Timothy Jay Smith is the author of Cooper’s Promise (Owl Canyon, $16.95 pb).

All Cooper Chance wants is to go home. But the acutely claustrophobic US Army sharpshooter and deserter cannot, knowing he’ll be jailed. Through necessity, he becomes a mercenary in Africa in a gritty labyrinth of thugs, prostitutes and corrupt cops. He trades diamonds to survive and meets Sadiq, a young merchant, who is as lost in the world as he is. They fall in love, but unbeknownst to Cooper, the young man has ulterior motives. When huge oil reserves are discovered, the CIA offers Cooper a way home without jail time if he carries out a risky high-stakes mission. Cooper balks until a teenage prostitute he promised to save is trafficked and disappears. In hopes of rescuing her, Cooper agrees to carry out the CIA plot with unexpected consequences.

Award-winning novelist Timothy Jay Smith will share the real life experiences that contributed to his intriguing story that touches on human trafficking, blood diamonds, and gays in the military—all in an action-packed drama that takes place in a darker heart of Africa than Joseph Conrad could have imagined. He will also talk about how he self-published his first book as a strategy “to get noticed” that landed him a two-book deal with literary publisher Owl Canyon Press. Finally, he will touch upon how he adapted Cooper’s Promise to a screenplay that has won numerous international screenwriting competitions and is now under production consideration by an Oscar-winning producer.

“Literary dynamite.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will quickly learn to care about the characters and their story–which will linger long after the book is over.” – Philadelphia Gay News

“…a novel that beneath its surface swirls with elements that become more disturbing the closer you look.” – American Chronicle

Cooper's Promise (Paperback)

By Timothy J. Smith

$16.95

ISBN-13: 9780983476436
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Owl Canyon Press, 10/2012

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