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Athena #1-3
The Athena Factor
Bizarre celebrity thefts are occurring all over the A piece of hair from John Lennon, Julia Roberts' bed linens. . . . Sheela Marks, Hollywood's hottest actress, is hounded by obsessed fans literally out for a piece of her. Terrified and desperate, she charges her chief security guard, ex-Marine Lymon Bridges, with providing fortress-like safety.
Bridges recruits Christal Anaya, a hot shot former FBI agent who lost her job due to a major slip-up during a case. Bridges hopes to use Anaya's investigative expertise to unveil the perpetrator behind the attacks.
What Anaya finds is far stranger than anything coming out of Hollywood. A major genetics firm has been kidnapping top genetic scientists and using use them in a bizarre black market trade of celebrity DNA--all at the command of a megalomaniacal mastermind who will stop at nothing until the world is as beautiful as Hollywood's A-list.
Bridges recruits Christal Anaya, a hot shot former FBI agent who lost her job due to a major slip-up during a case. Bridges hopes to use Anaya's investigative expertise to unveil the perpetrator behind the attacks.
What Anaya finds is far stranger than anything coming out of Hollywood. A major genetics firm has been kidnapping top genetic scientists and using use them in a bizarre black market trade of celebrity DNA--all at the command of a megalomaniacal mastermind who will stop at nothing until the world is as beautiful as Hollywood's A-list.
544 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
7 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
W. Michael Gear
181 books730 followersW. Michael Gear was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on the twentieth of May, 1955. A fourth generation Colorado native, his family had been involved in hard-rock mining, cattle ranching, and journalism. After his father's death in 1959, Michael's mother received her Master's degree in journalism and began teaching. In 1962 she married Joseph J. Cook, who taught tool and die making, and the family lived in Lakewood, Colorado, until 1968. At that time they moved to Fort Collins so that Joe could pursue his Ph.D.. During those years the family lived in the foothills above Horsetooth Reservoir.
It was there that Mike developed a love of history, anthropology, and motorcycles. They would color his future and fill his imagination for the rest of his life. During summers he volunteered labor on local ranches or at the farm east of Greeley and landed his first real job: picking up trash at the lake and cleaning outhouses. It has been said that his exposure to trash led him into archaeology. We will not speculate about what cleaning the outhouses might have led him to. On his first dig as a professional archaeologist in 1976 he discovered that two thousand year old human trash isn't nearly as obnoxious as the new stuff.
Michael graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1972 and pursued both his Bachelor's (1976) and Master's (1979) degrees at Colorado State University. Upon completion of his Master's - his specialty was in physical anthropology - he went to work for Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs as a field archaeologist.
It was in the winter of 1978 that he wrote his first novel. Irritated by historical inaccuracies in Western fiction, he swore he could do better. He was "taking retirement in installments," archaeology being a seasonal career, in the cabin his great uncle Aubrey had built. One cold January night he read a Western novel about a trail drive in which steers (castrated males) had calves. The historical inaccuracies of the story bothered him all night. The next morning, still incensed, he chunked wood into the stove and hunkered over the typewriter. There, on the mining claim, at nine thousand feet outside of Empire, Colorado he hammered out his first five hundred and fifty page novel. Yes, that first manuscript still exists, but if there is justice in the universe, no one will ever see it. It reads wretchedly - but the historical facts are correct!
Beginning in 1981, Michael, along with two partners, put together his own archaeological consulting company. Pronghorn Anthropological Associates began doing cultural resource management studies in 1982, and, although Michael sold his interest in 1984, to this day the company remains in business in Casper, Wyoming. During the years, Michael has worked throughout the western United States doing archaeological surveys, testing, and mitigation for pipelines, oil wells, power lines, timber sales, and highway construction. He learned the value of strong black coffee, developed a palate for chocolate donuts, and ferreted out every quality Mexican restaurant in eight states. He spent nine months of the year traveling from project to project with his trowel and dig kit, a clapped-out '72 Wonder Blazer, and his boon companion, Tedi, a noble tri-color Sheltie.
That fateful day in November, 1981, was delightfully clear, cold, and still in Laramie, Wyoming. Archaeologists from all over the state had arrived at the University of Wyoming for the annual meetings of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists. It was there, in the meeting room, way too early after a much too long night, that Mike first laid eyes on the most beautiful woman in the world: Kathleen O'Neal Gear. The BLM State Archaeologist, Ray Leicht, introduced him to the pretty anthropologist and historian, and best of all, Ray invited Mike to lunch with Kathleen. It was the perfect beginning for a long and wondrous relationship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/wmicha...
It was there that Mike developed a love of history, anthropology, and motorcycles. They would color his future and fill his imagination for the rest of his life. During summers he volunteered labor on local ranches or at the farm east of Greeley and landed his first real job: picking up trash at the lake and cleaning outhouses. It has been said that his exposure to trash led him into archaeology. We will not speculate about what cleaning the outhouses might have led him to. On his first dig as a professional archaeologist in 1976 he discovered that two thousand year old human trash isn't nearly as obnoxious as the new stuff.
Michael graduated from Fort Collins High School in 1972 and pursued both his Bachelor's (1976) and Master's (1979) degrees at Colorado State University. Upon completion of his Master's - his specialty was in physical anthropology - he went to work for Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs as a field archaeologist.
It was in the winter of 1978 that he wrote his first novel. Irritated by historical inaccuracies in Western fiction, he swore he could do better. He was "taking retirement in installments," archaeology being a seasonal career, in the cabin his great uncle Aubrey had built. One cold January night he read a Western novel about a trail drive in which steers (castrated males) had calves. The historical inaccuracies of the story bothered him all night. The next morning, still incensed, he chunked wood into the stove and hunkered over the typewriter. There, on the mining claim, at nine thousand feet outside of Empire, Colorado he hammered out his first five hundred and fifty page novel. Yes, that first manuscript still exists, but if there is justice in the universe, no one will ever see it. It reads wretchedly - but the historical facts are correct!
Beginning in 1981, Michael, along with two partners, put together his own archaeological consulting company. Pronghorn Anthropological Associates began doing cultural resource management studies in 1982, and, although Michael sold his interest in 1984, to this day the company remains in business in Casper, Wyoming. During the years, Michael has worked throughout the western United States doing archaeological surveys, testing, and mitigation for pipelines, oil wells, power lines, timber sales, and highway construction. He learned the value of strong black coffee, developed a palate for chocolate donuts, and ferreted out every quality Mexican restaurant in eight states. He spent nine months of the year traveling from project to project with his trowel and dig kit, a clapped-out '72 Wonder Blazer, and his boon companion, Tedi, a noble tri-color Sheltie.
That fateful day in November, 1981, was delightfully clear, cold, and still in Laramie, Wyoming. Archaeologists from all over the state had arrived at the University of Wyoming for the annual meetings of the Wyoming Association of Professional Archaeologists. It was there, in the meeting room, way too early after a much too long night, that Mike first laid eyes on the most beautiful woman in the world: Kathleen O'Neal Gear. The BLM State Archaeologist, Ray Leicht, introduced him to the pretty anthropologist and historian, and best of all, Ray invited Mike to lunch with Kathleen. It was the perfect beginning for a long and wondrous relationship.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/wmicha...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 28, 2011
another great book by micheal gear
August 18, 2020
Sheila Marks is a Hollywood actress who is at the top of her game. Ex-Marine Lymon Bridges heads up the agency that provides bodyguards to important people. He chooses to represent her personally. When she is approached with a syringe-wielding person as she steps off an elevator after winning an award, Bridges is there but the well-organized attempt at contact with the star goes less than smoothly. There have recently been other celebrity mishaps, such as someone stealing a piece of hair from John Lennon and Julia Robert's bed linens to name a few.
Bridges recruits Christal Anaya, a former FBI agent who is unemployed due to playing around on the job. Bridges feels Anaya can go where men can’t in protecting Ms. Marks, while asking her to use her investigative skills in uncovering what seems to be a trend of odd thefts of major stars that don’t quite make sense—memento collectors? Thrill seekers?
Anaya, granddaughter of a “witch,” keeps getting niggles of something sinister and yet familiar like her family’s New Mexican/generational culture of curanderas. As her investigation progresses, she finds herself answering an online personal questionnaire for the Genesis Athena Corporation. She doesn’t realize she’s just opened Pandora’s box of a Sheik, who became smitten with her while she accompanied Ms. Marks to a party as her bodyguard. He owns the corporation and ZenGen, a luxurious ship anchored off the East Coast in international waters.
Though I noticed others gave the work low ratings, I enjoyed it very much and liked the intrigue of how the story was woven together. I was somewhat surprised at the ending. The book, written in 2005, explores things that were more futuristic at the time. W. Michael Gear is an archeologist by training so you get some of that influence with this work.
Bridges recruits Christal Anaya, a former FBI agent who is unemployed due to playing around on the job. Bridges feels Anaya can go where men can’t in protecting Ms. Marks, while asking her to use her investigative skills in uncovering what seems to be a trend of odd thefts of major stars that don’t quite make sense—memento collectors? Thrill seekers?
Anaya, granddaughter of a “witch,” keeps getting niggles of something sinister and yet familiar like her family’s New Mexican/generational culture of curanderas. As her investigation progresses, she finds herself answering an online personal questionnaire for the Genesis Athena Corporation. She doesn’t realize she’s just opened Pandora’s box of a Sheik, who became smitten with her while she accompanied Ms. Marks to a party as her bodyguard. He owns the corporation and ZenGen, a luxurious ship anchored off the East Coast in international waters.
Though I noticed others gave the work low ratings, I enjoyed it very much and liked the intrigue of how the story was woven together. I was somewhat surprised at the ending. The book, written in 2005, explores things that were more futuristic at the time. W. Michael Gear is an archeologist by training so you get some of that influence with this work.
September 30, 2017
Review of Athena Factor by W. Michael Gear
The dynamics and relationships would sell the book on its own, but I found the questions of social and political consequence of our knowledge and manipulation of DNA and cloning to be the most provocative aspect of the story. Do we have the legal right to our DNA or can someone trade mark it without consideration of the individual? What is the moral compass that will guide us into the next century like many other science fiction author W. Michael Gear brings to question? Where our technology, and our advancements will bring us in the future? A compelling story, a complicated mystery and a moral dilemma that we as a society and as a world culture may someday face.
The dynamics and relationships would sell the book on its own, but I found the questions of social and political consequence of our knowledge and manipulation of DNA and cloning to be the most provocative aspect of the story. Do we have the legal right to our DNA or can someone trade mark it without consideration of the individual? What is the moral compass that will guide us into the next century like many other science fiction author W. Michael Gear brings to question? Where our technology, and our advancements will bring us in the future? A compelling story, a complicated mystery and a moral dilemma that we as a society and as a world culture may someday face.
December 4, 2014
I found this book at Dollar General and I got it as it did sound interesting but it surpassed my expectations quite a bit, truth be told.
I found an interesting plot that was well written at a great pace. I recall being rooted to a kitchen chair next to my stove with the vent on so that I could smoke while I devoured as many pages as possible without having to step out in the cool to take smoke breaks. Well worth the dollar spent.
I found an interesting plot that was well written at a great pace. I recall being rooted to a kitchen chair next to my stove with the vent on so that I could smoke while I devoured as many pages as possible without having to step out in the cool to take smoke breaks. Well worth the dollar spent.
October 4, 2008
This story had a whole lot of build up and very little pay off.
I think that the ending was meant to be thought provoking, but it was hard to take it seriously as it treated the reader as ridiculously ignorant throughout. Repetitious description is one of the things that annoys me most in a book, and this one had it in spades.
I don't really have anything more to say about it.
I think that the ending was meant to be thought provoking, but it was hard to take it seriously as it treated the reader as ridiculously ignorant throughout. Repetitious description is one of the things that annoys me most in a book, and this one had it in spades.
I don't really have anything more to say about it.
January 17, 2012
I picked this up in an airport bookstore, when I was a little desperate and needed to read SOMETHING. So, not very high expectations. That was a few years ago. That I still remember the book and that the issues and situations it presents still stick with me says something about how thought-provoking the book was for me. Definitely exceeded my expectations -- I would recommend it.
January 21, 2014
Across the globe people connected to the development of cloning are kidnapped. Five years later prominent young fertile women are being abducted or having DNA samples stolen. Actress Sheela Marks is one of the victims. As her bodyguard stoves to protect her, she tries to deduct who and what is going on.
September 7, 2012
A light read that did not involve a lot of thought. The story moved along fairly well. I liked the societal implications of the genetic tinkering. They are probably a little too close to the future truth.
October 30, 2007
Not even all the painkillers I was on last night could make this book good. Stupidest plot ever compounded by some truly retarded characters. Quit halfway through.
November 21, 2009
I would have expecting a hell of a book. Here is a great teacher who know how to play his field. The starting waS a little dull but the ending was good.Grand Zuri = Duri
June 16, 2010
interesting premise, and written in an enjoyable style, but sometimes characters seemed unrealistically obtuse just to serve the plot... and then the ending seemed contrived
June 15, 2013
Just plain cheesy and goofy.
October 21, 2015
I liked Sheela's redemption slowing down with acting, and stopping to take a bike ride with her bodyguard, flushing the drugs.
April 15, 2008
I received this as a gift, but of course, I had to read it! It was good and I enjoyed reading it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews