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Story Behind The Book
Behind The Taba Convention The Jordan Kline Series. Book 1. Between hotel assignments in Eilat on the Red Sea, I came up with the idea to write a novel. As a hotel General Manager I was always thinking “outside” myself, taking care of staff, guests, vendors, travel agents and all the people that work in the industry on a daily basis. I decided that it was time to “self explore”, and that the best way was to write a novel. I suggested this to my wife Mali who encouraged me to start writing. Middle East peace negotiations have been the focus of many US Presidents, and I thought it would be fun to write a thriller based on an upcoming peace convention in Taba Egypt. It was only natural that I would create a character loosely based on my experiences as an hotelier and General Manager. The difference being that Jordan Kline is an ex Mossad operative, a legend in the Israeli intelligence agency. Turning his back on the agency after becoming disillusioned with the continued violence, Jordan now manages a hotel and lives in the Red Sea resort town of Eilat at the southernmost tip of Israel. Prior to the small sliver of land called Taba being returned to Egypt by Israel following international arbitration, we used to visit what was then the Sonesta Taba Hotel almost every weekend with the kids. Many a lazy, sun drenched Saturday was spent soaking up the sun on the sands of the beautiful small bay in Taba. There have been numerous summits held at the Egyptian resort town of Sharm El Sheik, perhaps the most famous one being co-sponsored by President Bill Clinton and President Hosni Mubarak in March 1996, called “The Summit of Peacemakers”. The Taba Convention is a book about such an upcoming summit, convened by the President of the United States to sign a peace treaty between the Palestinians and Israelis in Taba. About Jordan Kline Jordan Kline was born and raised in the predominantly Jewish Willowdale suburb of Toronto Canada. Over the years growing up, Jordan became increasingly aware of his Jewish roots, and heard stories of the holocaust from his grandparents and parents. He decided to immigrate to Israel and joined the famed Golani Brigade where he fulfilled his army service. His parents had soon followed him to Israel, not wanting to leave Jordan alone with no warm home to come to on his leaves from the army. His father opened a real estate office in Ramat Hasharon, a town near Tel Aviv, and had prospered, although life had been hard in the years following immigration. Jordan’s bravery in the field was followed by recruitment into the Mossad. Over the years he gained a reputation based on the successes of his combat missions for the secret service agency. However, over time Jordan became disillusioned with all the killings, and began to question his future in the agency. The final straw came in Beirut on a mission to assassinate terrorist leaders. The team burst into the apartment and found the terrorists in the company of prostitutes. They killed both the terrorists and the women in order to get out cleanly. The next day Jordan had resigned and turned his back on the agency. I wanted a symbolic name for the hero, and Jordan seemed a perfect fit, named after the famous River. The Jordan River brings life giving water into the Sea of Galilee before meandering southwards and ending in the Dead Sea. The river is a source of conflict between the Syrians, the Lebanese, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians to this day. I saw this as a reflection of Jordan’s inner conflict; the hardened combat operative versus the man of peace, weary of war and killing. The Background I thought about what could be the most horrific conspiracy that could engulf the Middle East once more in flames, and created the conspiracy plot behind The Taba Convention. During the period that we lived in Eilat and Tel Aviv, we experienced the return of Taba to the Egyptians, the Palestinian Intifadas, the deadly and horrifying suicide bombings, but also all the praiseworthy efforts to find peace. I was also fortunate enough to manage the David Citadel Hotel Jerusalem, and honored to personally meet and host Presidents, Prime Ministers and many high level diplomatic missions. These experiences afforded me invaluable insights into the workings of security and diplomatic channels. Along with my experiences as an hotelier, these have allowed for a lot of the background and colorful scenes in The Taba Convention.
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Reviews
Reviews Friday, October 28, 2011Review - THE TABA CONVENTION by Stephen W. Ayers in: BETWEEN THE PAGES BLOG. http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-taba-convention-by-stephen-w.html THE TABA CONVENTION The Jordan Kline Series. Book 1. By Stephen W. Ayers Review By Lynda: I had a few misgivings about reviewing this book since I'm not fond of 'blood-and-guts' style thrillers. And while there is violence in this political thriller, it's not the primary focus. The mystery, intrigue, cat-and-mouse maneuvers, and life-and-death decisions are what makes this story a 'THRILLER'. It's very well written. The main character, Jordan Kline, is likable but with enough flaws to make him believable. It's an edge of you seat read with an ending that is different than what I expected, which was enjoyable. Jordan Kline is a seasoned warrior who is sick of the smell of death, he wants a life separate from all he previously knew. He's scared, he's vulnerable, because the woman he loves doesn't know his complete history. He has so much to lose. One mistake can end everything. In the wrong place at the wrong time lands Jordan smack in the middle of a complex terrorist threat. And that's as much as I'm telling you. You'll just have to read the book to get the rest of this story. — Review of The Taba Convention by 'Between the Pages' Ayers blew me away in this action packed thriller dealing with the Middle East. I’m not always enamored by novels dealing with terrorism and the peace issues in the Middle East, but Ayers’ beautiful prose and sheer writing abilities thread a very unique and pointed story, making me an instant fan. The vast amount of knowledge Ayers holds, as well as the amount of research he had to do in order to create a convincing piece, is phenomenal, and I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an action packed thriller. — A Book Vacation Blog Review of The Taba Convention GLOBES, Israel’s Business Arena, Globes Correspondent 1st. September 2011: “Kline, who is discovering his softer side with the aid of the beautiful and sensitive Irit, is a promising hero. The action has pace and impact, and is nicely balanced against the accelerated development of Kline and Irit's relationship. There's plenty of local color too, as well as insight into the hotel industry, which is the author's own background. The book is highly episodic - almost a film script already.” — GLOBES Israel's Business Arena Review of Taba GLOBES, Israel’s Business Arena, Globes Correspondent 1st. September 2011: “……..the book keeps you turning the pages. By setting cold-blooded killers and betrayers on both sides against people of conscience in the middle, it has something to say about what it would take to make real peace in our region. The idea of an Israeli version, in English, of the lone hero up against a warped establishment is appealing. The Taba Convention a commendable first go at the genre.” — GLOBES Israel's Business Arena Review of Taba The Taba Convention in Hadassah Magazine Summer Reading: A Roundup of New Thrills and Chills July 2011 Zelda Shluker In addition to the ever-popular crime writers, there are outstanding debuts. The Taba Convention: A Jordan Kline Thriller by Stephen W. Ayers. Just like the author, Stephen W. Ayers, the protagonist in The Taba Convention is a hotelier in Eilat. The difference is that the fictional Jordan Kline switched to that career after he was disillusioned with his clandestine, bloody work for the Mossad in Lebanon. Unfortunately, the last words of a murdered ex-Mossadnik draw him into uncovering a conspiracy of monumental proportions—“Break Peace”—which will destroy any hopes for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Assassinations, betrayals, extremism treachery and hatred litter the landscape in this fast-paced debut about vigilance for the sake of peace. — Hadassah Magazine summer reading review "I have just finished reading your first book, The Taba Convention. I could not put it down. What a page turner! The characters draw you right in. You feel their happiness and pain. The development of the characters and the descriptions of the country make me feel like I know them and the country. Every time I think I have a handle on what is going to happen next, you throw a curve at me. The Taba Convention is the ‘Book of the Year’ in my estimation. You can’t go wrong buying this book. I will be telling everyone to buy this book. Book clubs need to know about this book and add it to their list of ‘must reads’. Thank you again for the great read." — Loretta, Fort Erie - Canada Review of The Taba Convention: "It is such a tough balance to create a plot that is at once surprising and yet believable and you've succeeded in doing this. What an exciting story and fascinating setting. Very well done!" — Reader B. Review of The Taba Convention: “Your characters are so engaging and your plot is thrilling.”…. “The story about the tourist complaining about the “Do Not Disturb” sign being ignored by the maid service had me laughing out loud.” — Reader Review of The Taba Convention: “You did an excellent job of making the setting truly come alive in my imagination through your descriptions of the terrain, the businesses, the language, customs and attitudes of the diverse multitude of people that call the area home.” — Reader Review of The Taba Convention: “A great main character, a plot that is intriguing and timely, a fine writing style and a strong sense of action.” — Kurt Gutjahr, Editor.