The American

This story is set in the Golden Triangle, a large and violent expanse of jungle in Southeast Asia where the borders of Burma, Laos and Thailand meet. Between the covers of this 340 page novel you will find the story of a man with an extremely guilty conscience, a man whose cowardice and panic led to a tragedy fifteen years earlier when the U.S. Military conducted a clandestine operation nearby. Only my protagonist knows what happened during that exercise and only he knows why it went bad. Now as a civilian he is back, his mind still burning with grief. He plans to do his best to make amends then go home and destroy himself. Time failed to erase the emotional pain and now he's sure that death is the only way to end the mental torture he can no longer bear. But fate intervenes and he is forced to remain in the Triangle a few days longer than expected. During that time another problem arises, a complication that requires an even longer stay. One thing leads to another and after years of mental pain and impotence he finds himself attracted to a quiet native woman who produces laughter and re-awakens desire. After a time they join together in a crusade to tame the land and turn it into a haven for those who crave prosperity and security. Danger surrounds them all and the stink of gun smoke fills the air. The struggle and the woman gives my protagonist something to live for and at the same time provides benefits for those who reside in that tiny village. The book tells of how my protagonist, his woman, two Gurkha soldiers and five villagers defend against the criminal element in a struggle to bring peace to that village of fifty people and eventually that part of the world. In short, the book is action combined with a very good love story. It's not a boy-gets-girl, boy-loses-girl, boy-gets-girl-back-again type thing. This one is a very solid and consistent tale that's free of smut and explicit sex. The paperback version consists of 125,000 words and it's a helluva good read. It is both exciting and interesting. Humorous, too; on occasion. You'll laugh out loud in a few places. In fact every emotion you have will be touched in a very profound and significant way. The action described will surely keep you awake if you read in bed, it will rivet you to the seat if you open it on a train while traveling to and from work. If you're a Tom Clancy, John Grisham or Robert Ludlum fan, take out your wallet now. I think you'll love the book. Matter of fact I think you'll soon be telling your friends and neighbors about it.