Dave Bender Author -

BLOOD OF A

KINGFISHER

BLOOD OF A

KINGFISHER

THE BOOK:

“What if the blood that ran in my uncle ran in me, too? The blood of a thief and a killer. The blood of a kingfisher.”

Sixteen-year-old Lochlan Kane leaves the safety of his Indonesian mother to track his unhinged American father across the lawless island of Karimun. His uncle is the kingpin of the island’s corruption and modern-day piracy, and when Lochlan stumbles onto an act of murder, he learns the depth of his uncle’s control.

Caught in a deadly game of high-seas vengeance pitting one family member against another, Lochlan makes all the wrong choices. His mistakes draw his little sister into the crosshairs of chaos, and he’s forced to choose the life of a thief to save her. It’s one boy facing decadent power alone until he falls for Lia, a girl who speaks a truth Lochlan can never face. Together, they fight for their place in a world of danger and deception where there is no right or wrong; only live or die.

This fast-paced adventure moves on swift water from the forests of Indonesia to the glitter of Singapore and dives into the depths of tangled family loyalties. If Dennis Lehane and Gillian Flynn looked over the shoulder of Jeff Hirsch while he penned an edgy TREASURE ISLAND for this century, it just might turn out like BLOOD OF A KINGFISHER.

The shadows of rainclouds rolled ahead of us, and I wanted to roll with them. I was restless. Papi had killed one time, and I wasn’t sticking around for the second.
I ran the length of the roof – tin banging, bamboo cracking – searching for a spot to drop to the ground. I lunged for a stack of crates jammed with black market birds. The pile buckled and the trader cursed when I hit the ground, feet-down and running.
Maybe she was pretty, but her eyes were strange, like a blind man had taught her to see. The wet shirt clung to her body and showed me her shape. More shape than I’d noticed at first.
If the rest of my life was going to be like the past nine years, I could do the time. If it was going to be like the past two days, I really didn’t need a third.
Tanjung Balai’s docks would be in sight any minute, and the big man in white would want his money. I was out of bluffs.
All that money and at least one man dead for the sake of the pouch in my pocket. Now that I had both, I was nothing but a target.

2nd Place in Philadelphia Writers Conference

4 of 5 PUBLISHERS AT THE NY PITCH CONFERENCE WANT THE MANUSCRIPT

"A high-concept novel that will play well in film"

-Michael Neff, NY Pitch Conference

Click here to read an exclusive sneak peak of Blood of a Kingfisher

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Click here to read an exclusive sneak peak of Blood of a Kingfisher

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THE AUTHOR: DAVE BENDER

In any good story, the protagonist has to change, right? No change, no story. Same with your life and mine. But no matter how much life reshapes us, you and I still hold onto something unchangeable, something that defines our character.

In my life I’ve been everything from a beat-up, dirty kid in hand-me-down clothes and nothing in my pockets to a high-paid, cocky stockbroker with money to burn in expensive suits that never fit my soul. Inside and out, I’ve been reshaped a million ways. So what’s the one piece of me that stayed the same? Well, if I gave you that answer, you’d miss out on all the intrigue.

I’ll tell you this, though. You read enough of my stories, you’ll figure it out. Because, if you like reading my stuff, we probably have some things in common. So, throw yourself out there and let the world chip away the pieces that don’t matter. What’s left is you. And I’m thinking if I meet you on the streets, we just might get along like lifelong buds.

Here’s a little taste of who I am today, but it’s only the surface. Truth is, I’d rather know who you are. Write it down and send it to me. Better yet, write a story and send it to the whole world.

See ya out there,

Dave

MUSIC TO WRITE BY

Anything from Catherine Major to Dogwood when I’m picturing a scene, but when I write? No lyrics, please.

GETTING PHYSICAL

Throwing kicks (5th dan black in taekwondo); biking and kayaking, especially off a nearby island where eagles swoop my kayak.

BEST ADVICE RECEIVED

“Don’t get to the end of your life and realize you lived someone else’s.” (from David Whyte, my all-time fave poet, when we walked thru Italy)

WORST ADVICE RECEIVED

“We’ll jump in if you hit him first.” (from my 10-year-old friends when I went after the local bully)

FAVORITE QUOTE

“Oh Christ, not again. It had to be one of them Bender boys.”

WHAT MATTERS

My family and friends. Yea, everyone says it, but I mean it. Really. Took me too long to realize, but it’s hard-wired now.

FAVORITE MEMORY

My brother and I would turn our bikes upside down, crank the pedals super-fast and feed crab apples and cherry bombs between the tire and fender, shooting them into the air. Not a good way to keep your eyes and fingers intact.

MY CAUSES

Support for kids with addicted or incarcerated parents; Rail trails, Chesapeake Bay; Restorative Justice. I’ve testified before Senate and House panels on a bunch of these. You think my characters are crazy? Try meeting some legislators.

BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD

Anywhere there’s water. Or land. Or land and water. Or mountains. Or prairie. Or desert. And people. Preferably friendly ones who like to eat and drink with me and tell stories.