No Level Ground

Eamon and Jimmy have a score to settle. Combat has fused the friends into brothers, a relationship so close that not even 30-years apart can break the bond. Refusing to take any more of life's indignities or compromises, the Vietnam era paratroopers reunite to plan their final act of defiance.

Eamon McLeod, a veteran of the Vietnam War, seeks refuge from both his past and present on the Appalachian Trail. During his hike, he reconnects with Jimmy, an Army buddy he has not seen since the war. Despite the decades that have passed, the two still share a visceral connection tempered by their combat experiences. Eamon believes that defiance is the cornerstone of all freedom, and as he listens to Jimmy’s story, he realizes that it is time to make a stand. Together, they plot a final act of defiance.

Chet Nicholson (1946-2014) was born in East Tennessee, the son of a professional soldier, and raised on Army bases around the world. He enlisted in the U.S. Army paratroopers out of high school at 17, was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant at 19, and at 21 led a platoon in Viet Nam. In 1984, he finished law school at the University of Mississippi and practiced law on the Mississippi Gulf Coast until his death in 2014. A life-long hiker and outdoor enthusiast, he walked the entire Appalachian Trail in 1999. His other novels include Dream Room: Tales of the Dixie Mafia and Coast Rats (scheduled for release in 2016).