"From Aide to Autocrat: The Edmund Norris Chronicles" is a gripping political thriller that takes readers on a journey through the dark underbelly of power and ambition. Set in a dystopian version of the United States, the novel follows Edmund Norris, a cunning and shrewd black disabled man with cerebral palsy who uses a powerchair. As he ascends through the ranks of political influence, Norris navigates a world of deception, manipulation, and calculated moves to establish an autocratic government.
From his early days as a congressional aide to becoming the Secretary of Defense, Norris deftly maneuvers through the intricate webs of power, consolidating his authority and bending the system to his will. With a network of influential friends in the existing oligarchy structure, he methodically removes any opposition, dismantling the checks and balances of the democratic state.
As he tightens his grip on power, Norris's sinister side is gradually revealed. He exercises control over the judiciary, stacking the Supreme Court with his loyal allies and silencing any dissent. The media, the executive branch, and even the President himself become mere pawns in his game of power.
With vivid descriptions and figurative language, the novel paints a chilling picture of a nation on the brink of autocracy. It explores themes of power, morality, and the erosion of democratic ideals. As readers are drawn into Edmund Norris's dark world, they witness the lengths one man will go to reshape a nation, leaving them questioning the very nature of governance and the fragility of democracy itself.
A ragtag gang of teens teams up with a neighboring girl gang when a major cartel moves into town, threatening their families, their turf, and the community they've worked so hard to protect.
*****
Cash West formed the Seven 20s - a gang of six overzealous teens with guns - to keep his tiny, crime-infested town in nowhere California safe. His methods are unorthodox and frankly illegal, but the town loves his Robin Hood heroics. However, the gang gets more than they bargained for when the Mendoza cartel rolls into town, determined to knock them off the map. As the threat hits closer to home, Cash has no choice but to team up with his ex-girlfriend Tiana's neighboring girl gang, the Hearts of Spades. Soon allies become enemies, families get trapped in the crossfire, and romance brews as Cash fights to unravel a massive conspiracy that puts everyone that matters to him at risk. When the stakes are life and death, will the gangs be able to overcome an enemy more powerful than any of them could have predicted?
Book One of The Seven Twenties Series
Content and Trigger Warning: contains violence, drug use, mentions of domestic abuse, and mature themes.