I purposely set the big car chase in my new novel Tail of the Dragon on the Fourth of July for a very specific reason. As millions of Americans flock to their nearest firework displays whether it is from their back yard, or at one of the massive public displays, it has become apparent that they have lost the meaning of what the fireworks represent. So in my new novel, I wanted to take the reader on a journey to explore that meaning not only as a work of intense action with a political thriller, but as a work of philosophy.
My publisher at American Book Publishing wanted me to shorten my very large manuscript to fit their Bedside Books imprint once it was realized what I was up to. So we shortened the book considerably to fit a particular market located in the philosophy section of book stores. We did this without sacrificing the integrity of the book as a work of literature but as my editor stated, it is the car chase that everyone reading the book will want to get to, and that is where the philosophy of freedom is explored most effectively, so we wanted to get there quickly without delay, which happens to take place on the Fourth of July as the main character is declaring his independence in many ways from a world gone mad. Below is text to the words I spoke in the video above so to explain in more detail the who, what, why, when and where of how Tail of the Dragon came about and why it will appear on the book shelves next to Karl Marx as opposed to Stephen King.
I’m Rich Hoffman, an American writer who is very concerned about the future of our country and I’m speaking from the Great Smoky Mountains. Europe has just made a commitment to socialism in spite of their terrible financial situation. Here in the United States labor unions are attempting to maintain their stranglehold on American business and government employment. Governments everywhere are operating at tremendous deficits. And the American youth seem apathetic turning to mind numbing devices to soften the impact of their dismal futures. I realized that what all these problems had in common was an admiration for one very small book typically sold in the philosophy section of many book stores, Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto.
Many of the problems we see around us today are simply the direct result of a commitment to failed philosophy. So the best way to correct the situation is with competing ideas. This is why I wrote the new thriller Tail of the Dragon, which goes beyond the usual format of a fictional novel, but is rather a work of philosophy which intentionally explores the idea of freedom and what it means to individuals and societies.
To achieve this I drew from extensive personal research into a mythical place called Tail of the Dragon located on the western frontier of the Great Smoky Mountains and decided to explore the concept of freedom by breaking every law society has created so that the characters and therefore the reader can take a journey beyond the restrictions that are holding American society, and the nations of the world into a conformity that is ultimately destructive to individual lives.
In America it is claimed to be the land of the free, and home of the brave. But these tendencies seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate, so I find it important to identify what the traits are that make up an individual who embodies these traditional American values. I wanted to ask the question what does it mean to be fearless–what does it mean to be a patriot—what does it mean to be a good spouse—a good parent—a great American. In Tail of the Dragon under the most adverse conditions, these questions are explored along with much, much more.
For as long as most of us have lived we have heard that if you fight city hall, you will always lose. We have heard that you cannot fight the law, because the law will always win. But what if those who make the laws are bad, or functioning from a false philosophy, are we not supposed to challenge those bad laws? In Tail of the Dragon the main character of Rick Stevens challenges the law and decides that he would rather die than live under unjust law, and this leads to the greatest car chase in the history of the world and massive amounts of destruction. But the premise is a serious one, what should an individual be willing to do to keep and maintain their freedoms? What are the invisible lines that dictate when action against the law becomes necessary? And what is the difference between an outlaw and a freedom fighter?
These are the questions of our day. These are the concerns of the Occupy Movement–these are the concerns of the Tea Party—these are the concerns of civil rights activists—these are the concerns of every tax payer in the entire world and they are explored in the new novel Tail of the Dragon.
It is for these reasons that you will find the book under the philosophy section of a book store as opposed to general fiction because it is not intended to only entertain, but to bring about thought and to directly compete with Karl Marx and Sir Thomas More who have contributed much to modern philosophy which is at the root of so many modern problems globally. America has a unique philosophy that developed as a result of its independent nature and it deserves more spokesmen for liberty than it currently has. Tail of the Dragon is dedicated to this objective. So I invite you to take the journey down the Tail of the Dragon for yourself and discover a world you didn’t know was possible, and restricted yourself from even thinking about, because when you come to the end of this book, you will see the world in a new way—a way that should make your life and those around you a better one. Sometimes the right thing to do is to break all the rules, and in this book, you will get the chance, because the answers to life are not in the legislative halls of our governments, but in our own hearts and minds—and to listen to those voices we must break free.
Tail of the Dragon ends with the President of the United States trying to piece together an America embroiled in civil war, a war between individuality and the theories of collectivism. It is in the Oval Office that Tail of the Dragon comes to grips with the definitions of American spirit and the rights of individuality in a never-ending quest for freedom that extends beyond the borders of The United States to societies the world over.
For more information on the book begin your journey at Tail of the Dragon Book.com. The book is ultimately dedicated to every person who has received a speeding ticket or fears getting a traffic citation and suspects that the fines are just another form of unjust taxation. This book is a chance to strike back at a justice system that is taking our nation in the wrong direction with a political philosophy that erodes human freedom.
Help start the fires of the next revolution by fanning the flames with this new and unusual book. Become a fan of Tail of the Dragon on Facebook below, and send this to a friend to help those flames spread, and take back what has been lost through many years of neglect, personal apathy, and open manipulation.
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This is what people are saying about my new book–Tail of the Dragon
Visit the NEW Tail of the Dragon WEBSITE! CLICK HERE! And be sure to watch one of my first radio interviews about the book below.
For speaking and media requests email: bookpr@american-book.com To contact me directly feel free to use: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rich-hoffman/30/92b/832
Rich Hoffman
https://overmanwarrior.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/ten-rules-to-live-by/
http://twitter.com/#!/overmanwarrior
www.overmanwarrior.com






