Book excerpt: New Novel Weaves Together Adventure, History and Romance Historical Two Volume Set Chronicles Battle between Slavery and Freedom, Love and Hate PORT COQUITLAM, British Columbia - Readers who have enjoyed historical fiction with a strong dash of adventure and a pinch of sex will surely love The Dark Side of the Mountain (published by AuthorHouse), the new epic in two volumes by S.A. Carter. Fueled by American historical events from 1854-1884, The Dark Side of the Mountain follows the adventures of John Saxton and Marcus Brown, who fight as Union guerillas against the Confederacy and all it stands for. Major Horatio Garrow and his son, Lucas, are mad men full of hate and greed, dedicated to one cause - their own. Along with a supporting cast of unforgettable characters both real and imaginary, these men are caught up in a vicious web of murder, dark secrets, betrayal and intrigue where only survival matters. In Volume One: The Dark Side of the Mountain; a young John Saxton watches helplessly as brutal slavers throw human cargo overboard to avoid capture by the "Africa Patrol." From then on, the Boston shipping heir becomes an implacable abolitionist bent on destroying slavery in America. Confederate spies, traitors and the dreaded Deacon Gang are arrayed against him. Can Saxton and his beautiful black bride, Virginia, survive a dangerous game of espionage, treachery and betrayal that culminates in the "honeymoon from hell?" As the Civil War divides and devours a nation, a black American guerilla force is carried behind Confederate lines by a unique sinking ship. Led by a giant Maasai warrior, they fight a determined and deadly foe from the eastern seaboard of America to its vast western plains. Even as the horror of war explodes around them, the Maasai Rangers embrace a common dream deep within the heart of Dixie. In Volume Two: The Dark Side of the Mountain; John Saxton is captured and thrown into the horror of Salisbury prison. Pursued by Major Horatio Garrow and his hapless brute of a companion Harley Blackstone, can Saxton survive? From his father's grave, a vengeful Lucas Garrow is led on a torturous search for stolen treasure. But a love fueled by the "Cause" and poisoned by greed, leads to a deadly confrontation. With America facing total ruination by blackmail; a battle erupts between a drug-addicted Lucas Garrow allied with the Klan, a militant underground colony of religious zealots, and the forces of justice bent on self-destruction. It all comes to an explosive conclusion not only deep within the heart of the Ozarks, but on Elder Mountain, Tennessee, where a utopia called Harmony Farm faces a forest fire out of control. Could Saxton and Marcus survive in an alien world and still find another dream called 'home'?