THE JEWEL IN THE LOTUS
What would you betray to save the one you love?
The contagion is at a critical tipping point, threatening to be the worst plague the world has ever seen. Naveen Khatri could stop it. But to do so, he must betray his sacred oath to an ancient Buddhist sect who guard a secret with their lives. He could deliver the antidote to Mickey Zinn, the scientist who inadvertently caused the crisis and is seeking the cure, but with assassins trying to stop Naveen, can he do it in time?
Ben Gartner’s debut novel is a globe-spanning suspense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Coming soon!
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What people are saying:
“Riveting . . . Highly professional . . . From start to finish, I felt that I was in the hands of an author who has honed their craft. I especially like the way you escalate conflict, tension, and suspense. Your descriptive prose is outstanding. Your poetic styling is wonderful and quite a highlight throughout your work. Believe it or not, I’m usually quite a harsh critic, but I just really liked your novel!” —Stu M
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“I really enjoyed this! It’s kind of like The DaVinci Code with Buddhism. It was really exciting and fast-paced. I found myself completely unable to stop reading. I also loved how much I learned about Buddhism (which my prior familiarity with was pretty low) while reading, so that was an excellent bonus. You have a very exciting, compelling, well-paced story.” —Megan S
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“I immediately fell in love with the story and concept. I had so much fun reading this! It’s all so wildly intriguing. I think you do an excellent job with your writing, too. I like how you write action. I loved this novel.” —Erin Y
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“What a great, fun story! For the last 50 pages or so, I couldn’t wait to find out how everything was going to turn out – it was very suspenseful.” —Dawne R
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“I really enjoyed reading your book. You definitely have a plot with big and small consequences and the reader is really drawn in on a number of levels. The book had a good pace and kept me engaged throughout; there’s always something going on and the overall dominos that have to fall are believable. I really liked the book. Love the ending!!!” –Shad F
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“I thought it was great! The story is very intriguing. It seems like it could be real, even though I don’t think most of it is. I would’ve thought it was a true legend. I really like your writing style, and I was thoroughly entertained. Great book!” —Amy V
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“I loved this beta read. Only if they were all like this one! Fantastic story. One of my Best Beta Reads. Strong Characters. Great Plot. Your pacing was fantastic. I really enjoyed your writing.” —Walt G
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“You had a very strong plot with a thriller concept whose potential ramifications extended to the world at large. It was incredibly believable, and you always brought it back to a personal level with your characters, making it an equally character-driven story. Your characters were FANTASTIC, so well-drawn and proactive throughout this novel, and I adored the depth and the subtext you so deftly wove into their actions, their motivations, and their relationships. Your DESCRIPTIONS were absolutely fabulous. It was certainly a movie in my head the whole time, and I always had a great image of everything going on, every detail of every setting we were in, every character, and of course the important object within this story. Your SETTINGS AND WORLD-BUILDING were SUPERB. Your DIALOGUE was always fantastic as well; very natural, distinct for each character, and overall, there was a great balance between dialogue and narrative in the telling of this story. In terms of the writing itself – your writer’s voice is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, very clean, very unique, and was definitely very engaging. I fell in love with your writing immediately. You’ve definitely got a fan in me.” —Amanda R
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“I am a particular reader and will easily put down a book that I find boring. Yours I could not.” —John D
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“I have nothing but good things to say about your novel. [Your writing] has the reader turning pages in anticipation of what happens.” —Glen G
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“I really enjoyed the read. There were lots of twists in the plot, and tons of action.” —Kristin Y
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“You’re a helluva story teller! You’re very good at what I call downhill writing. By that I mean you start fast, gain momentum and keep it going, an excellent skill for this kind of ‘edge-of-your-seat’ book. The details about Buddhism and medicine are compelling, a nice blend of the exotic and the scientific, an interesting collision of unique worlds.” — Will J
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“Captivating . . . intriguing and exciting . . . very intense . . . your descriptions are vivid, clear, and very colourful. Your characters are well developed and they each have very clear personalities. I am certain that it’s a book that people will live and breathe.” —Caitlyn S
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