ROBERT SANTACROCE
Official Website of all the Author's books, including his best-selling novels:
Kris Van Kleer Trilogy
Tom Quinn thriller Series
BOOKS
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Adversarial
an essay
A future in which people are constantly monitored was featured in George Orwell's 1949 dystopian fiction "Nineteen Eighty-Four". Although he may have been off on the date, he was definitely onto something with regards to security cameras. Most of us don’t think anything of video surveillance these days; they’re at the bank, on street corners, even in schools, but cameras weren’t always so ubiquitous. What will the future present? Will we be barcoded at birth or even worse? As frightening as it sounds, government agencies think about scenarios like these to design their ever-growing need to record and locate people around the globe.
The Seven Lives of ALtaluna Di Santi
The Seven Lives of Altaluna Di Santi is a portrayal of one soul’s journey through the ages. It spans several centuries and locations, revealing a seven-pointed star as it traverses and transforms through time and space. It is the artistic development of seven individual’s innate artistic gifts, which are shaped and shared while confronting the conditions and challenges of their incarnations; as each evolves into a more enlightened and conscious being.
About Face
Santino was not the only one in the circle who was there to consider his own healing. Some had been in Desert Storm, others came from other locations where the military had sent them, only to return less than their former selves. His destiny led him to meet people who supported and assisted his journey back to himself. From the dark alleys of Beirut to dealings with Mob-related individuals in NYC, Santino was able to re-establish the strength of his own will to find new purpose and honor.
Meeting the love of his life, and becoming a Private Investigator, was the best thing to happen for his heart and career, however, it led him down paths that challenged his moral compass. Nevertheless, Santino was ultimately able to achieve his own About-Face.
Synchronous
This is a story of colliding worlds, both on the physical and spiritual plane. Where science comes face to face with its cosmic reality and receives the deepest truths of history. Where families meet and evolve, while others fade into the distances through the veil of knowledge. Where Art and Science join forces to enlighten the minds and hearts of individuals who not only have discovered the greater part of themselves but also the power of the soul to enrich their lives with meaning and Love.
Hertz 131
A Synchronous Continuum
The Synchronous Story continues as separated twins, Amy and Josh, having been united after thirty-six years, begin the very difficult journey to discover their birth parents. This quest uncovers the most horrifying circumstances surrounding their first moments of life, which further complicates the already thin threads of where to search next.
From the desert sands of Egypt to the surf beaches of California, Amy’s conscious understanding of how the radiation from the Sun can be transformed into a power source for a battery, radically changes the electric car industry.
Eventually, through their shared and individual experiences, Josh and Amy, arrive at a new love for the destiny of family.
The Emperor's Lattice
The Emperor’s Lattice is a tale of one young man’s dream of recreating a 3000 year old design originally made for the amusement of an Empress. First made as a death defining challenge for those wishing the hand of the Princess and territory of Imperial lands. In modern times, a high-line trial and obstacle, worthy of only the most talented aerial artists in the world. For Lee Wang, his vision to construct his childhood story of the magnificent lattice becomes a labor of skill, determination and love. It is an intriguing mixture of the will and insight of a small group of supportive friends, together with Lee, wishing successfully to stretch a woven lattice between twin bridges. It is a story of a design worthy to be flying high above the river at the precise location, where three-millennium earlier, the resolve of one young peasant man, overcame the fears of the abyss to become a victor and Prince.
Conversations over Coffee
Coffee in the morning is more than a ritual—it’s an awakening. As the dark brew stirs your senses, conversations unfold, turning idle chats into moments brimming with intrigue. In this collection, I share glimpses of these encounters—some real, others imagined—where secrets are whispered, dreams are shared, and silences speak louder than words. Whether fleeting or profound, these stories offer raw insights into the hidden corners of human experience, revealing wisdom, humor, and the unexpected.
From Cannoli to Canale
"Robert Santacroce's life has spanned the tumultuous changes of the 20th century and embraced the paradigms of the new millennium. But what makes this book so powerful is the series of transformations he went through personally on his journey from his childhood and adolescence in an Italian family in New York City, to his service in Vietnam, to his rootless wanderings around the country from the late '60s thru '70s, and then to his discovery of the philosophy of Rudolf Steiner and his calling as a teacher of Eurythmy, an artist, and finally a family man. No one reading the first third of the book would ever guess that he would become the person he did. It is a wonderfully human story."
Disconnected
While flying down the face of Trango Tower, base-jump professional Sebastian Kastellanos, crashes into a rock outcrop, sending him into a traumatic coma. Trapped within a body that cannot respond to his conscious thoughts, he begins a process of spiritual opening. While loved ones contemplate his future by his bedside, Sebastian’s awakened soul experiences the wonders beyond the threshold of life.
Libellula (Dragonfly)
What if you could go back, nearly a thousand years and discover you might be descendant of Kings? For Vincent Messina, a child of the 1950’s growing up in New York, that was the furthest thing from his mind. Yet, unbeknown to him, he found himself in the middle of a family quest that had started generations before his birth. Through his tenacious and relentless research to find centuries old documents, Vincent journeys much of the Sicilian landscape, tracing the roots of Nobles to uncover dark secrets of events long buried in history; only to be blown away by what he eventually unearths.
My Tranquility Needs Refurbishing
We all have stories to tell, and Alice has one filled with intrigue, danger, resilience and courage. She grew up in an orphanage, where practices had her medicated to the point of borderline addiction, and still she managed to graduate from university. She became a smart and talented undercover agent for the FBI,
where she tangled with the most nefarious criminals and ruthless drug lords. All the while in her heart, she was searching for family, love and acceptance. With courage and determination she was able to find and refurbish her equilibrium. It is also a story of one woman’s path to a community that in time, brought her the peace she deserved.
Sixty Degrees
A Love Triangle
Jill, Cappie, and Jackson met by literally backing into one another on a precipice overlooking the Grand Canyon. It was the beginning of the triangle, although none of them could have imagined the impact the meeting would have on them physically and emotionally. It was clear from the outset, that a deep bond was destined, however, as the
relationships evolved, they became more complicated.
It was a crossing of paths of three souls; three very different people from three very different backgrounds. Yet, as nothing is truly an accident, all were destined to come to terms with their understanding and Experience
of true love and friendship.
Across the Reach
Eric Collins grew up in an average house in a small town in Florida. He was an inquisitive boy and both his parents supported his daily inquiries into their work and what lay beyond the borders of their home. His mind became a vacuum for information, and Eric began to develop compartments to store the details of what he acquired and methods on how to retrieve what he had placed within. What was originally a two-dimensional pictorial game board of adventures, had transformed into a powerfully rich three-dimensional reality of his destined life.
Coming Back To Fix The Mess
Alfred had lived an exceptionally long and productive life, although not without its share of unpleasant human interactions. When his time arrived to enter the hereafter, Alfred was shocked to discover that his entry had been postponed. He was informed he was required to return and make amends for the numerous transgressions committed during his earthy existence. It would be a long and challenging journey of discovery back through his life, while at the same time being gifted with another look at how it could have transpired had he been more compassionate and awake the first time around.
Movement Through Time and Space
This is a story of how a boy’s dream evolved to become one man’s passion; a lifelong search for his truth, altering his body, his mind and the very essence of his behavior to develop an awareness of space and the way he moved through it. How he managed to persevere when many paths might have led him astray to walk upon one that could have easily gone up in smoke. Rather, through the power of will and inspiration, he ultimately found his destined signpost, directing him towards his true path; a journey where movement transformed his soul and helped bring to fruition, a conscious knowledge and fullness of his being.
Marks of Birth, Love and Destiny
This is a story of two worlds, and within each how people are treated differently from times past to the present day. A story of how destiny unfolds and love conquers. A story about Parker Rossetti. He was born at home, in the mid-1950s in a small tenement apartment on the Lower Eastside of Manhattan, a place called the East Village. It was a happening neighborhood for folks labeled Bohemians, his parents were very much a part of that scene and embraced the lifestyle. They were also a biracial couple in a time when it was very challenging to shield oneself from the constant stares of disapproval and misunderstandings. The world he lived in had two very different spaces that seemed to change dramatically every few years, although as the events unfolded, he didn’t realize until he had crossed over to the next. Each new phase of his life revealed many important things for him to witness and learn. Some had been extremely hard and painful, while others, proved to uncover his true purpose and destiny.
The Colorful Lives of our Four-Legged Friends
Like most everyone who is reading this book, you have many stories about your pets. Tales filled with humor or wonderful antidotes of some special moment in your relationship with your furry friends, mostly bringing you great happiness, while others that may stand out as very emotional or even tragic. Victoria and I continue to travel upon a similar path, enjoying our pets, loving their personalities and doing our best to feed, house, entertain and be creative to their needs.
Integrity of Friendship
Friendship is a treasure that lives on many levels of commitment. It is a space between beings that is in one moment open and unending and in the next, can be closed and limited in its perimeters. A place well guarded as much as it is let free to roam and discover. It can be a constant, reliable pillar of strength as well as possessing betrayal and unexpected moments of unimaginable disappointment. Yet, regardless of its appearance and fortitude, its depth of understanding or wit or calculated involvement, a person labeled as a friend, is a reflection of the world you chose to live in; an assessment and honest appraisal of whom you yourself are mirroring back to the world around you. I have created a shortlist of qualities or virtues I feel friendship embodies, either in part or to a fuller extent. The stories represent my experience of friendship, the details of each pulled from the depths of memory, and from the present content.
Rooster on Main Street
Rooster on Main Street is a collection of short stories I have derived from daily experiences in and around Barra de Navidad; my new home. I've attempted to capture and portray the exuberance of the people enjoying their families, their friends, and their work. Here in Barra, there is no great mystery to the art of living happily, and the residents remind us of this throughout our day. It is a constant stream of colorful surprises that I am privileged to be a part of, and with little effort, the rewards have been greater than expected.
The Paperhanger
Peter Drost had always been fascinated with paper money. There was something about how the paper felt between his fingers, especially the new notes that his father brought home from the bank. He loved the smell of the fresh ink, the intricate designs, and the decorative elements that each denomination had. To him, they were works of art, something he studied with great satisfaction using a magnifying glass he had received on his tenth birthday. The beautiful colors of each different note and how they merged with the design, were most captivating and inspiring to him.
Little did he know just how far his love of banknote artistry would take him into a world of intrigue and discovery.
Kris Van Kleer
The Chasm Between
It was a meteoric rise to fame and fortune for Kris Van Kleer. An image of himself he believed in and worked extremely hard to cultivate. A brilliant law student at Columbia, he was sought after by every prestigious law firm in New York, promising to offer him a fast track to partner. Within two years, he was the poster-boy of Weston, Hastings, Isaacson, and Gerard, the largest law firm in the city. The senior partners placed tremendous worth on their prized associate, giving him high profile cases that allowed his quick mind and wit to face off with opposing council and meet the frenzy of the media, which hounded the courthouse steps after each recess of every case. Then, as fast as Kris had risen into the spotlight, his world became unglued.
Kris Van Kleer
Return to the Courthouse Steps
Kris Van Kleer returns as an older, wiser, reinvigorated, and much more humble man. After falling not only from the Scales of Justice but likewise from the status of a free man, he lifts himself from the stigma of one labeled an ex-convict to a new and mature image of himself determined to resurrect his career and reestablish himself in the courtrooms of New York City.
Standing taller as a family man and teacher, Kris decides it is time to continue his dream of being a better lawyer than he had once been, but this time he is equipped with knowledge of the streets as well as the loving support of a woman who truly believes in him and his return to the courthouse steps.
Kris Van Kleer
The Fair and Impartial
After becoming discontented working in IP Law, Kris accepts the position of District Attorney at the State Capital of New Mexico in Santa Fe. It was a wild and surprising career move on his part, one that his family struggled to support at first, as they had never lived anywhere but in New York City. Kris’s new assignments at the DA’s office broadened his range of legal skills, especially those related to violent and transnational organized crimes. It has also brought him face-to-face with Native Peoples and the need to bridge US and Tribal Laws in order to make a lasting difference. As his first case takes him nearly to his breaking point, Kris calls upon not only all his intellectual skills as a seasoned attorney but also new areas of himself awakened in the Land of Enchantment.
Rite of Passage
In this first installment of the Tom Quinn Series, CIA special agent Tom Quinn ventures into uncharted territory across Europe, Russia, and Mexico. His mission is to relentlessly pursue terrorist threats targeting both the United States and American interests worldwide. Quinn embodies unwavering determination and expertise, honed over decades as a field operative. His unwavering commitment to each operation and his deep patriotism set him apart.
Operating like a finely-tuned machine, Quinn maneuvers in the shadows, applying his unique brand of thoroughness against adversaries. He stands as a beacon of leadership for his team in the field, prioritizing their safety in every operational detail. Quinn, a consummate professional and skilled assassin, brings a semblance of order to a world in chaos, traversing destinations fraught with tremendous risk and peril.
This gripping narrative unfolds as a relentless and pulse-pounding story that compels readers to eagerly turn the pages, craving the next thrilling twist and turn in Quinn's mission.
Rapid Descent
CIA operative Tom Quinn descends into an emotional abyss following the tragic demise of his partner and lover, Lou. Driven by a relentless quest for justice and vengeance, he must also continue to function as an undercover assassin within the agency. However, Quinn grapples with maintaining his mission focus as haunting images of Lou's death refuse to release their grip on his psyche. Her absence has transformed into more than a mere distraction; it has become a rapid plummet from the imperative of staying on target and preserving his own life.
Failure Protocols
Agents Tom Quinn and Terri Madison sat in the surveillance van a short distance from their target. Tensions were elevated and focused,
as the threat just a few streets away was unpredictable and stood as a massive disruption to international security. Just as the hacker had
devised his advanced AI server complex and the extent to which it could function and destabilize systems, was unclear. What was not, had been the resolve of the CIA agents ready to embark upon the operation at hand. It was a new frontier for Quinn, nevertheless, with the support and commanding knowledge Terri possessed in this realm, he felt he would be able to complete the OP and dismantle the threat.
Quinn opened the side door of the van to the foggy Amsterdam night. He gave a thumbs-up to his partner and stepped out with only one goal
in mind as he raced into the darkness.
Assassin's Web
CIA Agent Tom Quinn's next assignment leads him to Thailand in pursuit of a mysterious woman known as the Spider Lady, believed to be the head of Asia's most powerful and lucrative poppy cultivation operation. Quinn's mission is to locate her, dismantle her operation, and disrupt the flow of heroin destined for the United States.
Despite the daunting nature of the task, Quinn's extensive field experience gives him a strategic advantage. With unwavering determination, he sets out into the Golden Triangle, the region where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet, known for its historical significance in methamphetamine, opium, and heroin production.
The heroin trade in the United States, dominated by sources in Mexico and Colombia, traces its roots back to opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle. Quinn's mission takes him into the heart of this notorious region, where he must navigate the intricate web of the Spider Lady's operations.
Final Pursuit
Agent Tom Quinn returns to the US, his mind a battleground of doubt and shadows. Haunted by visions of the men he'd dispatched over his storied CIA career, he questions his ability to continue in the field. Just as he contemplates walking away, he's offered one last mission—one that could either be his redemption or the plunge into an abyss of darkness, both within himself and within the intricate workings of a potentially disastrous operation. It was to be his Final Pursuit.
BOOK REVIEWS
The Integrity of Friendship is a wonderfully insightful and, at times, playful book. It took me on a journey through Robert’s personal relationships in which he found specific lessons play out. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Robert and considering how my own relationships have taught me specific truths about human nature.
Like good poetry, Robert Santacroce's Rooster on Main Street sees in the everyday what most people fail to even notice: The little narratives taking place in the routine of daily living. Robert's short bursts of insight show us that there is much to be learned about ourselves, about people and about the journey just outside our front doors if we take the time to observe, to listen, and to appreciate the world unfolding before our very eyes.
Disconnected took me on an adventure of high flying, love, loss & letting go. The book opened my mind to new ways of thinking & looking at the world.
Amy Darby
Detroit, Michigan
Michael Scott
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Sharon Kohl Fritz
Barra de Navidad, Mexico
Need a distraction that intrigues and gives you pause for thought? Robert Santacroce’s books are engaging, well-written explorations into many lives from ancient days up to the present. These books are filled with characters you care about and plots that take you on adventure after adventure far beyond your comfortable reading couch. Well researched details fill you in on topics integral to the story and not just to take up pages. They are easy to read with a dialog that puts you right there with the characters. Enjoy, as I did, stepping into the worlds of Kris Van Kleer a lawyer in “The Chasm Between”, or walk-in seven very different lives in “Altaluna”, or join a quest in Scotland in “Synchronous”, or delve into the inner world of Sebastian Kastellanos, in “Disconnected”. Set your compass to explore and pick any of the eleven books he has written.
I so enjoyed this book! I have read most of Robert Santacroce’s books and so far this is my favorite. I particularly enjoyed being able to see into the minds of the key characters as the story unfolded rather than from only one perspective.
A great ending for your Tom Quinn series. Nice to know some thriller series can be me on a joyous note and the romance thrown into your story just took it to another enjoyable level!
Thanks for sharing your talent with us readers, Robert!
Cheers
West Virginia Fan
Marlys Wolfe, Kelowna, B.C. Canada
Robert Santacroce currently lives with his wife, Victoria, in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico.
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I came to writing late in life, although I did dabble in some poetry writing in my ‘30s and ’40s. My gift of storytelling has always been part of my life, buried within my being waiting for the right moment to rise from the depths and be heard. It was as if one day my imagination awoke and it has been rather active ever since. The experiences in my life now suddenly became the images I have nurtured and developed over my many writings. Through them, I make an honest attempt for the reader to freely connect to my characters and the story narrative.
One could say my style is a voice looking to find its new homeland, a varied landscape within the imagination of human experience and fantasy. I write as the pictures emerge and the flow of my consciousness becomes the synthesis of the stories I share; a journey through time and space which affords the reader ample opportunity to form their own imagination as if they themselves had been placed within the scene.