Before the Storm (War of the Submarine)

Modern-Day Piracy Square off Against the U.S. Navy Under the High Seas

It's 2037. A band of modern-day pirates station-hops across the Indian Ocean in an old Russian submarine bought off the black market. Each attack bolder and more costly than the last, these pirates leave behind a trail of broken bodies, businesses, and stolen submarines at every undersea station they visit—and it’s up to Lieutenant Commander Alex Coleman and attack submarine USS Kansas to stop them.

Teaming up with his old college roommate and not-so-gentle giant, marine lieutenant colonel Paul Swanson, Alex sets out on his very own pirate hunt. But these outlaws aren’t in rundown little skiffs that are easy to track and find. They’ve got a genuine warship and the will to turn weapons against innocent civilians and undersea stations, and more importantly, they’re good at stealth.

With time running out, Alex convinces his friendly neighborhood U.N. representative to rent a ridiculously expensive civilian submarine with every bell and whistle a rich guy can dream of—and many Alex can't! Cut off from Kansas’ support, he and the marines play bait for the pirates.

Alex isn’t used to in-your-face battles. He’s trained to push buttons and fire torpedoes, not for the messy and bloody hand-to-hand stuff. His plan is for Kansas to nab the pirates before anyone can wave a gun near his nerdy face. But plans never survive contact with the enemy, and when the hunters become the hunted, can Alex learn a new type of warfare before it’s too late?

Before the Storm is a prequel to the near-future World War III submarine series War of the Submarine.

R.G. Roberts is a multi-genre author, and has published military thrillers, science fiction, epic fantasy, and alternate history. ​ ​In real life, she has experience fencing (with swords) and horseback riding (mainly hunter/jumper), which combines with her history degree to make an excellent fantasy writer pedigree. Her love of Siberian Huskies (and the two currently shedding in her house) are the inspiration for wolves in the World of the Legacy. ​ ​

For military battles and thriller inspiration, she draws on her experience as a veteran of the U.S. Navy. While an officer in the Navy, R.G. Roberts served on three ships, taught at the Surface Warfare Officer's School, and graduated from the U.S. Naval War College with a masters degree in Strategic Studies & National Security, with a concentration in leadership. ​ ​

Nowadays, she lives in Connecticut and works as a Manufacturing Manager for a major medical device manufacturer. Filling so many leadership roles has given her a lifelong fascination with good and bad leaders, which is why you see examples of both in her writing. If there's one common theme in all of her books, regardless of genre, you'll find leadership at the core. Good leaders forced to make hard choices form excellent story backbones.