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I was born January 26th 1969, Geneva Switzerland. I always say my parents hit the perfect trifecta. I am an Aquarian, born not only in the year and age of Aquarius, but in the country that stands for peace! This mix in turn created my wonderful and adventurous life.
My father is American as American can get, minus the French last name. He was born In D.C. Joined the Army after high school and eventually entered the Special Forces. where he did two tours in Vietnam. His father (unfortunately we never met) was Colonel in the Marines. Graduated Annapolis, 1923, Navy cross recipient and fought in both the European and Pacific theaters during WWII. My beautiful mother was born in Venezuela and went to high school in New Jersey where they met and eventually got married and had my much taller brother and I.
After a small stint in Florence Italy then Puerto Rico, I ended up in Caracas, Venezuela. I studied at the British School until 5th grade, then was sent to San Antonio military academy in Texas. After three years, I did one year at the Oxford academy in Oxford Connecticut and finished high school in North Miami, Florida. I ended up at Regis College (now University) in Denver Colorado and did my Masters in Architecture at C.U. (University of Colorado).
Reviewed by K T Bowes for Readers' Favorite
Max DuMonde is a man who has grown up without the most important male role models in his life. He believes that his grandfather and father were both lost in US Military operations which took place two decades apart, leaving him with an inbuilt commitment to the US navy and a desire to follow in their footsteps and emulate their heroism. Recovering from an injury, Max receives a package from his father, who it seems died only a few weeks before, in France. Following his father's instructions to the heart of his inheritance unleashes a whole world of trouble for Max, involving unexpected dangerous liaisons. The storyline is complex yet gripping, keeping the reader's attention as it crosses time and character to offer a view into the lives of both Max's grandfather and father during the most intense periods of their careers. Robert Blanchard will bring the whole thing full circle in a way that cannot be foreseen. What is the Phoenix Project and what gives it a dangerous seventy-year reach?
This novel is well written and insightful. The character of Max is heroic without being the usual brand of bad-boy-principled-soldier. He is endearing and simple in a masculine way, rugged but plausible. Robert Blanchard uses the ingenious ploy of a social gathering to introduce many of his main characters, the heroes as well as the protagonists, and it offers a suitably perplexing backdrop to the action when it all begins to become clear. Whilst the author employs the obvious necessities of military paraphernalia, the reader is able to follow their use through careful descriptions of the weapons and equipment without feeling as though it is overdone or superior. We are 'in the know,' feeling as if we are also there in the action. This is thanks to Blanchard's skill in reeling the reader in and making them feel as in danger as his characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
