DM Coffman, author
The Latest
THE NET THRILLER SERIES is now available!
Where do I get story/character ideas? Well, personal experiences while living in China, for a start. Then, news. Yes, there's a lot more truth than fiction in these books. For example, the following are true:
The United States sponsored judicial training for China's judges when China received permanent normal trade status with the World Trade Organization. They were required to implement the Rule of Law.
China's judges struggled with following the Rule of Law because they were often required to rule based on the whims of their superiors--not necessarily the law. A court ruling could be based on family connections and/or who paid the highest price.
Counterfeiting and sub-standard products, technology theft, and embezzling foreign funds are all problems impacting China's foreign business relations.
A strange woman somehow got past security guards and knocked on our door late one night claiming to be an underground news editor with knowledge of terrorists in south China planning attacks on Americans. (This was early 2001.) She wanted help notifying American officials. Our China contract prohibited any political involvement.
A deadly strain of smallpox was purposefully released in a populated area of Kazakhstan (to assess its potency); a Russian virologist did sell bio-weapons to Iraq; China did cover up the SARS pandemic in South China the summer of 2001.
Hainan Island's Women's Army used its hidden caves to successfully thwart the government's army; the primitive Li culture village exists and its matriarchal leaders' faces are tattooed; there was a modern computer setup in a makeshift tent in the village.
A top-secret US spy plane did collide midair with a Chinese fighter jet on April 1, 2001, and was forced to land on Hainan. News reports between China and the US differed greatly.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO READERS: My first book--THE HAINAN INCIDENT--is an LDS version of books 1 and 2 in The Net thriller series. It was written for a Latter-day Saint (LDS) market and was published by Covenant Communications, Inc. I decided to rewrite the story for a general/mainstream audience as THE NET CONSPIRARY and THE HAINAN CONFLICT.
This is important because YOU DO NOT NEED TO READ BOTH The Hainan Incident and books 1 and 2 in The Net thriller series. My suggestion is that if you are LDS, read The Hainan Incident; if you are not, read books 1 and 2.
In any case, book 3--THE PANAMA CONTAGION--is the follow-up story to either The Hainan Incident OR books 1 and 2.
Book 4 coming soon!
About the Author
DM Coffman specializes in clean (no offensive language, graphic sex or extreme violence) suspense novels.
The Net thriller series is based on unusual experiences while my husband and I lived in China. While there we taught China's judges the American legal system and the Rule of Law as required by the World Trade Organization (WTO). We learned of the judges' struggles and fears of ruling contrary to their superiors' dictates, which did not always fit with their laws. We even had the rare opportunity of being inside China's Supreme People's Court.
We traveled in foreigner-prohibited tour groups, experiencing lifestyle extremes that foreigners couldn't fathom and were normally prevented from seeing, and we were granted special privileges of higher salaries, fewer work hours, and better housing than our Chinese counterparts (yet we were always treated with the utmost courtesy and respect).
We loved the Chinese humor and their perspectives on life. We came to understand their feelings that Human Rights are more about what is best for the group rather than the individual. And their devotion to country comes from a familial bond with their Han ancestry. (More about their feelings can be found in my book "China Through the Eyes of Her Students").
I spent time in a Chinese hospital with SARS-1 (because the western hospitals were all filled) when China's government was covering it up--saying "it's just a virus." Yet I was personally cared for by the university and staff where we worked --an administrator came to our home every day to make me Chinese "healthy soup" (which I believe saved my life). Then my husband was quarantined in Beijing during SARS-2 for a month and I was prohibited from returning to China after a brief trip back to the States (traveling in a mask, of course).
We spent a total of four years in China, teaching in the WTO Judicial Training Program and teaching top-level university students at Peking University and South China's University of Technology, with Brigham Young University's China Teachers Program. I was asked to write an English writing text and I served for seven years as an editor and foreign consultant on English educational texts produced by Peking University and China's Ministry of Education.
Prior to China, my husband and I worked in the legal profession in Washington, D.C., and lived in Northern Virginia. We are now retired and enjoying the majestic Rocky Mountains of Utah with family, two rescued dogs, and a scraggly old unamiable tabby named Ebeneezer.
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Awards & Reviews
Award-Winning FINALIST in the Thriller category of 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: The Hainan Conflict
Award-Winning FINALIST in the Fiction: Thriller/Adventure category of the 2020 Best Book Awards sponsored by American Book Fest: The Panama Contagion
GOLD AWARD/FIVE STARS by Literary Titan: The Hainan Conflict (check out my Author Interview)
SILVER AWARD/FOUR STARS by Literary Titan: The Panama Contagion (also read this Author Interview)
Awarded FIVE STARS by Reader's Favorite: The Net Conspiracy, The Hainan Conflict, and The Panama Contagion
"The Hainan Conflict by DM Coffman is a captivating political thriller with incredible and fascinating adventures combined with fast-paced action and traces of romance. DM has used engaging and descriptive language along with intense imagery. The tension is set high early on and explodes every time the tension breaks with fast action scenes. As a thriller fanatic, I am particularly impressed with DM Coffman's style of delivery. The conspiracy among individual characters which pops up in every chapter only heightens the suspense and curiosity. The Hainan Conflict is a thriller that fans of a Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum will heartily enjoy." -- Literary Titan editorial review; awarded Five Stars
"Wow! This action-packed thriller intricately weaves a story so reflective of our current situation that it gave me chills! Very well researched, characters developed, and the plot was like something out of Cusler. It was an exciting read, and quite frankly, scary. I highly recommend." -- Amazon Reviewer
"The Panama Contagion is an amazing thriller with great edge-of-your-seat suspense and lots of action. The story has many similarities with what the world is facing today with COVID and knowing it was written before the pandemic started is kind of hair-raising. Truly enjoyed it." -- Amazon Reviewer
"This is a very fast-paced, taut thriller with the perfect amount of romance. It was so exciting I couldn't put it down - in fact, I read all the way through it in just a few hours! The fact that it's relevant to the present is an added bonus. Highly recommended for fans of thrillers and political suspense novels." -- Amazon Reviewer
"I really enjoyed the author's writing style. I could tell they spent a while in China or lived there. The culture, people, and lay of the land was apparent in the writing. Plus, the conspiracy kept me turning the pages. I hope Book 2 is already out. I want to read all from the author! Highly recommend." -- Amazon Reviewer
"Interesting narrative that deftly weaves the culture and politics of China into a story that touches on everything from trade to international terrorism. This is the first book of the series, and sets up the premise and the characters nicely. If you like political/spy thrillers, this is right up your alley. Looking forward to reading the next one." -- Amazon Reviewer
"Above the Best: The Remarkable Life of Seeley E. Ralphs is an inspiring biography and a story that will encourage readers to give everything when they love something. Told in beautiful prose and with well-reconstructed dialogues, this book will stir the hearts of readers.” -- Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite
“Coffman has written a novel that is high on suspense and introduces Asian cultural elements unfamiliar to most Americans. . . . I found the style quite similar to that of Tom Clancy . . . The story is powerful and keeps the reader turning pages, unable to put it down. The background is fascinating. . . . The characters are well-defined, the protagonists are likable, and even the bad guys are interesting. The plot moves forward in a fast-paced excellent fiction arc. Suspense and action readers will enjoy this one.” -- Jennie Hansen for Meridian Magazine
“The author writes in a concise, spare style with dialogue that flows authentically. Occasionally she throws in a few Chinese phrases, which are translated in the same sentence, adding a nice flavor to the dialogue. The chapters are short and cinematic in nature.” -- Rosemarie Howard for The Deseret News
“Holy Cow – I just finished a gooooood book this week that cost me a LOT of sleep. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed the Hainan Incident and I heartily recommend it. . . . It was well written, engaging, believable, even compelling.” -- Cindy Suelzle for What’s New with LDS Books n Things
The Whitney Award nominated suspense thriller The Hainan Incident is “a thrilling ride through modern terrorism and Chinese culture. Nonstop action makes it impossible to put this book down until you’ve turned the last page.” --Traci Hunter Abramson, author