LIFE IS AN ADVENTURE, Live It
Thomas Holladay writes to entertain. He writes historical fiction and thrillers from a Christian conservative world view, never preachy, never teach-me, always clean, almost never sweet. He creates riveting images through the thoughts and senses of his vividly drawn characters to create fast-paced action, drama, and suspense that make his stories hard to put down.
Thomas Holladay has completed five novels, Meadowlarks, Treasure, Deliberate Justice: The American Way, Pursuit: The American Way, and Comes the Call: For God and Country, along with one short story, The Birthday Box.
Author
COMES TO CALL
During World War II, the Reverand John Scott Holladay was called upon to serve as a spy. If he accepted the assignment, for their own protection, he could not tell his family for fear that foreign spies would kidnap them in order to turn his loyalty against America. After diligent prayer, he accepted the call to service, giving him an opportunity to save American, Thai, and even Japanese lives.
After the war, he was called to minister in rapidly decaying, crime ridden Cairo, Illinois. His ministry grew his church, built community standards, fought for racial equality, and stood against organized crime. Feeling the pressure of John’s community leadership and losing money, deadly Mafia gangsters plotted to end his life.
COMES THE CALL: For God and Country is a fast-paced, historical, biographical sketch. If you like Evangelical ministers, war heroes, crime fighters, amazing stories of courage, and inspirational reads, you’ll love Thomas Holladay’s novel about his Uncle Jack.
Buy COMES THE CALL now to find the faith it takes to fearlessly answer God’s calling.
TREASURE
Mike wants to marry the love of his life, but he first needs to convince her that he’s good enough. If he doubts his own virtue, how can he hope to convince her? Michael Crooke meets his fiancé on a remote Caribbean island, where they befriend an experienced salvage captain and are drawn into the quest for ancient, sunken, demonic temple artifacts. Their success brings the promise to live happily-ever-after. Or does it?
On their wedding night, old enemies of the salvage captain steal their newfound wealth, kidnap Mike’s bride, and leave Mike for dead. Whatever it takes, Mike is determined to get her back. He martials the salvage captain and his crew to go after the captain’s old enemies from Brazille. Making his bride’s rescue the primary purpose of their mission is Mike’s only demand.
The salvage captain seeks revenge on his past enemies, putting Mike’s bride in second place. Not knowing any of the captain’s old enemies, not knowing where they’ve taken her, or for what purpose, leaves Mike desperate for answers.
Will Mike ever again see the love of his life? Will he find his happily-ever-after?
TREASURE is a thrilling romantic-adventure novel. If you like tightly-knit characters, fast-paced adventure, and iconic romance, then you’ll love Thomas Holladay’s sweeping thrill-ride.
Buy TREASURE now and rush from the dark depths of the Caribbean Sea to the towering cliffs of the Andes Mountains.
BIRTHDAY BOX
Kira wants a perfect birthday gift for her husband, a fastidious university professor who treasures authentic antiquity. If she finds it, can she win her husband’s respect?
But Kira Mather’s perfect gift feels like FRIGHT NIGHT.
Kira and her sister-in-law discover an ancient, chain-bound trunk hidden in the basement of an old church being demolished.
While giftwrapping the box, Kira feels and hears something move from inside. Impossible!
The perfect gift has become the perfect nightmare.
Kira’s husband loves his birthday gift and wants to open it in his university lecture hall to once again disprove the existence of a spiritual realm.
Can Kira convince her arrogant, stubborn husband to leave the box closed? Or, is it already too late for her husband?
THE BIRTHDAY BOX is a short answer to an old question. Are demons real?
Buy THE BIRTHDAY BOX now and dance the fire dance with ancient witches.
MEADOWLARKS
Financial stress binds a young widow to her lip-licking, ogle-eyed boss, and to urban violence that has taken her husband and might now take her nine-year-old son. After her husband is murdered by carjackers, Carolyn, her son, and their dog are forced to move in with Carolyn’s all-knowing, hate-filled mother, leaving Carolyn desperate to find a safe way out. When her young son inherits her dead husband’s estate, high in the Sierra-Nevada Mountains, Carolyn decides it’s time to make the move onto a yet unseen cattle ranch – BUT – Carolyn Potter never anticipated death rising with the full moon.
Carolyn is thrilled by her son’s immediate connection to his inheritance, a beautiful, high-mountain cattle ranch, a fantastic home, community church, excellent school, and friendly, helpful neighbors, and by her own newfound sense of security and purpose.
When she blocks the ritual slaughter of bull calves on their property, she unleashes a demon to attack their home and brutally murder two of their neighbors, shattering Carolyn’s newfound sense of security.
Why can’t she accept the bloody ritual? Will the rising moon take her life? Will it take her son’s life?
MEADOWLARKS is a supernatural romp. If you like strong bonds of friendship, dark mystery, and blood-curdling terror, then you’ll love Thomas Holladay’s pulse-pounding thriller.
Grab MEADOWLARKS and discover the dread dangers lurking in Shangri-La. Grab it NOW. You will not be disappointed. IT’S FREE!
DELIBERATE JUSTICE: The American Way
1855 – Vladivostok, Russia – San Francisco, California
A Russian Army major and count is viciously attacked and nearly murdered by the Russian Grand Duke and must flee for his life. Desperately wanting to know why, he struggles to return home, find the answers, and return to his life of Russian nobility, but poverty and adversity block his path.
In San Francisco, Mikhail Diebitsch-Zabalkansky is robbed and left for dead. Struggling for his life, Mikhail crawls from under the docks of the Barbary Coast and finds shelter with a benevolent widow, where he painfully recovers.
While still recuperating, Mikhail overhears the three ladies who saved his life complain bitterly about his obnoxious arrogance and churlish demands. He shamefully realizes that his nobility means nothing in San Francisco, changes his arrogant mindset about a peasant class, and begins using his education and skills to help others.
The Russian Grand Duke and his guards arrive in San Francisco to arrest Mikhail and return him to Russia to stand trial for desertion during a time of war. A certain death sentence.
Can Mikhail build his future in the new world, or will the power of the Russian Empire overtake and execute him?
DELIBERATE JUSTICE: The American Way is the riveting first novel in the exhilarating American Way series. If you like accurate historic perspectives, fast-paced action, and gripping suspense, you will love Thomas Holladay’s romantic historical thriller.
Buy DELIBERATE JUSTICE now and dash through the exciting gold-rush days of early California.
PURSUIT: The American Way
1865 San Francisco
Mike Zabel, Count Mike, wants to expand further into his life of service by growing his investment firm, his family, and his fight against crime as Chief Inspector for the California State Police, but the Russian grand duchess oozes up from his past, seeking revenge for her brother’s death. When Mike’s wife and son go missing, fear strikes deep. Mike knows that the Romanov Dynasty will seek revenge for the death of the grand duke, but he doesn’t know when, or from where it will strike, until it unexpectedly slams into him sideways.
After the discovery of a dozen bodies of brutally tortured Chinese boys and two Russian associates in a shallow grave, Mike’s wife and young son are kidnapped, injecting the probability of their torture and murder. Mike has no proof of Romanov involvement and scrambles to martial his resources to search for . . . What? . . . Where?
Mike’s longtime family bodyguard is shot, limiting Mikes resources.
Can he find his wife and son in time, or will he find them in another shallow grave?
PURSUIT: The American Way is the riveting second novel in the gripping American Way series. If you like pulse-pounding crime thrillers, strong family bonds, and fast-paced action, you will love Thomas Holladay’s sweeping historical adventure.
Buy PURSUIT: The American Way and team up with a meticulous crime fighter. Buy it now!
Architecture
A career that began at an early age and a practice I still love
For my eleventh birthday, my father (an engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense) gave me my first drafting board. Within a month I had designed a home for our family. When I found the time, I continued to draw until I joined the Marine Corps.
During my last months in the Corps, my father wrote me a letter speculating on my future. He was a man who read a great deal to educate and improve his life experience so I always took his advice to heart. Knowing my artistic abilities and my understanding of mathematics, particularly geometry, along with his belief in my people skills, he recommended architecture or film directing.
Adventurer
Life is an adventure. Live it and love it.
My parents raised me to always be the best I can be at whatever I do, no matter how miniscule, no matter how grand. Being the best I can be requires learning all I can about whatever I do and always being willing to learn a better way. This upbringing has made me extremely competitive, blending with another parental philosophy, to always be fair and honest in dealing with others.