Approval Preferences

You write for readers who want character first, plot second—but still need the engine of a thriller to pull them through. These are people who: --- Believe tension matters because of who it happens to, not just what happens ---Want characters who bleed, break, and carry consequences ---Are tired of heroes who dodge bullets forever and walk away clean ---Understand that eventually, everyone gets their version of a “red wedding” moment—earned, brutal, and irreversible ---Appreciate humor not as relief, but as defense mechanism—the way real people survive bad situations

Publisher Profile

Glen Hellman

Glen Hellman writes thrillers for people who like their action sharp, their humor dark, and their characters a little too real. He is the author of the Greg Newsome Thriller Series, including Write to Die, Turn Around & Die, Cross My Heart & Hope to Die, Due or Die, Toole & Die, Let It Die, and Time to Die. His novels blend corporate intrigue, organized crime, and international espionage with biting satire and emotional depth. At the center is Greg Newsome—part turnaround CEO, part reluctant hero—who solves problems in boardrooms that have a way of following him into far more dangerous places. Hellman’s work is known for its tragicomic tone—where laugh-out-loud dialogue collides with violence, grief, and moral ambiguity—and for treating atmosphere as a character. His stories move fast, but they hit hard. His upcoming novel, Louie the Bat: Tears of a Clown, reexamines the series through the eyes of one of its most unexpected characters—a mob enforcer long dismissed as comic relief, whose inner life reveals something far more complex, intelligent, and haunting. Before turning to fiction, Hellman built a career as a startup founder, turnaround CEO, and investor, with multiple successful exits including an IPO. He later became known as “Mr. Cranky,” a widely read and often controversial blogger who exposed startup fraud and leadership failures. His work drew the attention of federal investigators and contributed to cases that led to the conviction of two venture-backed CEOs. That real-world experience shapes both his fiction and nonfiction. Hellman is also the author of the business book Intentional Leadership, and he serves as a faculty member at the University of Maryland, where he teaches entrepreneurship as part of the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program. He is an executive coach and runs CEO peer groups where leaders trade hard truths, not platitudes. He lives in the Washington, DC area. What Reviewers Can Expect * Fast-paced thrillers grounded in real-world business and power dynamics * Dark humor and sharp, dialogue-driven storytelling * Characters who are flawed, funny, and often in over their heads * Stories that blend boardroom strategy with battlefield stakes For Fans Of Michael Connelly, Nelson DeMille, Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard, and Dennis Lehane—with a corporate edge. On the fiction side, CxO Elevate is the home of the Greg Newsome thriller series and its spin-offs — commercial thrillers fueled by the author’s decades of experience in startups, federal contracting, cyber intrigue, and the messy human behavior that powers both business and crime. These novels blend dark humor, emotional depth, and razor-sharp insights into venture capital, corporate espionage, and the unintended consequences of innovation. Whether it’s a brutally honest leadership guide or a high-velocity thriller, CxO Elevate publishes work with a common mission: to entertain, challenge, and expose the truths that most people in business are too afraid to say out loud.

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