Around the Next Bend

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Miller Townson fervently hopes to escape his ancestors’ fate. The last six generations of men in his family all had to fight – from the Revolutionary War through his father’s participation in World War II and the Korean War. Miller loves to read about wars, but he has no desire to participate in one.

But, after meeting President Nixon at a massive peace rally in Washington D.C., Miller has to fight in Vietnam. Thankful that he survived his year there with nothing more than a wound in his (rear) cheek, and grateful that he upheld the family honor, Miller is transferred to the West-German/Czechoslovakian border to participate in the Cold War where he meets and marries the lovely librarian, Denise. He starts reading ancestors’ letters his father has been collecting from relatives over the last forty years.

“Around The Next Bend” is an adventure and historical fiction novel about a man who grew up all over the world, but as an adult, seeks to find his roots in his Georgia ancestry. He learns that one of his ancestors worked for “Rich Joe” Vann, the wealthiest Cherokee in Georgia, and met President Monroe when the fifth President visited Chatsworth, Vann’s North Georgia home. Another ancestor, a Confederate lieutenant, wrote vividly about meeting an attractive young woman on his way down to fight in Pensacola. Later, he recounts his experiences at the Battle of Laurel Hill, West Virginia. Miller’s desire to complete his army obligation without further incident is shattered when bullets fly toward him on the Czech border and his boss develops a dangerous attraction for his bride.