The Order

Cole Forrester has been troubled since childhood by paranormal visions of people and places that don't exist in his real world. He learns to adapt to these visions but becomes afraid of intimacy lest those close to him think he's crazy. He chooses a lonesome profession as a CIA field agent. It's not until he's extracted from his current CIA mission and inserted into a higher-level parallel universe, that he realizes his visions were not imaginary--he was seeing inside the world of another, more advanced society.

This universe is governed by The Federation, whose scientists are determined to learn what gives Cole the ability to see into their higher, more technologically advanced level world. Following a bewildering and lengthy orientation into his new world, Cole quickly progresses from being a "lab rat" to one of the Federation's top field agents.

The Federation evolved after a global war and a near ecological disaster. To assist in climate recovery, they deployed an albedo shield to deflect the sun's rays and help lower the rising temperatures. If the shield were to suddenly collapse, the ecosystems would not have time to adjust, and the world would face another catastrophe.

Fate takes our protagonist down a path of personal growth where he finds friendship and love as he deals with impending ecological disaster, covert missions, and betrayal.

Richard has an Ed.D. and has served as a consultant to NATO on defense conversion. An expert in technology transfer, research, and economic development, he has been a contractor to both the Departments of Defense and Energy. Now retired, he is listed in Who's Who and is a member of MWA (Mystery Writers of America). Co-author, Janet-also a member of MWA--is an artist with a B.Ed. in art education, although she spent most of her career in a research division at a mental health institute.

Their first venture into fiction received a Semi-Finalist Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writer's Association.

Inspiration for this book came from an accumulation of the experiences--although obviously not in a parallel universe--of these co-authors. This husband-and-wife team have traveled the world extensively, especially in Europe and Russia. Their most recent trip was to Peru, where much of the story transpires.