The Fukushima Connection
by Link Rayburn

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Karate expert and nurse, Hideo Okamoto, persuades his wife Jen to join him on a Pacific Ocean excursion, but the tranquil day is shattered when their boat sinks. After mysteriously surviving, both are shocked to learn that something deep in the frigid saltwater imbued them with superpowers. Weeks later, a knock at their door introduces an enigmatic stranger who knows too much about that day… While the duo struggles to balance their nine-to-fives with incognito superhero missions, Mr. Danger and The Texan are as comfortable rescuing pets and busting minor league goons in their hometown as they are battling supervillains’ diabolical schemes. Diving deeper, Hideo wages an inner spiritual battle as Jen embraces the physicality of saving lives beside her husband. During a final fiery showdown atop Mount Fuji, the authenticity of Hideo’s spiritual conversion comes to light. The Fukushima Connection expands the HV-verse beyond Russia’s Vlad and Svetlana to Japan’s Okamotos. Befitting a book in the series, the couples assist each other in their superheroics. This second adventure juxtaposes the innocence of a freshly bitten Spiderman against the evil plotting of James Bond villains and adds a hint of Star Trek’s interstellar awe. Styled similarly to HyperVigilanté, this page-turner contains another helping of nerdy Easter eggs.

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Inspiration for Link Rayburn’s HyperVigilanté trilogy came from his girlfriend’s comment about his hypervigilant driving. After the lightbulb moment when Rayburn realized that the world needed a Russian superhero amped-up on a radioactive energy drink from Chernobyl, he quickly penned the first novel. Plotting and wordsmithing the next two novels came painstakingly during sleepless nights staring at the ceiling, countless miles jogging on treadmills, and hours hammering the keyboard while gulping an energy drink. Concepts from Rayburn’s journalism degree, paralegal certificate, nursing school studies, and day job selling insurance weave into his worldbuilding. Plus, a lifetime of absorbing the finest sci-fi shows, movies, stories, and pop culture of the 1980s and ’90s enriches his writing. The HyperVigilanté trilogy’s heroes and villains twist across books and continents, but the upcoming third book, The Redacted Chapters, serves as the linchpin. Thanks to a picturesque proposal in Hawaii with the Pacific waves crashing on volcanic rock and spraying into the air, the girlfriend who sparked these novels became Rayburn’s fiancée. The couple and their dog have loved ones in Wyoming, Florida, and Maryland, among other states, but they hope to settle soon in the beautiful state of Tennessee.

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Contributors

Author

Link Rayburn

Editor

Mandi Martin

Illustrator

Alejandro Colucci