Kicking Ass and Saving Souls: A True Story of a Life Over the Line

The story of a boy from Baltimore who evolves from a safecracking, jewel-heisting, deep-sea diving, ultimate-fighting, international playboy into a globetrotting humanitarian. Stefan Templeton was born a child of extremes. The son of Ebba, an aristocratic Norwegian love child, and Roye, a militant African American philosopher, Stefan spent his early years shuffling between the discipline of his father's house and dojo in decaying west Baltimore and the eccentricities of his mother's life as a healer and artist in the wealthiest enclaves of Europe. The confusion formed a singular man who had nothing but his own abilities. By age eighteen Stefan was a skilled fighter, philosopher, lover, horseman, and swimmer who exuded confidence and competence. His highs came from adventure, always. He hunted in Macon, France; brawled in Oxford, England; lived as a kept man off the Champs-Elysees; served as a medicine man in Colombia; escaped death on the Amazon; and trained to serve on Cousteau's "Calypso" in Marseilles. Love of the mother of his first child temporarily settled Stefan in Norway, but poverty and adrenaline addiction soon kicked in. Eventually, Stefan found himself in a labyrinthine criminal world-where he pulled off one of the biggest jewel heists in Scandinavia's history as a player in a smuggling consortium. He eluded capture, but the downward spiral continued until he hit bottom one night in Tokyo. Alone and in need of redemption, Stefan lost himself in the south Asian jungle, but fate brought him an opportunity to help the wretched Karen people of Burma. By serving the forgotten, Stefan could begin his restitution. This Renaissance man at last utilized his uncommon skill set to embrace the call of humanitarian relief. Disasters like the Indonesian tsunami and the Sudanese civil war and drought required all of him. The adventure of Stefan Templeton tests the bounds of human possibility, and even the most hardened of skeptics will be gripped by this account of David Matthews, Stefan's childhood friend and sometimes harshest critic."

About the Author :
David Matthews is the author of 2007 "New York Times" Editor's pick "Ace of Spades." His work has also appeared in "Salon, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, " and "The Autobiographer's Handbook: the 826 National Guide to Writing your Memoir." He lives in Manhattan, but can't wait to move back to Brooklyn.

Review :
Stefan Templeton has led the kind of life that s too wild, too lucky, and simply too unbelievable to be true, but it is But while his adventures are the heart of the book, it s the end that keeps you reading, as Stefan struggles to find peace and finally constancy in his life. Matthews recounts all of this with panache and superb pacing to deliver a story so fantastic, it may as well be a novel. The Daily Beast The most compelling quality of "Kicking Ass and Saving Souls "isn t just that Templeton has been in extreme situations all over the world it s that when he puts his mind to it, virtually nothing is impossible. USA Character Approved Blog Matthews creatively portrays Templeton s wanderlust personality the ebb and flow of Templeton s life on the go in "Kicking Ass and Saving Souls" makes for a compelling, page-turning experience. TheRoot.com Matthews narrative reads like the stuff of fiction, the stock-in-trade of thrillers and James Bond movies; it's also an exhilarating narrative about redemption and the power of personal choice. Eat your heart out, James Bond. Kirkus David Matthews s vision of the incredible life of his childhood friend is piercingly unadorned. Filled with humor, vivaciousness, calamity, and ever-present compassion, it s an unbelievable story equal parts Bruce Lee, Wilt Chamberlain, Pancho Villa, Robin Hood, and Jason Bourne. Matthews s wonderful new book is a rarity. There's a beating heart inside this page-turner. Alex Lemon, author of Happy: A Memoir "Kicking Ass and Saving Souls" is an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat adventure. What gives the book soul is that beneath the fierce tiger is a man who wants to make a positive impact and redeem himself. After a hair-raising international roller coaster ride that's a ton of fun, Stefan finally grasps his true calling, channeling his innate thirst for danger and its rush of adrenaline into saving lives. Norman Ollestad, author of Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival"