This is an alternate historical fiction that takes place in the near future. It's about the effect of global warming on the way of life of the Inuit (Eskimos). As the Arctic ice recedes and the marine mammals go with it, the natives along the coast of Alaska are forced to go farther and father across open water to reach their winter hunting areas. Year-round open water in the Bering Straits facilitates resupply of food and other necessities to the coastal villages. The governor of Alaska has ordered increased traffic in an effort to force the Inuit to have total reliance on the government for their subsistence. One of two protagonists, Brian Dickerson a young tugboat skipper is caught between several conflicting forces as he distributes supplies be haul-barge to the villages along the coast of Alaska. Joe John Taliriktug, native corporation manager for the village of Kotzebue and activist for native independence, forms pirate crews who seek to interdict tug traffic. Joe John is secretly a distributor for a drug cartel which uses the barges to deliver narcotics along the coast. In this role he works for the boss of the cartel - Talmadge (Tal) Livingston, the governor of Alaska. Brian discovers on of his crew is a fed agent while another crew member is in charge of distributing the narcotics contained in their barge. Brian fights pirates, extreme weather, searches for the drug pusher(s) in his crew, and rescues Bobbie Jack Tiedman, the other protagonist, who is injured while searching for the killer(s) of his grandfather. The chief suspect in the killing is Joe John. The tug strikes the ice in the fog and sinks. The salvage crew contains a woman scuba diver with whom Brian has an affair. They ultimately marry. During a big blow, Brian's new tug is blown into the Chukchi sea and is interned by the Russians. After a thrilling chase of Joe John by Brian on St. Lawrence Island, Joe John escapes only to confront the governor who kills him in Nome. She, Tal, is arrested in Anchorage and ultimately goes to prison. Bobbie Jack is the best man in Brian's wedding and begins work to help the natives find an alternate means of winter subsistence.
About the Author: About the Author Richard A.M. Dixon began his writing career as a technical writer in the Army, writing such esoteric tomes as Military Skiing and Infantry Small Unit Cold Weather Combat Techniques. He began writing full time in 2005 when his wife's health turned for the worst, making it necessary for him to quit working away from home. His first effort was a nonfiction story titled My Heroes Have Always Been Dogs, an account of the lives of five canines he had the good fortune to share parts of his life with. His next offerings were a Trilogy novel about the Vietnam War and his memoir. His latest effort was a historical fiction, The Tiger of Dien Bien Phu, about the French in Indo China. He began his combat service as a rifle platoon leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. During his first combat tour he was promoted to captain and transferred to the 1st Air Cavalry Division. He earned several battle citations. He was promoted to Major enroute to a second combat tour as Senior Kontum District Advisor assigned to the Military Advisory Command, Vietnam. He served both tours with honor and was awarded numerous medals. He served in Alaska fir eight years and was involved with the Eskimo Scout Battalion and was involved in the first running of the Iditarod Dogsled Race. He retired with distinction as a permanent lieutenant Colonel after twenty-four years' service, fifteen years on parachute duty, in 1985. He currently resides on the Key Peninsula, near Gig Harbor Washington with his wife of fifty years, Brenda, their Golden Retriever, Sandy, a dozen or so goldfish, and two bull frogs.