Burning Sand

From the dimly-lit alleyways of Boston's North End to the sun-drenched beaches of Southern California, 'Burning Sand' is the action-packed, soul-awakening journey of a man who discovers who he is, only after forgetting who he thought he was...Orphaned at a young age, Michael Delaney had grown up the adopted son of a small-time crime family. Forced to learn their treacherous ways in order to survive, he never felt he belonged. Determined to give himself the life he could've had, he concocts a scheme to leave his life of crime behind him forever. But something goes terribly wrong. Michael's attempt at escape ends in a fiery disaster from which he is burned beyond recognition. He wakes up months later with a new face, a new identity, and no memory of his previous life. 'Burning Sand' follows Michael into his new life as pro Beach Volleyball champion Quinton Squid. As he struggles to live up to the dead man's legendary stature, Michael walks a tightrope of celebrity and trepidation. Coming to grips with his innermost demons, he strives to create a new self with which he can live, all the while unaware that the dark forces of his past are closing in behind him. His struggle brings him to a standoff from which there can be no turning back- the knowledge of what really happened to his parents, his true identity, and his very life hang in the balance. ?Absorbing, compulsively readable. A terrific synthesis of intrigue and finely-crafted sports action. It brings the reader into a subculture rarely if ever seen in fiction, in a way that's as entertaining as it is original. Exciting and heartfelt, quirky and compelling, it's the perfect beach book. I highly recommend it.'-Gene LaVanchy, FOX-TV NEWS (Boston)Ruggiero, L. A. is the author of 'Burning Sand' with ISBN 9780970413581 and ISBN 0970413580.