Book Description

James Stevens, a professional in the field of advertising, suffers through another steamy Midwest summer and the grueling hours of his job, only to realize he's on the edge of physical and psychological burnout. Confronting the situation, he arranges a short vacation to help reestablish some balance in his life. Involved in a rather questionable relationship at the time, Stevens' significant other gives strong opposition to his taking a solo vacation. Despite her objection, he accepts an offer from an old friend to meet at an event in the Southwest. He also arranges an overnight trek on horseback into a land that has always captivated his curious mind. Stepping away from the pressures of his job and a hectic urban environment, he responds to the forces of nature and confronts certain issues in his life. Stevens also examines the illusions of the contemporary world he helped to create through his professional endeavors. During a one-on-one tour of a remote canyon, Stevens finds his hired guide doubles as a spiritual mentor helping him to see things in a new light. Plagued by unnatural and supernatural events on their journey, he develops a strong bond with this guide. He then returns home -- life turned upside-down from his vacation experience. Back in his usual environment, Stevens soon realizes he brought home an intangible souvenir determined to change him, so he not only struggles with the unexplainable anomalies he encountered on his trip, but deals with a force that is relentlessly acting on him to alter his ways. Over the course of a few months a battle ensues in Stevens' mind between his comfort zone and the unknowns that go with the challenge of a brave new life. He winds up faced with some very tough choices in order to seek the happiness he's been longing for.