The Usurper: A suspense political thriller

by Cliff Ball

Ever wonder what would happen if our worst fears were realized, and we elected someone who was willing to destroy the USA no matter the cost to him, his fellow Americans, or the rest of the world? The Usurper is that novel.

Gary Jackson is raised to hate. Hate the United States, and everything it has ever stood for. His mission is to destroy the country from within, allying himself with the worst of America's enemies, and one very powerful and malevolent billionaire, to accomplish the deed. Once elected to the highest position in the land, Gary puts his lifelong goals to work, and puts the USA onto the path of ultimate destruction. He stops at nothing to rid the USA of his political and spiritual enemies. Once his goals are met, he sets his eyes on the ultimate prize, control of the rest of the world. Will anyone stop this man before it's too late?

Genres: Fiction, Political Thriller, Politics, Alternate History

141 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

I'm a Christian first and foremost. I live in Fort Worth, TX, but from Arizona and looking to move back to Mesa. I have a BA and Technical Writing Certificate from University of North Texas. I won 3rd in a short story contest for a magazine through my high school Creative Writing class. I've been independently published since 2008.

I'm a fan of a bunch of different genres, which is why a lot of my novels are different genres. From time travel to alternate history to lite sci-fi to Christian end times/political thrillers.

As a reader, I loathe novels with tons of minutiae where the author describes everything down to practically its atomic structure, so I write fast-paced novels and I try not to get bogged down in unimportant details that go on and on and on for page after page.....

Returned to writing after almost 10 years away.

In order of original publication:
Out of Time - 2008
Don't Mess With Earth - 2009
The Usurper - 2010
Shattered Earth - 2010
Voyager and the Aliens - 2011
Dust Storm - 2011
New Frontier - 2011
Times of Trouble - 2012
Times of Trial - 2012
Final Frontier - 2012 (sequel to New Frontier)
Beyond the New Frontier - combined novel
Times of Turmoil - 2013
Jon Ryan - 2013
Xavier Doolittle - 2013
Times of Rebellion - 2013
Times of Destruction - 2014
Times of Judgment - 2014
Times of Tribulation - 2014
The Long Journey - 2015
The Falling Away - 2015
The Great Deception - 2016
The Great Tribulation - 2016
Guardians of Genre - 2025
The Plot Thickens - 2025
The Algorithmic Draft - 2025
The Unwritten Fallout - 2025
Books 5 - 10 - 2025, 2026

http://cliffball.net
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cliff_ball_1
http://www.facebook.com/cliff.ball.au...

Reviews

[Rick-Founder JM CM BOOK CLUB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing- edge of your seat thriller- The Usurper is the Real thing!! Cliff Ball makes both characters and plot come alive in what is one of the most scariest thrillers I have read. Scary because it is so possible. Read this and wonder at the talent of a top notch thriller writer.
Rick Friedman
Founder
THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB

[AH · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was about the worst book I've every read. The writing was atrocious. Poor grammar and sentence structure made it sound like about middle school level writing. The dialogue of the different characters all sounded identical and flat...it wasn't possible to distinguish between different characters at all by their speech. None of them ever showed any emotion whatsoever, no matter what personal tragedies happened to them. The plot was so unrealistic as to be laughable...sometimes you certainly must suspend disbelief when reading, of course, but it was too difficult to do that with this book due to how ridiculous it all was. The author had an extremely obvious political agenda of his own and didn't fail to make it clear at multiple points, far too obviously, while not-too-subtly insulting those who disagree with him. Whether the reader agrees with the views of this author or not, this is a poor depiction of what his side believes. I literally read this entire book because it was so bad I found it hilarious. That's the only reason I even finished it.

[Cliff Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is from Manic Readers.com: http://www.manicreaders.com/index.cfm...

The usurper, Gary Jackson, is a hateful soul. His entire life was planned by the Soviet Union before he was even conceived by a volunteer KGB agent. Gary was raised to hate the USA and all of its citizens and ultimately be the man of the countries undoing.

In The Usurper, we follow Gary’s mother for a short time but the star in the novel is undeniably Gary. He is trained and educated with the sole purpose of ending the USA during his middle aged years. The Usurper is filled to the brim with conspiracies and some elaborated history lessons. This is a terrific thriller but I would advise the reader to be open minded when reading due to Gary’s and the Soviet’s cold-heartedness. It would be relatively easy for a conspiracy theorist to become enthralled with this novel and the intricacies of Gary’s life. I did notice there are some points in the novel when the storytelling is very brief and dry, which I am not a huge fan of. However, there are many more other parts of this novel that are gripping and make up for that dry style of writing. Overall, The Usurper is an attention-grabbing story and an eye opener on many levels. Although The Usurper is a work of fiction, many instances could be comparable to some going-ons in our world today. Ball indeed did a terrific job with his imagination.

[Tracey Alley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Usurper is not usually my favourite type of novel but Cliff Ball really surprised me. This is a very fast-paced, action-packed book once you get past the first few chapters. I think what impressed me the most was Ball's very accurate depiction of the power of indoctrination. In many ways it was a rather chilling view of what 'could have been'. If you like political thrillers then I highly recommend it. I only gave three stars because it wasn't really my kind of book so I couldn't get as lost in the story as I would've liked.

[J.C. Phelps · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading The Usurper and enjoyed the book. I love the concept of this book and the ending caught me totally off guard. The Usurper is a quick read. There are many correlations with the real world that most of us can relate to. If only they had turned out differently. The book smacks of conspiracy theories. Who knows, this book could possibly be one of those that, in a few years, will make us wonder, "How did the author get so close to the truth?"

[Brian David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprising twists


Cliff weaves an interesting story with enough connections to real happenings in the world today that this book seems to be non-fiction.

Just when you think you know where the story line is going Cliff changes up on you. While some things are predictable others are not, which adds to the enjoyment of the book.

Some events catch you totally off guard. While it may seem to start slow stick with it, you will not be disappointed.

[Ann237 · Rating 4 out of 5]

*WARNING I HAVE POINTED OUT SOME COMPARISONS, TO A PERSON WELL KNOWN BY LISTING A FEW.* BUT DOES NOT SPOIL PLOT!

The book definitely showed the authors political views...As I was reading this book I could not help, noticing the similarities to POTUS 44. All one has to do is put the parts together.
1- Mom who was white father a man of color
2- born out of the USA
3- fake birth certificate
4- made home in Chicago
5-senate
6-running mates similar to actual one
7-made one Secretary of State
And more.
Over all, I enjoyed the book.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young woman who ran away from home stands outside a Soviet embassy. A man walks by and talks about getting to know the Soviets. He invites her inside.
Kruschev is in town to address the United Nations. The young woman is introduced to him. She decides to work for the Soviets.
So begins the story of the sleeper cells in the United States.
The woman goes to Moscow where she spends a year being indoctrinated. Then she is introduced to her "husband," a black man from South Africa. Their plan is to have a baby, which she does.
Along the way she meets, Andropov, Putin, and all the other players on the Soviet stage.
After the baby is born he is taken in hand to learn the Soviet way. Eventually the woman and child are taken to Pakistan to marry a warlord - a former Nazi who is running terrorist training camps.
Eventually, her 10 year-old son murders her because he is taught she really doesn't believe in their cause.
The son, Gary Jackson, is moved to the US to attend high school while living with his grandparents. He graduated and is sent to Harvard and Harvard Law. After several years he becomes President of the United States. Then he tries to take down the country.
All along the way he is instructed by the KGB until the fall of the Soviet Union. After that he continues to work for the Soviets even though they haven't been responding.
.....This is a complete rip-off of the life of our President. Gary's father is black, his mother white. He grows up without a father in a foreign country and his birth certificate is planted in the records.. He becomes an activist in Chicago before he is elected to the senate. He gives a speech at the DNC and is hailed as part of an amazing future. Four years later he wins the election.
I wasn't too impressed with the writing. There were some interesting bits. For instance, in Harvard Gary tries to get the Green Party involved with the Democrats. He murdered the leader of the Harvard Greens when she doesn't go along with his plans. He's told that a senator from Tennessee is being influenced by the KGB to become "the official voice of environmental doom." A clear reference to Al Gore. The mayor of New York is Judy Corlini (instead of Rudy Guiliani).
An awful lot of the sentences seemed repetitive. For example, in talking about the WTC bombing, the author writes, "...2605 people killed, including rescuers who had tried to go inside to rescue people inside." Rescuers/rescue; inside/inside. It gave me the impression of a juvenile writing this novel.

[Cherie · Rating 1 out of 5]

February 7, 2011
I have just won my 2nd book from Goodreads! This one really sounds exciting. Thanks, Goodreads!


February 15, 2011
The USURPER has arrived in the mail. I will take it with me to read on the plane when I leave in two days for England. It sounds like it will be a great "airplane read."


March 15, 2011
I was sure that I had taken this book with me, but when I got on the plane, I did not have it, so I did not have the chance to read it while gone. I am now home and I will begin it today. I want Goodreads to know that I do intend to read it and I will review it.


March 27, 2011
I read this little book over a week ago and had to force myself to finish it. Because this was a "first-reads" win, I felt that I was supposed to say how much I enjoyed it, etc, etc. Honestly, however, I did not enjoy reading it at all, except maybe as a comical farce-like look at America. The author definitely had an ax to grind, and to prove his point, he threw into his novel every questionable and distasteful political decision, and every criminal or terrorist crime committed in the United States over the last 60 years to illustrate the results of the "The Big Plan" that was hatched in the 1050's. He liberally used names of many past politicians, presidents and foreign leaders to give his book a "historical" basis, but then extending his story into present-day America, he re-names living people. (I guess when writing fiction, you can't be sued for libel!) On top of everything in the story, the book was so poorly written, that I don't see how he ever found a publisher! I only hope that the proofreaders at the publishing company caught some of the errors I found in the pre- -publication edition that I received.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to download The Usurper on the recommendation of one of my friends, who enjoyed The Usurper themselves. It starts off with the story of Mary when she makes a big mistake and later regrets it. Followed by her son, who is the main antagonist in the novel, and is raised to be like a Manchurian Candidate in American politics. While this is sort of parallel to what's going on now as far as SOPA and the like, that's just it, its sorta parallel, like a mirror universe of sorts. Last I looked, Obama has a birth certificate from Hawaii, he hasn't had the internet shut down, Christians aren't being prosecuted, and he isn't using Islamic terrorists to terrorize Americans. People really need to use their imaginations.

So this novel, while some may see it as a complaint about Obama, its more of a what-if this were to happen to anyone who becomes President. Obama just happens to be POTUS at this moment in time in our history. I personally think Americans are kind of like sheep, which is why I'm glad the author was practically in your face about it, and showed the how the power of the government can corrupt absolutely.

I recommend this novel to anyone with any sort of imagination, those who don't follow the leader, and is open to the idea of government being the worst thing that can ruin our lives and American Dream.

[C.p. Bialois · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm an avid fan of Tom Clancy so this book was very interesting to me. I read to escape and enjoy the world writers create so the fact The Usurper is considerably conservative didn't hinder my anticipation for reading it. However, it's slanted so far and mimics current events/issues so closely that I was unable to fully enjoy it but it does have considerable potential.

It may be because of my expectations and from reading so much Tom Clancy and Stephen King, but the story and characters lacked depth. At no time did I feel for them or the thinly veiled copies of real personalities. I refuse to believe any book can't have a silver lining and The Usurper isn't exempt from that. The author has written an interesting parody of the political climate over the past fifty years which can be seen as enjoyable so long as one doesn't take themselves or their politics too seriously. In some ways The Usurper was enjoyable but aside from the idea and it's initial presentation this wasn't one of my favorites.

[Carol Read · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has to be one of the worst books I’ve ever read. If you look at my reviews, you will see I do not give negative reviews. If I don’t like a book or think it’s poorly written I will just keep moving but cannot with this book. This is a book I wish I could give ZERO stars to.
This book was misleadingly listed on an on-line site as “Christian Fiction” when it is really a thinly veiled conservative political attack on the current president. It’s not even innovative or imaginative, it merely repeats lies that have been debunked. Come on conservatives, do you really think ambitious politicians would allow a man not born in the US to become president of the US and not expose him? It’s absurd. Page after page of dribble that is said on/in conservative media about our president, his background and parentage. This book gives credence to the notion self published authors do not create good works.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this novel. It's definitely not a cookie cutter political thriller, which made it more interesting to me. Ball does a good job of keeping his reader turning pages to find out if the authors' plot follows what the reader thinks will happen. This is the mark of a good action adventure writer.

This novel is very similar to current events, written a year or so ago, with a frightening back story created. This back story was, unfortunately, plausible. It builds off of the fears Americans had from the Cold War, moves into the role and power of government in our lives, as well as the battle of capitalism versus socialism. This was filled with lots of symbolism and eerily similar to actual current events. In summary, a very good read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy political thrillers, so I figured I'd give it a try. I really enjoyed reading this.

It follows the story of Gary being indoctrinated by the communists so that he can eventually help to take down the USA. If you follow any news at all it is kinda similar, Gary joins up with unions to intimidate his enemies, his friends and allies bribe and intimidate voters, etc. In this novel, unlike the incompetant dummy in the White House now, Gary gets everything he wants without any pushback from Congress, he creates and uses environmental disasters to get his way, and he executes people who disagree with him. The surviving opposition decide they need to take him down, so they begin to.

I also enjoyed the ending.

[Tanya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have no idea how this book got such a high rating; perhaps the author's friends all got on Goodreads to help out. I read several chapters before deciding to quit, and was also influenced by my mom who read it and thought the whole book was ridiculous. Honestly, it reminded me of the draft I put together when I decided to write a book - the criticism I got is that everything was moving too fast and needed way more development. Ball's story should have been two or the times the length that it is. I didn't read enough to adequately critique the plot, though it seemed like an interesting, albeit far-fetched, idea.

[Jennifer Tooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

You know, I liked this concept and it was very good and believable in a "this could happen" sort of way..... until about 95% in. That's when it felt like the author backed himself into a corner story-line wise and was trying anything to get out of it. The Rapture? Invading Chinese armies? Really? Not like those aren't possibilities, but were they your only options? Sort of a cheap rushed way out of things.

Ended very poorly. I would have given it at least 4 stars without the lame "what do I do now" ending.

[Marian Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading Usurper by Cliff Ball. I found most of the story predictable, but was a little surprised by the ending. I was pleased because I felt that I was going to experience the "traditional happy ending" of so many other thrillers.
I must say, though, that I found the book very difficult to read because of the many typographical errors. It appears that someone at Digital Writing Services needs a refresher course. Mr. Ball, if you are reading this, they owe you a lot of money back!

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this story might have made a good plot for an animated film or comic strip, but lacks the depth to make a convincing novel. A number of real life events are woven together (with fictional names for some real people)with fantasy to develop a conspiracy theory based on a USA centred view of the world.

[La-Shanda]

Possibly linked to the movie "Salt" with Jolie

[Lynne]

Thank you so much for letting me win this free book from First Reads. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you.

[Sue Turner]

Color me a quitter. I just couldn't get into this book.

[Nicole Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the premise if the book, unfortunately the writing and editing were awful making the book almost unreadable.

[Ken Weinert]

True

[Booklover]

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