Advertisement
If anyone is free on Sunday November 8th, 2026, come to the Book Bash. I'll be there, selling volumes 1 & 2 of my novel THE LONG WAY BACK (original & alternate cover editions).Ray Stone has had enough. When a personal crisis shakes the 55-year-old pharmacist loose from his complacent Toronto life, he embarks on a spiritual journey to a distant country troubled by a minor civil conflict. Just the right speed for an amateur like him, he thinks, as he slips uneasily into a new career as a photo-journalist.
But things are seldom what they seem. Ray quickly discovers that the truth of this land differs from the news reports back home. Federal control and authority have disintegrated and the country has been carved into the personal territories of ruthless warlords vying to overthrow the government.
Given his lack of expertise, experience, or connections, Ray is baffled when he’s included in a small group of journalists selected for a coveted assignment: To enter a completely inaccessible territory and interview the warlord in charge, a terrifying, mythic figure known only as The Spear, whose true identity is unknown despite the efforts of the world’s top intelligence agencies.
As the group proceeds deeper into a landscape shredded by war, Ray witnesses the environmental devastation caused by unbridled greed, political and social turmoil due to the irresponsible, self-serving policies of local as well as foreign leaders, the unravelling of every ethical standard that defines civilization, and atrocities perpetrated by military personnel, criminal gangs, and even ordinary civilians. Yet every horror he sees pales in comparison to the rumors of The Spear.
Ray grows used to the violence and moral standards of his surroundings, as he gradually shifts from observer to participant.
Step by step Ray edges forward on a path spiraling downward into an abyss. Character flaws leave him vulnerable to temptations that ensnare him in taboo romance, sexual deviance, and escalating violence. His spiritual journey quickly becomes a struggle for moral and physical survival. He learns secrets about his companions that will compromise their assignment and endanger their lives.
Every step takes Ray further from home and closer to The Spear, on an increasingly uncertain path between good and evil. Among his many unanswered questions one question rises in urgency: Can he find the way back?
Advertisement
Event venue
The Round Table Board Game Cafe - Guelph Location, 32 Essex Street,Guelph, Ontario, Canada
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.