The Book

This is a book I started writing toward the end of the Clinton Presidency. At the time, I was working toward an ending where the hero of the story would win the popular vote but lose in the Electoral College. It seemed like such a far fetched idea that it could never happen in real life. Real life mocks the best of us.

I put the book aside, pulling it out periodically to update the social references, but always got bogged down somewhere around the 40,000 word mark. I've never gotten past there.

Eventually, I decided to stop trying to update the story and to anchor it in the year 2004, but in a very different 2004 than you remember. In this version of 2004, MacKinzie Harper has been President since 2000. Within four months of taking office Harper ordered the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit into Afghanistan where they quickly ousted the Taliban and took custody of Osama bin Laden and most of his top lieutenants. The original charges related to the bombing of the USS Cole, but further charges were added later. At first, there was great deal of disagreement in America about whether or not this had been overly aggressive and heavy-handed, but then when documents were found linking bin Laden to plans for attacks on NY and Washington, most people applauded the action. Further arrests were made as more people were linked to various plots. All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Justice Dept. and awaiting trial.

Saddam Hussein continues to be a thorn in Harper’s side.

This is not an alternate history. It is fiction which requires a fictional and somewhat nicer 2004. So, briefly, let’s forget all that unpleasantness.

I'll be posting chapters daily (yeah right)until I get to the end of what I've written. Hopefully, having this out there for all to see will spur me to finishing the damned thing. I like much of what's there. Some parts, less. I'll leave comments open so you can express your admiration or loathing of me and/or my story. Real critiques from any of you who fancy yourselves writers will be greatly appreciated.

Those of you who know me (in an intertooby kinda way), know that I am pathologically unable to stay on-topic in other people's blogs, and I completely expect you to abuse my comments as well. Just be entertaining.

Lastly, I'm putting this out there for free and have no intentions of getting paid for it, but if I see The Movie come out and I haven't been paid, I'm gonna sue someone's ass. Just sayin'.

So, without further ado, heres...