Bears and Eagles

The British and Russian Empires are at their apex. Germany has consolidated her confederation and is vying for prominence. America has recovered from her civil war and is expanding her influence. Andreas, the younger son of a minor landholder, is allowed to join his Cossack band for the first time, hoping to survive the campaign, return home, buy a farm and start a family. On the whim of a fickle aristocrat, Andreas finds himself thrust into a life he never imagined existed and is traded from one sovereign to another for a minor favour. A chance meeting on a lonely back country road, sets him on a life long journey with the love of his life, where they find out that little is what it seems.
About the Author: RP is the eldest son of the eldest son and being born in 1905, his grandfather liked to boast he was the first person in his family to be born in his home province in Canada. At a young age, RP's father moved the family to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains from the Great Plains growing up in Calgary Alberta. Coming from a deeply religious family, RP attended Catholic schools, where he was exposed to many kids who had come from most of the countries in Europe after the second world war. In high school, RP played on a highly rated football squad. In his senior year, being the fastest kid on the team, he was asked to play as a receiver, but declined. He liked being the hitter, not the hittee. Besides, other things became more important. Fast cars and Marg. RP says he was not even cool enough to be on the Geek Squad in school, but that it never bothered him. During the time of penny loafers, tight jeans and alpaca sweaters, RP came to school in T shirts, boot cut jeans and cowboy boots. Visits with family 'Back Home' in Saskatchewan were special times. RP's maternal grandfather bred and sold Morgan horses and RP was riding almost before he could walk. His mother tells him he was bucked off his first horse when he was two. He spent a lot of time listening to the elders talking about the old days, on really special occasions, hearing from even older family talking about life in the 'Old Country'. Which it turns out was a part of Russia that we now call Ukraine. Many of these conversations were held in German. If you ask RP just the right way, he will admit he can speak three languages. English, French and German. None of them well. He is currently valiantly trying to teach himself Russian. Like the characters in his book, RP knew girls existed, but football, cars and hanging out at the pool hall with his buddies was more important. That all changed at a Sadie Hawkins dance when a cute little blond bombshell asked him to dance and his life changed forever. RP and Marg were married in August of 1973. She was 18 and he turned 19 two weeks later. At the age of 21, he became a father for the first time and eighteen months later another boy arrived. RP lives on a small acreage just east of Didsbury Alberta Canada. These days instead of sleeping under the stars rolled up in a tarp with his trusty steed Barney beside him, he can be found touring the country in the 'Buss'.