In a few days, I plan to kick off the release of the Bull Moose series with the planned release of What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose this Spring 2024. Bull Moose is my creation, born out of twenty years of working up close and personal in politics. If you love politics, political campaigns, political thirllers, or political dramas like The Diplomat, The West Wing, Madam Secretary, or Jack Ryan, this will be the series for you.
The Bull Moose series is anchored by two leading characters – Jackson and Catherine Piper. Together, they are a powerhouse political couple working together to reforge the boundaries of American politics with the resurrection of the Bull Moose Party. The Bull Moose series is speculative fiction, a term I have to admit I only recently became acquainted with. As the name suggests, works in this genre take place in a near or distant future united with a shared past with the reader. Speculative fiction could take place next year or the next century, but will accept certain historical figures or events as fact.
Bull Moose Book 1 begins in 2043 and ends in 2045. It tells the story of a U.S. presidential election in the not-so-distant future. While there is some speculation about technology and norms of the time to come, the focus is on the political environment and how it might be shaped by the tumultuous present we, the readers, are living in.
Greed, the quest for power and the price some will pay to pursue it, lust, pride, and faith are all important themes I explored in writing Bull Moose Book 1. I expect these same themes will have a prominent role in future books in this series. And while certain facts are locked in as I write this about the fate of some characters, other ideas and events remain fluid. That means for my fans, I am open to your ideas and influences on where the next battle or election or enemy ought to take Jack and Kate as they complete a heroic quest to save the country they love from certain ruin.
The Setting of The Bull Moose Series
Book 1 of The Bull Moose Series takes place between October 2043 and January 2045. Why this precision? Well, I was looking down the road at a time where Millennials and Gen Z will be in a push-pull fight with Gen X and Gen Y (and some lingering Boomers) for power. I also wanted to be far enough into the future that I did not have to speculate too much about the success or failure of many politicians currently in Congress, the Supreme Court, or the White House.
Future books in the series will be set throughout the 2040’s.
The Senate Deception is set in the near future – 2039. It is the start of Jackson Piper’s fifth year in the U.S. Senate, and 13th year overall in Congress.
The Characters of Bull Moose
Jackson is a history teacher turned lawyer who runs for Congress in his 30s and wins a seat representing his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After four terms, Jackson lands himself in the U.S. Senate. Married with twin sons, the Pipers were a power couple, rising in prominence in America before the events of The Senate Deception send Piper’s political fortunes crashing back to earth. By the time Book 1 begins, Jackson is a former Senator. Catherine has refocused her work as an oncologist. They have relocated to Colorado in search of a fresh start.
Catherine Piper, aka Catherine the Great, has a powerful combination of grace, beauty, and unrivaled expertise and intelligence in oncology. She can be more fierce than Piper, but he has no greater champion in the world than her.
Russell Warner is the 49th President of the United States. He is the former governor of Nevada, a former Senator from the Silver State, and a member of the Old Party. He is ruthless, power-hungry, a casino magnate, and, ironically, a cheat. His divisive politics of fear and retribution before and during What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose Book 1 make Warner insecure enough about winning to engage in a plot to rig his reelection.
Senator Paul Drummond is a Senator from Wisconsin. He is pasty, bland, and has a complex about being cast aside and overlooked. He is the Other Party’s leading candidate to take on Russell Warner.
Diesel Browning is the junior Senator from Ohio, a member of the Other Party, a U.S. Army veteran who campaigned on marijuana legalization twice and won. He served three terms in the House (two of them alongside Piper). He and Piper have developed a brotherly bond.
Ron Bender has served as a political operative and staff for members of both major Parties. He made his mark in the Senate as part of a 4-member power alliance – Senator Mark Meriwether, Senator Russell Warner, and a Senator who went on to serve as Vice President to the 48th President of the United States.
Ziggy and Ben are A.I.-powered assistants, always listening and always prepared to be of assistance. While they cannot walk around the real world like C3PO, they have highly developed personalities and near sentience.
Themes of Bull Moose
Below are some of the key themes that the Bull Moose Series explores novel to novel.
- Power
- Natural Forces
- Political Parties
- Faith
- Fate
- Corruption and Greed
- History and historical traditions
- Revolution and reform
- Democracy
- Truth
- Ethical behavior
- Alliances
- One dimensional vs two dimensional political thought
- Risks and Rewards
- Mysticism and Curses
- Speculative fiction
- Political violence
- Technology and A.I.
- Blackmail
Do you want to be part of the select group of readers and fans who are early backers of the publication of What It Takes to Kill a Bull Moose? They receive advance reader copies (ARC), amazing freebies and gifts, and permanent acknowledgments in the book. Visit my Kickstarter countdown page to stay up to date on when the amazing campaign gets underway.
