A Deadly Balance

Army Sergeant Garret Drake is a Special Forces sniper who's comfortable with his job. He takes care of bad guys and is good at it. While on a forced vacation in the Amazon, two events change his life forever. During a tour at a river-side village, he saves the life of a little girl about to be bitten by a deadly viper. The next evening while on a night hike, an accident leaves his life in peril from the toxin of a poison dart frog. Saved by the only medical person available--a local shaman--Garrett is left in a coma and is transported to America to recover. Accompanied by Naturalist Joan Sedona, she tells him the healing includes a gift from the healer. One he doesn't want--the ability to heal virtually any illness and injury with a touch. This gift comes with rules. Rules that if disobeyed, are fatal. Garrett reluctantly begins healing and tries to maintain a low profile. Despite this, an Army Intelligence officer, learns of this amazing talent and has Garrett transferred to a bioweapons lab where he's more a prisoner than participant. The experiment takes a dark turn when a black ops force, under false pretences led by Joan Sedona is sent to the Amazon to find the shaman who gave the healing ability to Garrett and extract the information. By any means necessary. While inside the lab, Garrett discovers Joan is in the Amazon and believes the black ops team may not leave witnesses behind. and that another experiment is underway, one with ominous repercussions.

Army Sergeant Garret Drake is a Special Forces sniper who's comfortable with his job. He takes care of bad guys and is good at it. While on a forced vacation in the Amazon, two events change his life forever. During a tour at a river-side village, he saves the life of a little girl about to be bitten by a deadly viper. The next evening while on a night hike, an accident leaves his life in peril from the toxin of a poison dart frog. Saved by the only medical person available--a local shaman--Garrett is left in a coma and is transported to America to recover. Accompanied by Naturalist Joan Sedona, she tells him the healing includes a gift from the healer. One he doesn't want--the ability to heal virtually any illness and injury with a touch. This gift comes with rules. Rules that if disobeyed, are fatal. Garrett reluctantly begins healing and tries to maintain a low profile. Despite this, an Army Intelligence officer, learns of this amazing talent and has Garrett transferred to a bioweapons lab where he's more a prisoner than participant. The experiment takes a dark turn when a black ops force, under false pretences led by Joan Sedona is sent to the Amazon to find the shaman who gave the healing ability to Garrett and extract the information. By any means necessary. While inside the lab, Garrett discovers Joan is in the Amazon and believes the black ops team may not leave witnesses behind. and that another experiment is underway, one with ominous repercussions. With the experiments taking a ghoulish turn, Garrett realizes his escape plan must also include a way to save Joan, nearly five thousand miles away in the remote Amazonian rain forest.

Richard Nielsen was born in Chicago, Illinois. At the age of five and tired of the cold, moved his family to the Central Coast of California where he endured public schools until graduating high school. Yearning for adventure, he joined the Coast Guard at the age of 18 and became a fourth-generation veteran. On a less than glamorous buoy tender ship, he sailed and worked along the California coast and through Central and South America. Afterwards, he experienced 'real' excitement hunting smugglers and saving lives while commanding motor life boats. Following his veteran family traditions, he became one of 'those guys' who could get someone virtually anything they wanted. After departing the service and attending college working for degrees in marine biology and financial planning, he drifted through over 25 jobs, including: commercial diver, heavy equipment operator, industrial service tech, freelance writer, financial account executive, repo man, phone psychic, customer service manager, import/export consultant, handy man, naturalist guide, bartender and US Forest Service engineer. Richard finds life full of everyday events that open up to extraordinary stories. From meeting people ranging from grocery store clerks to mercenaries, Richard found a hobby in learning six words and learned to greet and offer thanks in 21 different languages. He won the Persephone Award for a children's story. His interests and hobbies include scuba diving, gardening, competitive pistol shooting, collecting rum, maritime history and learning a little bit about everything. He resides in California with his wife, three dogs, two cats, chickens, several schools of fish and a 70-pound sulcata tortoise.