PALMETTO BAY, Fla., Oct. 16, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Retired Brigadier General Ricardo Aponte, drawing on his military background, delivers a riveting plot brewing with action, intrigue and just a touch of romance in a newly released book by Xlibris, A True Friendship: A Hostage Drama.
Despite being geographically close to the United States, events in Central and South America seldom get much coverage in the U.S. media. A True Friendship will submerge readers straight into the ongoing war against the rebels and drug traffickers in Colombia. Featuring memorable characters involved in the American support of the Colombian government, the author introduces insights that many people would never have considered concerning the inner workings of the rebel groups while highlighting the complicated and fragile relationships that hold them together.
Though the situation for the many hostages kept for political and monetary benefit by various illegal armed groups in Colombia has improved somewhat, there are simply too many hostages still kept in subhuman conditions by these forces. In particular, the Fuerzas Armadas de Revolucion Colombiana (FARC) keeps around fifty high-value hostages. This book is a work of fiction centered around the capture of a high-ranking U.S. Air Force officer by the FARC. It is the author's hope that the novel will help bring to the forefront of the American conscience the plight of Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes, contractors working in support of the U.S. and Colombian governments. They were taken prisoner by the FARC when their aircraft crashed in the high terrain of the Andes Mountains. They just marked the fifth year anniversary of their capture. Yet the world community seems in no hurry to force the FARC into releasing them nor their many hostages.
Incorporated with similar military situations encountered by the author, A True Friendship will keep you wanting more, right up to the end. Just when you think you have it figured out, Aponte introduces yet another twist to the absorbing tale. To get a copy of this gripping hostage drama, log on to www.Xlibris.com or visit your local bookstore today!
About the Author
Ricardo "Rico" Aponte was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he entered the United States Air Force in the 1970's. A fighter pilot, he has traveled to all corners of the Earth and has 25 years experience dealing with U.S.-Latin America issues. He writes with the fervent desire to inform on and contribute to the public's understanding of them. He retired in 2007 a Brigadier General, one of the highest-ranking Hispanics in the Military. He lives in Southern Florida.
A True Friendship * by Rico Aponte
A Hostage Drama
Publication Date: June 25, 2008
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 278 pages; ISBN 978-1-4363-3494-5
Cloth Hardback; $29.99; 278 pages; ISBN 978-1-4363-3495-2
To request a complimentary paperback review copy, contact the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7836. Tear sheets may be sent by regular or electronic mail to Marketing Services. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (610) 915-0294 or call (888) 795-4274 x.7876.
books can be purchased at Xlibris bookstore. For more information, contact Xlibris at (888) 795-4274 or on the web at www.Xlibris.com.