A wounded grizzly, an out-of-control forest fire and mysterious events attributed by the natives to a mythical 'wild man' plague a group of mine hunters in the Northern British Columbia wilderness. Dusty Sherant, a contract geologist in rough financial shape takes on the project to explore a group of claims for some unscrupulous stock promoters, much against his better judgment. He assembles a motley crew of experienced bush workers and neophytes from diverse backgrounds. Dusty expects the worst and is not disappointed. Conflicts among crew members and romantic liaisons with native girls from a nearby village disrupt the work plan. Unexplained happenings intensify as the crew begins working near the mountains, culminating in the death of one of its members. In spite of the setbacks the job is completed, but Dusty's problems continue as he tries to collect payment for the work. My name is Guy Allen. I have operated most of my life as a freelance explorationist in the mineral and oil and gas industries of North America, as well as bouts of teaching at the high school and junior college levels. I used to call myself a Consultant until I realized that this term, in many cases was synonymous with unemployed. My mineral exploration activities have taken me to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and Northwest Territories, the counties of Devon and Cornwall in England, and the Western United States. In the oil and gas industry, I have worked as a prospect and wellsite geologist in Alberta and Saskatchewan. I have also been employed as a company and stock analyst, a high school science teacher, and a junior college mathematics instructor. Finding work has never been a problem, but finding a mine, not so successful, although like many prospectors I have probably walked over a few that have made money for others. Education: My formal education consists of an Honours BSc from the University of Western Ontario, as well as graduate geology and education courses from the University of Calgary. I am qualified as a Professional Engineer in British Columbia, and as a Professional Geologist in Alberta. I hold high school teaching certificates for British Columbia, Alberta and Washington State. I have both Canadian and U.S. citizenship. I presently live in New Westminster, British Columbia. My novels and short stories are fiction, but influenced by my experiences in the oilfields and searching for mines. First and foremost they are adventure stories. My nine novels include: Talisman, Amyot, Sun City, Bush Camp, Huntress, Jenny Lake, Sanctuary and Moon Lake, and the novella Grandma's Attic. An additional novel, SouthEnd is due for publication this year (2025). My two children, David and Jennifer, live in Kelowna, B.C. My wife, Geri, passed away from Alzheimer's disease in 2024.
