Tony Verna

Beyond the Blue and the Gray is Tony Verna's fifth book, following his non-fiction outings: Playback, Live TV, Global Television, and his autobiography, Instant Replay.

The author earned international acclaim while producing and/or directing Pope John Paul II's billion-viewer telecast of Prayer for World Peace, Ted Turner's 1990 Goodwill Games, and Bob Geldof's Live Aid.

His major sports credits include the Rome Olympics, five Super Bowls, a bevy of Kentucky Derbies, NBA Championships, Stanley Cups, and Grand Prix races, -- all in addition to his Emmy-winning coverage of NFL Football.

Verna's list of global projects includes coverage of Mother Theresa, Ronald Reagan, and George H. Bush. In addition, he received the Directors Guild of America's Lifetime Achievement Award, after being chosen by Omni Magazine as one of the "14 Great Minds to Predict the Future."

Verna lived in Palm Springs, California, with his wife, Carol Ann, an artist. When he wasn't writing, Tony was inventing; his trophy-packed shelf of Emmys finally included several patents that were granted for instant-messaging by the use of apps during emergency situations. [Tony Verna died suddenly in early 2015]

This was his first full-length novel.