About the Author:

Willis McCarthy, a veteran biology/chemistry teacher who also coached cross country and track for 22 years, has an extensive running background. Additionally, Willis has worked, toured and run in the Caribbean, Central America, Europe and the Middle East. Many of the topics and much of the dialogue in the novel are based on experiences and conversations he had with the indigenous living in their respective countries. In addition, the author successfully finished fourteen, one hundred mile endurance runs during his twenty-five years of competition. The photographs were taken at the Western States Trail Run. The Home Page photo is the author crossing the Middle Fork, American River in 1997, and the photo to the right, taken at the finish line, following the 1994 run.