Of Ashes and Dust

At the turn of the Millennium, a trio of tormented souls grapple with their existence in a humble town in New Hampshire while the world spirals into anarchy. Unbeknownst to one another, they hold dark secrets that would eventually ignite a conflict.
 
Their tale traces back to two covert operations from the Vietnam War era--a revelation about UFOs from the U.S. Air Force and the clandestine Project Sixty-Seven.
 
At the heart of the story is Professor Will Watson--a war-ravaged Vietnam veteran, a fervent activist of the New Hampshire Liberty Militia, and a man haunted by specters of his past. As the world edges toward Armageddon, he seeks solace in the arms of his Japanese graduate student assistant, Kimiko Tanimoto. Amidst escalating pursuit by the State Police and FBI, Watson is confronted with the harsh realities of his traumatic past and the imminent downfall of a world crumbling around him.
 
However, the truth about his "friendship" with Mark Mercotti, a fellow militia sympathizer with a hidden sexuality, proves to be more sinister. During their service in Vietnam, Mercotti had Watson enlisted in the enigmatic Project Sixty-Seven and arranged for a covert implant to be placed in Watson's head. This unsettling revelation forces Watson to question his sanity, but he soon learns that Mercotti's web of deceit runs deeper.
 
As Watson navigates the aftermath of his military service, he stumbles upon a reality beyond his wildest dreams: the implant was a government ploy to monitor him. Meanwhile, Mercotti is far from the friend he claims to be. His conspiracies are more than mere theories; they're cold, hard facts.
 
"Of Ashes and Dust" is a relentlessly intense tale of alternate history, set against the backdrop of global Armageddon. It's a thrilling exploration of conspiracy, survival, and unforgiving intrigue, culminating in a finale as explosive as it is unexpected.

Associate Professor of English, ESL, and Humanities Ron Roman has taught with the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC- Asia) since 1996. He retired from full-time employment and later as an adjunct during the COVID-19 crisis. His hobbies include jogging, hiking, camping, weightlifting, roller-coasters, and his beloved 1968 Rambler American antique auto, for which he received Third Prize in the Hemmings (Motor News) National Antique Auto Show in Bennington, Vermont shortly before returning overseas. He has written extensive travel, academic, and political articles for regional and national publications. He studied writing (both fiction and creative) for his third graduate degree (Humanities) from Wesleyan University. Currently, he resides in South Korea, where he writes and has acted in numerous Korean TV dramas and motion pictures, like Operation Chromite, portraying Admiral Forrest Sherman opposite Liam Neeson as General Douglas MacArthur.