Richard Nielsen, a fourth-generation veteran, received inspiration for this novel from scuba diving with a US Army sniper instructor and meeting spiritual healers from South America.

In the Coast Guard, as a Boatswain’s mate, he served two years aboard a buoy-tender ship, then commanded utility and motor lifeboats conducting search and rescue and counter-smuggling missions.

During and after the service, he became ‘that guy’ who could get a person about anything they wanted. He attended college working towards degrees in financial planning and marine biology, believing diversity promotes opportunity.

Richard drifted through over 25 jobs including: commercial diver/dive instructor, campus police supervisor, heavy equipment operator, industrial service tech, freelance and tech writer, financial account executive, repo man, naturalist guide, bartender, phone psychic, import/export/shipping consultant, handy man, fencing instructor, customer service manager and US Forest Service Civil Engineer Tech.

His hobbies include scuba diving, maritime history, competitive pistol shooting, gardening, collecting rum, and learning about everything. He has an interest in greeting and thanking people in their native dialect.

Currently at 21 different languages. He lives in California with wife #3, The Final Chapter, three dogs, two cats, a flock of chickens, several schools of fish and a 70lb tortoise.