In Dig!, Michael Burris delivers a high-stakes adventure that fuses archaeology, suspense, and the search for redemption into a relentless, globe-spanning narrative. At its center is Miami Mike, a small-town ex-con burdened by his past and driven by a quiet but persistent hunger for more. Trapped in a cycle of minimum-wage monotony and self-doubt, Mike clings to the idea of the Middle American dream-until a chance encounter changes everything.
When he meets Fatima Hawass, the sharp and enigmatic granddaughter of legendary Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass, Mike is pulled into a world far removed from anything he's known. What begins as an opportunity quickly escalates into a dangerous entanglement surrounding the excavation of Khufu's tomb, where ancient secrets lie buried beneath layers of history-and greed.
As tensions rise, a crisis erupts: Ahmed, the son of a lead archaeologist, becomes trapped deep within a hidden chamber. Driven by instinct, desperation, and the lure of unimaginable treasure, Mike steps into a role he never expected-one that tests both his courage and his moral limits. But in a moment that changes everything, Mike kills a prominent Egyptian figure, setting off a chain reaction he cannot control.
Forced to flee, Mike embarks on a relentless journey from the deserts of Egypt to the shores of Cyprus and the streets of New York City. Along the way, he tastes wealth, power, and love-only to watch them slip through his fingers. As the past closes in and consequences mount, Mike must confront the cost of his choices and decide whether redemption is something he can claim-or something forever out of reach.
Dig! is a gripping exploration of ambition, identity, and the fine line between survival and self-destruction, where every discovery comes with a price.
My interest in writing began when I realizedthat artificial intelligence was usurping mylove of creating images using photographictechniques to create surrealism and abstraction.I had achieved some success in thevisual arts, as evidenced by the publicationof my work and my appearances in galleries.So, I only create images to amuse friends. Ifound that without an outlet, I was borderlineempty and depressed. I literally thoughtI'd have to check into a sanatorium without something to create. Myimagination filled up, but I lacked an outlet.After my partnership with Deloitte ended and during my tenureas CFO of Benihana, I had published dozens of technical articles onfinance, so it seemed natural to transition to writing fiction to channelpent-up energy. That was rather naïve. I could write technical articlesin an afternoon. Fiction takes a year of afternoons.This is my fiction debut.
