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Captive Audience Paperback – August 2, 2004

by William Hatfield (Author)

4.6 26 ratings

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This voyage of the cruise ship Jade Viking is anything but typical. Departing Japan with a joint American/Japanese crew, upon docking in San Francisco, it will trade the Stars & Stripes for the Rising Sun. Wall Street lawyer Kimberly Martin has brokered a deal between Spencer Corp. and the mysterious firm Sukuru. Clever marketing has Jim Morris aboard, filming the final scenes to his next martial arts action movie.An alien ship follows radio transmissions back to Earth, looking for something quick and easy to seize for profit. Jade Viking is a glittering light in the dark, northern Pacific night, and shortly, the Ananab ship PaTasum is on its way home, cruise ship and contents secured in the hold.It falls to Jim Morris to organize reluctant allies to seize the ship. The odds are steep. But have the aliens really considered the consequences of kidnapping and attempting to enslave 3,500 dirty, hungry, and extremely angry humans?

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Publishamerica Inc (August 2, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1413728111
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1413728118
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.09 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.73 x 9.02 inches

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4.6 26 ratings

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William Hatfield

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William Hatfield was born in a small town in northern Michigan and attended Western Michigan University, getting a degree in history and communications. Musical engagements led him to Gainesville, Florida, where he continues to live with his wife Karen and their two feline daughters.

Rumor has it, he may have grown up, but it seems unlikely.

Rumor also has it that on the convention circuit, no piano is safe from his inclination to cause spontaneous piano bar singalongs.

Whether writing science fiction action/adventure, or humorous LGBTQ/mystery based in Key West, he relishes the opportunity to create interesting and challenging characters that never cease to amuse and surprise him with their inherent independence.

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kalina

OMG. Great Sci-fi book

Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2023

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I'm not a big fan of Sci-fi books, although I love most of the movies and TV shows, I think because they are about the people. This book, the first in the series, is also about the people, including the alien people. I'm heading toward the second book now!

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NitroNorm

Good enough to read again.

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2014

Verified Purchase

Although i bought this book some time ago i have recently started reading it again.

Being an avid reader i hardly ever read a book over twice. this is how good i think it is. the story takes a while to get going but this is because of the large number of people, the cast if you will, and you need to know the characters before things can get interesting. the action is pretty good and the story shows alot of forethought.

this book was professionally edited, the spelling is correct, and the grammar was good. My only complaint is that the alignment of the text seems to change from one chapter to the next, but i put this down to an accident during its electronic publishing.

I hope the author makes a few additions to the series soon. I have the second book and am looking forward to reading more of the Fists Of Earth.

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2012

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William Hatfield says he read a lot of science fiction as a kid. It is obvious that he did, and that he read good science fiction and came to understand what makes a good story. Then he started imagining and coming up with some very original things. He writes action adventure and romance really, really well. In fact, I dare compare him to Heinlein in this matter. He understands women; I think that is hard for a man sometimes. He doesn't just write action, but he feels free to write about the human relationships among the characters. I think that I was drawn to Heinlein as a young person because he wrote about these things: romance, action, relationships, the human comedy. I am drawn to William Hatfield's work because he can do all these things and tell one heck of a story and keep me spellbound. Read this book, then read the sequel.

One person found this helpful

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Richard ED Jones

Truth in the title

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2005

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I read this book first when it was in an earlier draft, and Hatfield hooked me right away. His believable characters and taut, action-packed plot dragged me along for a wild, wild ride.

So, of course, when the book was published I had to read it again. I don't know how it was possible, but Hatfield actually made the book better. From page one, he drew me in and kept me immersed in the wonderful world he created.

I was, truly, part of a captive audience and I wanted to stay. I look forward to the next book in the series.

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Deborah K. Matlack

just like real people

Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2016

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Well-written, with fully-fleshed characters that can kick some ass but also have their failings, just like real people. Very enoyable and I am reading the sequel now. Support independent authors!

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Lizard Duck

William Hatfield writes well and I enjoyed meeting his characters

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

Just finished this one and look forward to the second. William Hatfield writes well and I enjoyed meeting his characters! Fun stuff.

One person found this helpful

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Elenora R. Sabin

An Unusual "First Contact" Story

Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2014

When the cruise ship Jade Viking is drawn up into the hold of a huge alien spaceship, no one on earth knows what has happened to the ship. It seems to have simply disappeared. But its passengers are all too aware of their perilous situation. Some panic, others try to bluff and bluster their way out of the situation, and some, led by actor and martial arts expert Jim Morris, resolve to find a way to free themselves. This is a rousing good adventure with intriguing characters. It kept me reading left me eager to read the sequel. The only reason I give it four stars instead of five is that Morris's feats of strength and agility at times strain credibility. But that quibble is easy to overlook in this fast-paced, high action space opera.

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B. Cothern

Support Independent Authors --- Hatifield Rocks!

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2010

November 30, 2010

Take the best parts of Love Boat, Enter the Dragon and The Arrival and you have William Hatfield's novel Captive Audience. A cruise ship, martial arts, & aliens... what more could you ask for?

This isn't the Pacific Princess but the Jade Viking and she is on her final voyage from Japan to San Francisco. Upon arrival, she will seal a multi-million dollar deal between the Japanese firm Sukuru and the American Spencer Corp. Her crew is a mix of the outgoing Americans and the incoming Japanese. On board to ensure the deal gets finalized is the Senior VP for Sukuru, Yoshi Toshida and Spencer Corps lawyer, Kimberly (never Kim) Martin. Needless to say the negotiations of the deal have been brutal thanks to Toshida's distain for women and tensions are high among the two groups.

Aside from the regular cruise passengers, including a high school senior class, a Hollywood film crew is aboard. Not Bruce Lee, but Jim Morris. He and his crew are wrapping up Morris's latest martial arts movie, Weeping Winds of Fury. The Japanese aren't thrilled with this bunch either and see Morris as a `pretender' and insult to martial arts.

Now add some of the freakiest aliens you've ever seen. A few days out of San Francisco, everyone wakes up aboard the ship that is no longer in the Pacific but the hold of an Ananab ship. Morris is the first to rouse and put up resistance to their abductors. He rally's the ships crew, passengers and his film crew to fight back so they can return home. It is not nearly as easy as they think it will be since the ship is already to low on fuel to return to Earth. After defeating the alien slave masters and befriending two races of enslaved aliens, they have no choice but to dock at the ships destination: Station Chaq.

Against all odds they not only take control of the ship, renamed aptly, Jade Viking, but also the Station. Learning that the aliens they had been fighting are intending to turn Earths population into slaves, changes their objective to return home into one of defending Earth. The survivors of the original Jade Viking cruise are split into three factions. Some want to remain in space as an outpost to protect their home while others want to do the same from earth. The last faction wants to give the technology to Sukuru or the American government. Plans are made and passengers are heading back home to Earth.

Captive Audience is full of interesting aliens and their political system. Space battles and martial arts full the pages from cover to cover. If you can imagine Bruce Lee kicking alien butt, then you get the picture of Jim Morris. Sci-fi fans will not be disappointed with Hatfield's novel and martial arts fans will love it!

3 people found this helpful

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