That inspiration gives us Jaclyn the Ripper this month.  Of course Jack the Ripper, in any form, is the kind of intriguing antagonist a great thriller needs.  As Alexander says, he is a timeless villain, which makes him perfect for a time travel story.

"While he may not techni¬cally be the worst killer of all time, Jack the Ripper personifies evil for us--not merely as a historical figure, but as a legendary figure."

One of the fascinating twists of this new story is exploring how the balance (or imbalance) of chromosomes may affect a person's masculinity or femininity.  Alexander postulates that a weak genetic framework could be the cause of a person becoming a vicious psychopath.

Despite his historical reality, Jack the Ripper's identity is still unknown, which allows him to remain a mythic character.  By contrast, H.G. Wells was one of the best, and best known, writers and thinkers of the 20th Century.  His life and times are well documented.  You might think that presenting a genius author who was both scientifically and socially progressive would be a special challenge.  But Alexander has done a wonderful job of bringing him to life, making him a hero, yet retaining the man he truly was.

"He was not a boring, didactic man," Alexander insists.  "He was witty, charming, a good father and husband.  Above all, he had a sense of humor and honor.  Those qualities make writing him as a character a joy, not a challenge."

The real challenge may have been portraying Jack the Ripper as female.  In the novel Jaclyn's beauty and gender change give her a huge advantage in avoiding Wells and the police.  But her more complex female emotions drive her to do things she wouldn't do as a male psychopath.  And she seems more intrigued with betrayal than she was as a man.

"As I wrote, Jaclyn's inner character became a psychological study of men and women," Alexander says. "An exploration of how the genders see and rationalize violence, how they respond to love, how they confuse each other."

In fact, in the midst of this rollicking thrill ride, you'll find yourself captivated by the thought of how Jaclyn will handle her first sexual experience with a man, and how she will handle falling in love.

Jaclyn the Ripper is a thought-provoking page-turning thriller with charismatic, larger-than-life characters.  Thrillmaster Clive Cussler says "Karl Alexander has created one of the most intriguing tales of this year. He combines romance and action for a devilishly fast-paced read. I can't wait for the next in the Ripper series."

There's no topping that kind of endorsement!  Alexander promises there will be more adventures of Jack/Jaclyn and H.G. Wells, so you'll want to read Jaclyn the Ripper right away, then catch Time After Time as a prequel when it is re-released in February.  That way you'll be ready for the future of this truly timeless thriller series.

Austin S. Camacho has written a series about private detective Hannibal Jones and a series of adventure novels featuring mercenary Morgan Stark and jewel thief Felicity O'Brien.  To pay the mortgage he answers media queries for the Defense Department.  Camacho lives in Springfield, Virginia with his lovely wife Denise and Princess the Wonder Cat.