Few writers’ signed copies of the environmental/medical thriller novel, Green Power, still available on amazon.com from GP_AUTHOR. For information on author and book, go to: http://www.freewebs.com/vrooman

Well, I read the excerpts and synopsis. The nuclear power plant action and shutdown was plausible, but replacing a lost huge power plant with methane digesters was not plausible. Having the bad guys be Vietnam veterans was also a stretch and making out militias to be the bad guys was also. I'm a decorated Vietnam veteran and don't like the idea of having a label of being a bad guy when I live totally solar and had only one kid. Sacrifice and hard work were what I did for the cause of freedom for people that were too weak to fight off the communism they didn't want. People like the author apparently were the whiners who got us pulled out of a war we were documented by the enemy General Giap as winning, even without proper support. Instead, 3 million South Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians died and the rest lost their freedom to communism.
Hard work and sacrifice are what I also did having only one child when a Nazi type would have had many(because of good looks, strength, and high IQ). Hard work and sacrifice were what I did building this solar house and Earthship greenhouse/guesthouse, all trades. Plus a lot of study.
No, I won't read the book. It is because of those glaring inaccuracies and typecasting of combat veterans. I criticized Clive Cussler for his typecasting of environmentalists against overpopulation in his book "Plague Ship", at his forums. Environmentalists are not the bad guys either.

I’m sorry if someone felt that I stereotyped Viet Nam vets. It’s true that my antagonist was a Viet Nam vet. But I try to point out in his characterization that he and his type are exceptions. As an author one must create conflict between the main characters. That’s why my protagonist is portrayed as a hippy who lead demonstrations against the Viet Nam war, while my antagonist was an officer carrying out search and destroy missions like the Melai incident.
Also, in my novel, I never implied that methane digesters would replace nuclear power plants. These were projects that my protagonist was working on to give power to dairies.
To be fair to my book, I’m attaching a synopsis below for those who haven’t visited my website (http://www.freewebs.com/vrooman). I welcome any comments.
Synopsis:
After the renowned Microbiologist Dr. Ray Pendleton leads a demonstration to close down Rancho Seco Nuclear Power Plant, Ray is assaulted by two of Dirk Hendrickson’s fellow Delta Valley Militiamen. Ray survives the beating and is changed not only outwardly but it gives him the incentive to set up Methane Digesters as an alternative source of electrical power for Lodi dairies.
Dirk’s continued attacks on the professor and his projects results in a death threatening epidemic pointing to one of Ray’s methane lagoons as the cause. The infected patients are admitted to UC Davis Medical Center. Linda McCord, a lab tech at the hospital and former student of Dr. Pendleton, works with Ray to prove that the methane power source is not the cause of this spreading disease. Both Ray and Linda develop a romantic relationship while working together. Linda is devastated when Ray develops a serious infection from the bacterium causing the epidemic.

Well, even with my initial disapproval, I know that I am a sucker for a good environmental thriller, and I've read all of Clive Cussler's so far. The excerpts did have some good action, and I like the science, too. So I ordered my signed copy. I apologize for my criticism initially. I was sensitive because I am veteran of Dustoff in RVN. I remember writing home about the overpopulation I witnessed, and the horrible cause (human feces) of the "Black River" of Saigon environmental disaster I investigated on the ground after so many flights over its stink (generally climbing to 5,000 feet to get away from it). My missions were around a thousand "medical thrillers". In case you did not know, "Dustoff" was unarmed medical evacuation helicopters under the banner of the 44th Medical Brigade. The communists did not honor the Geneva Convention rules of not firing on Red Cross helicopters, so we had the highest loss/casualty rate of that war in both helicopters and men. Some of my friends got spit on when we got home. The people just didn't know.

Darned Good book!! I recommend it to all who like action, medical/environmental thriller/mysteries, part romance novel with great character development. A look at 1989 California, with the final chapter bringing us more up to date. The microbiology science was very good, and it had an almost autobiographical feel to it.
Yosemite and Van Halen back in the "good old days" were a reminder of the 2 week wait to get in now, and Van Halen passing its peak 1995. Now, safe nuclear reactors are part of the green power solution, while back then they were not yet developed and 3 Mile Island was a fresher memory. Before the housing bubble and the takeover of the majority by invaders breaking the bank and bringing eco-collapse within sight. Before the electric car corruption, and the return of smog.
The bad guys got worse and escalated their carnage, while the good guy got less stubborn, made up with his mom, and fell in love. Other good guys came in to help, to finally bring answers to the medical thriller part and get the bad guys who had gone too far, and crossed over to evil insanity.
Later, the couple marries and has a boy, while a colleague builds more waste to methane digester power plants. Part of the big green power picture we need to accelerate right now.:smile: