Based on a true story, The Chameleon is a story about one man's journey through life, and how the choices he made shaped him into a wealthy businessman. After a series of failed careers and marriages, Tom Sniper (The Chameleon-because of his ability to adapt to any given situation to survive) lost two young boys, ages: 1 month old and 1 year old, to a bitter ex-wife. The ex-wife hid behind lawyers, who fired endless attacks of emotional and financial warfare, causing Tom to fall into a deep depression. He suffered years of depression, but with the help of an angel and four foreign exchange students, he triumphed over life, and was ultimately reunited with his two young children 5 years later. The story's message: Human's have the ability to become anything they want to become, and as long as they dream it, they can become it. We all are visionaries in one-way or another, and as long as we are kind, caring, and remain humble, then our abilities to adapt will help us achieve unimaginable dreams in the future.
About the Author: Mr. Swearingen is a well-educated, diversified, world-traveler, who has worn many hats. His dream was to be a special forces soldier, but due to life's unpredictability, he became a package delivery driver for the military. After 3 long tours in the desert, he decided to change careers. When he was relieved from active duty, he enrolled in college courses, and worked part-time. He was a telemarketer for True-green Chemlawn, an outside sales rep for a small time computer repair company, and a para professional working with a young man who suffered from seizures. He followed a young man around a high school for 3 years, which allowed him time enough to complete his Bachelor's degree in Middle Level Education. His first teaching job was teaching High School Algebra to emotionaly disturbed students who had been expelled from their home school. He survived a year of educational turmoil, but enjoyed the environment, so he transferred to a role teaching English and Science to middle school students with behavior challenges. He survived 2.5 years of breaking up fights and being cussed out each day, but eventually those kids got the better of him, and he left in hopes of finding a better work environment. He landed a job teaching English in a regular classroom setting. His prior experience helped him to develop a sense of compassion and understanding, and he began to develop strong classroom teaching skills, so he pursued his Master's in Educational Administration. He ended up losing his teaching job, not because he was a bad teacher, but because he didn't believe in the same vision as his so called "leaders." Due to this, and other personal reasons, he resigned his position as a teacher. In his free time, he began writing about the trials of his life as a way of relieving the pain and suffering in his mind and soul. This led to the creation of his first fictional novel titled, "The Chameleon: Adapting to Life's Challenges." He is known as "The Chameleon" because he has the ability to adapt his skills and transform his talents to overcome the challenges of life. His thoughts and feelings in his writings inspire others, and his strong desire to help others shines despite his own suffering. "The Chameleon" continues to write stories on a monthly basis about his local community for the news agency he started.