Martin Balome

Martin Balome is a cybersecurity professional, former educator, former air traffic controller, and novelist whose diverse career spans the intersection of technology, education, national security, and critical infrastructure protection.

A writer dedicated to crafting stories that keep readers on the edge of their seats while delivering meaningful content that educates and inspires, Martin brings a unique perspective to his writing—blending technical authenticity with pulse-pounding narrative tension. His work reflects a commitment to the Caliana standard: A+ quality in everything.

What Readers Can Expect

Martin’s thrillers are known for their:

• Technical authenticity drawn from real-world expertise
• Heart-pounding pacing that keeps pages turning past midnight
• Complex characters facing impossible choices
• Thought-provoking themes woven seamlessly into the action

Background

With over a decade of experience in high-stakes operational environments, Martin brings firsthand expertise to his fiction. His professional credentials include Security+, SSCP, CySA+, CCSP, and PenTest+ certifications, reflecting deep knowledge of the vulnerabilities and attack vectors that threaten modern infrastructure systems.

Martin began his career as a teacher, developing a passion for making complex subjects accessible and engaging. He then transitioned to aviation, working in air traffic control, aviation safety management, and aircraft accident investigation. This experience instilled a rigorous, methodical mindset and deep appreciation for precision, risk management, and the human factors that determine success or catastrophe in high-pressure environments.

Building on this foundation, Martin moved into information technology and cybersecurity, focusing on identity and access management, enterprise network defense, incident response, and security operations across the financial and technology sectors.

The CRITICOM Files

Vector Strike, the first book in The CRITICOM Files series, draws directly from this dual expertise. The novel explores a covert unit protecting America’s critical infrastructure from threats that exist between agencies—the kind of vulnerabilities Martin has spent his career studying and defending against.

The series follows Daniel Omondi Ochieng, a former FAA air traffic controller and NTSB accident investigator turned elite cybersecurity operative for CRITICOM (Critical Infrastructure Countermeasures). Each book tackles a different sector of critical infrastructure—aviation, power grids, water systems, financial networks—with the technical authenticity that only comes from real-world experience.

Educational Works

Beyond fiction, Martin is passionate about education. His works include:

• Digital SAT Mastery — A comprehensive 650-page guide helping students achieve their best scores
• The American Promise — Citizenship test preparation materials

And more on the way!

Writing Philosophy

“I write the books I wish existed—thrillers where the technology is accurate, the stakes are real, and the heroes are competent professionals doing extraordinary things under pressure. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens in an air traffic control facility during an emergency, or how a nation-state might exploit the vulnerabilities in our power grid, these stories will keep you up at night.”

Personal

Martin lives in Washington State with his family. When not writing or working in cybersecurity, he enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Martin also writes under pen names across multiple genres published by Caliana Press.

Works by Martin Balome

Fiction

The CRITICOM Files

A Daniel Ochieng Thriller

A five-book techno-thriller saga that takes readers inside the high-stakes world where technology, national security, and human ambition collide. Follow Daniel Omondi Ochieng—former FAA air traffic controller turned CRITICOM operative—as he protects America’s critical infrastructure from sophisticated threats. The first book, Vector Strike, launches in January 2026.

1. Vector Strike
2. Radar Shadow
3. Dark Current
4. Splitwire
5. Terminal Approach

The ALARIS Protocol

A Kael & Elara Thriller

A five-book saga following former CIA operative Kaelen Vance and AI architect Dr. Elara Hayes as they confront escalating artificial intelligence threats that blur the line between human and machine.

1. The Alaris Vector
2. The Alaris Directive
3. The Hephaestus Directive
4. The Panoptic Array
5. Cipherfall

The BLACKWOOD Dossier

An Amara Chen & Grant Blackwood Thriller

A five-book thriller series following elite operatives navigating the shadows of international security, corporate espionage, and digital warfare.

1. Blackwood Rising
2. The Exploit Bazaar
3. Shadowmesh
4. The Phantom Ledger
5. The Lighthouse Files

The OBSIDIAN Line

A Jayden Thomas Michael Thriller

A ten-book crime thriller series set in Kampala, Uganda. Former Delta Force operative Jayden Thomas Michael and investigative journalist Sharon Nakimuli Nalwanga are drawn into a web of crime, corruption, and conspiracy that stretches from the streets of Kampala to the halls of international power.

1. The Kampala Extraction
2. (Books 2-10 titles forthcoming)

Standalone Thrillers

• The Chimera Conspiracy: A CEO’s Darkest Secret — An investigative journalist receives an anonymous tip about Seattle’s most celebrated CEO—and discovers that exposing her secrets might destroy them both.

• The Drowning Papers — A dark academia thriller following Dr. Delilah Crane, a Shakespeare scholar who discovers she’s being drugged and manipulated by a celebrated academic with a history of destroying brilliant women.

• A Forbidden Love — A romantic thriller about Dr. Evelyn Martin, a therapist whose forbidden connection with a billionaire heir fleeing his father’s criminal empire leads to devastating consequences.

Writing as Daniel K. Wanyama

The Blood Unbroken

A 20-Book Historical Fiction Saga

An epic saga spanning five centuries and two continents, tracing the Nyamweza/Colvin family from pre-colonial East Africa through the Middle Passage, Jim Crow, and the Civil Rights movement to modern America.

• Series I: Sons of KITARA (Books 1-5) — Pre-Colonial East Africa
• Series II: The IRON Crossing (Books 6-10) — Slavery & the Middle Passage
• Series III: The SUNDERED Root (Books 11-15) — Jim Crow & the Great Migration
• Series IV: The LONG Reckoning (Books 16-20) — Civil Rights to Modern America

Writing as Evelyn Martinez

The MERCER Legacy

A Literary Family Saga

A four-book literary saga following Evelyn Grace Mercer, a nineteen-year-old woman who—after being expelled from her childhood home by her stepmother just days after her father’s death—discovers she is the sole heir to a house containing a century of family secrets, war crimes evidence, and a promise made by a dying French officer in 1918.

1. The Crane Documents
2. What Samuel Built
3. Margaret’s Silence
4. The Mercer Women

Non-Fiction

Test Preparation Guides

• Digital SAT Mastery: The Complete Digital SAT Preparation Guide (650 pages, $54.99) — A premium guide featuring the exclusive Mistake Pattern Recognition System, the Score Improvement System with personalized study plans, and three complete practice tests with detailed explanations.

• The American Promise: Complete U.S. Citizenship Test Preparation Guide (~600 pages, $59.99) — The most comprehensive citizenship test preparation resource available, covering both the 2008 and 2025 test versions with all 128 civics questions.

Devotional

• The Psalm 23 Collection — A four-book devotional series exploring the depths of Psalm 23 through reflection, prayer, and practical application for modern life.

Cybersecurity Certification Textbooks

Through Caliana Academy

• Master Cybersecurity Analysis: The Complete CySA+ Certification Guide (~1,200 pages) — The definitive guide for CompTIA CySA+ (CS0-003) certification and real-world cybersecurity analyst skills. Features 80+ hands-on labs, 40+ case studies, and complete MITRE ATT&CK integration.

• Penetration Testing Mastery: The Complete PenTest+ Certification Guide (~850-900 pages) — Comprehensive preparation for CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) with tool documentation, command cheat sheets, and practical exploitation exercises.

• Security+ Mastery: The Complete Security+ Certification Guide — Full preparation for CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701).

• SSCP Mastery: The Complete SSCP Certification Guide — Comprehensive preparation for (ISC)² Systems Security Certified Practitioner certification.

• CCSP Mastery: The Complete CCSP Certification Guide — A practitioner’s approach to (ISC)² Certified Cloud Security Professional certification.

• SecurityX Mastery: The Complete CASP+ Certification Guide — Advanced preparation for CompTIA CASP+ (CAS-005).

Specialized Technical Textbooks

• Zero Trust Security & AI Defense — Comprehensive guide to modern security architecture combining Zero Trust implementation with AI-enhanced detection and response.

• Zero Trust Network Access: The Complete Professional Guide — Enterprise deployment strategies, lab specifications, and practical implementation guidance for ZTNA.

• Intrusion Detection Systems — Technical academic textbook featuring hands-on lab exercises using Suricata, pfSense, and the Elastic Stack.

Certification Study Guides

Quick Reference & Brain Dump Series

Focused study guides designed for exam-day cognitive performance with spaced repetition systems, mnemonics, and physical memory drills.

• Security+ SY0-701 Study Guide (4-week system)
• CySA+ CS0-003 Study Guide (4-week system)
• PenTest+ PT0-002 Study Guide (4-week system)
• CCSP Study Guide (5-week system)
• SSCP Study Guide (4-week system)

Cross-Certification Bridge Courses

• SOC Analyst Accelerator: Security+ to CySA+ Bridge Course (40-50 hours) — For Security+ certified professionals seeking CySA+ certification. Skips redundant foundational content and focuses on SOC operations, SIEM, and incident response. Features 15+ hands-on labs and personalized study paths. Target: 92% first-time pass rate.

• Offensive Security Accelerator: Security+/CySA+ to PenTest+ Bridge Course — For Security+ and CySA+ holders ready to shift from defense to offense. You understand security principles and threat detection—now learn to execute attacks. Covers exploitation techniques, scripting for pen testing, and post-exploitation methodology that defensive certs don’t touch.

Business & Entrepreneurship

• The High-Net-Worth Entrepreneur and Investor’s Guide to Tax Efficiency — Comprehensive tax strategy and wealth-building guide from $0 to $20M+.

And more on the way!