Chasing Rain
Page 25
At age eight, Legg's father died suddenly, plunging his family into poverty. Two years later, while suffering from crippling migraines, he started in business, and turned a hobby into a multi-million-dollar empire. National media dubbed him the “Teen Tycoon,” and by the mid-eighties, Legg was one of the top young entrepreneurs in America, appearing as high as number twenty-four on the list (when Steve Jobs was #1, Bill Gates #4, and Michael Dell #6). Legg still jokes that he should have gone into computers.
By his twenties, after years of buying and selling businesses, leveraging, and risk-taking, the high-flying Legg became ensnarled in the financial whirlwind of the junk bond eighties. The stock market crashed and a firestorm of trouble came down. The Teen Tycoon racked up more than a million dollars in legal fees, was betrayed by those closest to him, lost his entire fortune, and ended up serving time for financial improprieties.
After a year, Legg emerged from federal prison, chastened and wiser, and began anew. More than twenty-five years later, he’s now using all that hard-earned firsthand knowledge of conspiracies, corruption and high finance to weave his tales. Legg’s books pulse with authenticity.
His series have excited nearly a million readers around the world. Although he refused an offer to make a television movie about his life as a teenage millionaire, his autobiography is in the works. There has also been interest from Hollywood to turn his thrillers into films. With any luck, one day you’ll see your favorite characters on screen.
He lives in the Pacific Northwest, with his wife and son, writing full time, in several genres, containing the common themes of adventure, conspiracy, and thrillers. Of all his pursuits, being an author and crafting plots for novels is his favorite.
For more information, please visit his website, or to contact Brandt directly, email him: Brandt@BrandtLegg.com, he loves to hear from readers and always responds!
BrandtLegg.com
Books by Brandt Legg
Chasing Rain
Chasing Fire
Chasing Wind
Chasing Dirt
Chasing Life
CapWar ELECTION (CapStone Conspiracy #1)
CapWar EXPERIENCE (CapStone Conspiracy #2)
CapWar EMPIRE (CapStone Conspiracy #3)
Cosega Search (Cosega Sequence #1)
Cosega Storm (Cosega Sequence #2)
Cosega Shift (Cosega Sequence #3)
Cosega Sphere (Cosega Sequence #4)
The Last Librarian (Justar Journal #1)
The Lost TreeRunner (Justar Journal #2)
The List Keepers (Justar Journal #3)
Outview (Inner Movement #1)
Outin (Inner Movement #2)
Outmove (Inner Movement #3)
As always, this book is dedicated to
Teakki and Ro
And to Bonnie Brown Koeln 1940-2018
Acknowledgments
I had a great time writing Chasing Rain. It’s always exciting for me to get to know the characters, and to run for my life and experience the adventure with them.
Early readers including, Bob Browder, Robyn Shanti, and Chris Bond, who provided helpful insights during the writing process. Chris actually wrote to me after reading one of my books and mentioned he worked on the railroad in Canada. I asked him if he had any suggestions as to where a couple of my characters from a new series could hide. His answers led Chase and Wen to jump an unusual train in Canada. Thanks for that, Chris!
Robyn, Bob, and Chris are in the read-all-my-books club. I often say I’ve got brothers who aren’t in that club, so it’s a big deal to me! If you’re also in this club, let me know.
I dedicate this book to the incomparable Bonnie Brown Koeln, who became part of our family, but sadly left us at the end of 2018. This is the first story of mine to find its way into the world without having first passed through her grammatical gauntlet. Bonnie was a stickler for consistency, and taught me much in her corrections. She will be missed.
We also just lost another family member, Jean Basatneh, our beloved “Aunt Vee.” She was an example of grace, loyalty, and love, who left a lasting impression on my life. Be free, dear lady.
My wife, Ro, helped me find the path of this story and breathed life into the characters—she’s good at those things, and I love our conversations about these imaginary worlds. This story would not be the same without her. The Chasing series has been written in dark rooms, on bright beaches, beside high mountain lakes, doing “loops” around Deer road, backpacking on endless mountain trails, somewhere in Canada, Mexico, and parts unknown. Throughout the process, my family always put up with my pen, computer, or recorder, and, most importantly, welcomed my fictitious lives into theirs.
My mother, Barbara Blair, worked harder on this series, and read it more times, than any of my prior books. Her heroic work, even without Booker, added so much to the stories. She’s a great audience, and I admit to occasionally choosing names and inserting other “easter eggs” just to see her reaction. Although a few times I’ve been tempted to take away her red pen, my writing would not be the same without her reading.
In each book, I know I am done when I’ve completed reviewing the changes and suggestions from Jack Llartin, my copy editor. It’s a process I enjoy because the telling of the story is always tighter when Jack finishes his work.
Elena, from L1 Graphics, made the exciting cover for Chasing Rain, and the covers for half a dozen forthcoming Chase Wen thrillers. She is very creative and a dream to work with. She also did the Cosega covers and a couple of the CapWars.
And, finally, to Teakki, who patiently waited to play Uno until I finished writing each day (especially for the times he let me win).
Most of all, thank you, and the other readers who allow me to support my family by writing books. I appreciate you choosing to spend your time and money to go on these journeys with my characters and me. I look forward to going on many, many more adventures with you.