this peace between Israel and the Islamists, it will be done by those parties involved in the peace process who will finally achieve it through hard work, tough compromises, and by making specific decisions fair to both sides to agree to end the violence once-and-for-all by those leaders who want a future for their children,” Spirko says.

“Besides, Israel wants a Palestinian state now, too. In the end, both sides need to address security concerns, reparations and building moral and economic trust. We all report to the same God, whether we call him God, Jehovah or Allah,” he says.

Spirko's key ideas at the 2000 Camp David Peace Talks were to make Jerusalem the simultaneous capital of both Israel and a Palestinian state with congruent borders - one precisely overlapping the other - using two maps - one for the Palestinian state and one for Israel. The city would become an international, undivided open city for people of all religions to visit and the municipality would be governed by a city council of equal Palestinians and Jews with God, Allah or Jehovah as the central sovereign. The Knesset and Palestinian authority would then govern their respective states from that dual capital. In effect, Jerusalem would become a governing district much like the District of Columbia in Washington, D. C. This idea won traction at the 2000 Camp David Peace Talks and was virtually agreed upon, but where the talks broke down and failed was when both sides capitulated to pressures from their own political factions over right of return and reparations. Mr. Spirko has an idea to solve that problem also.

Spirko states, "The biggest threat to the region I see right now is the threat to Saudi Arabia by Iran and Al Qaeda in Yemen. If Al Qaeda in Yemen were to overthrow the present royal family in Saudi Arabia or if Iran attacks the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off the oil supply to western nations including Japan and China, it would bring down entire world economies. France and Germany would be begging us to go to war to re-open the oil flow. It would be World War III."

Another point Spirko makes on the Mideast is that it is time for the Israelis and Palestinians to finally negotiate a peace treaty culminating with the creation of a side-by-side Palestinian state, “freezing in place” the already-agreed-upon negotiating points, Spirko says.
“The domino effect taking place in the Middle East are the masses rising up to say we are tired of all the fighting - one side against the other. We want peace for our families, the ability to participate in a viable economy, jobs, and democratic rights,” Spirko emphasizes. “I am sure all peace-minded Israelis and Palestinians wish the same for their young people.”


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By Alysha Atma, The Salem-News, Salem-Portland, Eugene, Oregon - Jan 2, 2010 (book review)

“The labyrinth of politics takes both novice and expert through what should be done, what could be done - and the consequences of standing still.”

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - Mr. Spirko's ability to blend fact within the spires of fiction is candescent to the passing on of traditions and folklore.
His ability to take the most complex of issues in a part of the world that are blanketed by questions; countries vying for a voice and place, and to bring them together through a peace treaty is truly astounding.
I felt true compassion and empathy for all; the understanding that we all want a place surrounded by those that understand and respect our traditions and a place for future generations - a homeland.
While at the same time curious about the cyclical nature of their fighting and communication; how one can continue to hear, without listening, and speak without knowledge of the other.
Mr. Spirko's novel represents the basic need in us all to be human and see each other as friend, not foe. We all desire respect and deserve the basic right to empathy. When people and nations feel that their voices have continued to go unnoticed and unheard, then tragically violence often follows.
This is a spy thriller with many bends and twists. It is incredibly fast paced with great knowledge and wisdom. A page-turner not to be missed, a guilty pleasure of action, sex and intrigue; packed with history, facts, and complications between nations.



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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Spirko is a Kent State University graduate where he received a degree in Journalism and studied for his MBA. He has been a Middle East analyst for more than 25 years. At the 2000 Camp David Peace Conference, Mr. Spirko was instrumental in establishing new ideas between Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat, and his contributions nearly culminated in a peace agreement, but the effort ultimately failed because neither side would take that final step to agree to Palestinian reparations and the abolishment of settlements on Palestinian land. The BBC termed his ideas on the Jerusalem problem as "brilliant", recommending the use of the Holy City as dual capitals of both nations, simultaneously, something that has never been done before in history.