The Orb

Since the war, Jake MacCorkle's unanswered questions haunt him. He drifts through life in a flat, emotionless routine between his father's home and the VA ...until the dreams start. At the breakfast table, he jokes about them with his father. The reaction is not what he expected. Without explanation, his father says "We need to talk". When his father dies in an automobile accident, Jake is devastated. In the will, his father leaves him thousands of acres in the North Georgia Mountains with ironclad caveats: never cut a tree, build a road, and never sell it. The lawyer knows nothing. A handwritten letter from his father asks a favor, "Spread my ashes on the land", followed by a single intriguing hint "experience it for yourself". For his father's sake, Jake travels to the mountain property. As an Army Ranger, the trek to spread his father's ashes should be a simple job, but it isn't. Trails appear and disappear, and it seems the forest conspires to thwart him. After grueling hours pushing through the forest, the mesmerizing sound of the river, and his mixed feelings about the trip had stolen hours. Standing on the rock in the river, he unscrewed the urn's cap, faced downstream, and held the canister high toward the waning sun. A lump grew in his throat. "I love you, Dad." Ashes dispersed. A gust of wind swirled ash into his face. Unable to see, a shuffling in the leaves, not far, something large, was on his right. He splashed water into his eyes. Vision blurred, he struggled to see. Both sides of the river were lined with hundreds of people. The canister clanged off the rocks. He swiped gritty water out of his face. Sure, of his insanity, he hides in a small cave overnight. Falling asleep to the sound of the rushing river, the morning reveals that the back of the cave is open, exposing a path into the heart of the mountain. Should he enter? Should he experience it for himself or run? Either way, Jake's life and destiny will change forever.

About the Author :
John grew up in Atlanta, GA at a time when it was a quieter, simpler place to live. He graduated high school in Tennessee. In 1970, John went to Vietnam. He lost his left foot to a boobytrap. Believing that no handicap must be a disability, he continued to play tennis, golf, and earned a Brown Belt in Aikido. In 1976, he graduated college with a Bachelors and Masters degree in Humanistic Psychology. He attended the University of Georgia for a PH.D and was licensed in Psychology in 1987. John maintained a full-time private practice until 2017 when he retired. Since retirement, he learned to fly fish. With help, he built a bamboo fly rod and in 2019, became a Certified Casting Instructor with Fly Fishers International. He is the President of Veterans Flyfishing. A group dedicated to teaching and taking veterans fly fishing.He is married to Jeannie, who is his partner in all things. They have one son, John Randall, a graphic artist who designed The Orb cover.

Review :
Overall I enjoyed the story and seeing how it unfolded. The characters were lively and the twists were unexpected, and the action and magic was top notch! Seeing Jake grow to accept magic and learn enchantments was exciting. I would recommend this book to those who love magical adventures and rescuing a world from magic-wielding villains. I found myself at one point, literally laughing ���� out load in a burst of laughter with my headset on leaving The Yucatan Peninsula traveling at a cruising altutude of 34,000 feet so much so that my wife and riding partner had to squeeze my hand to try & quiet me in my seat! This book was a real treat. I mostly read non-fiction and enjoyed taking a break into the unknown. Truly fascinating story, great characters and a story that moved quickly. It is well positioned for the story to continue. The quality of the writing was amazing and truly imaginative. I hope to see this story on Netflix and will be checking, frequently, for more work by this author. It will also find itself under the Christmas tree for several of my friends. I found this to be a wonderful book. Dr. Mauldin has an enjoyable prose that makes even the necessary mundane scene building enjoyable to read. The characters were fun and the villains were deliciously vile - Simian being a a strong stand-out. If you are a fan of fantasy I believe you will like this book as much as I did. his is not my typical genre so was pleasantly surprised with how this book captured my interest. Mauldin did an excellent job connecting real life with the intrigue within a fantasy world. The characters are rich and well developed. The detailed descriptions of action and settings make me think this book would make a great movie! A must read book! From the moment you open the book, it lures you in chapter after chapter, you are lost in a world just like Jake McCorkle. I have never been one to read these type books. But man it's a must read that leads you to wanting to know whatever becomes of The Orb and Jake. If you don't read you are missing out! Interesting. This book is not in my preferred genre but I couldn't put it down. The author made the characters so real that I wanted to jump in and assist the good guys (and ladies) in their quest. Quite a few surprises early on. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written story. I found this story to be lighthearted, engaging and entertaining, and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I'd love to know what happens after the story stops. The writing style reminded me of the Vine Witch series by Luanne G. Smith. I will absolutely be on the lookout for future works by this author! What an amazing book! 10/10!