US Army Soldier Turns Author with "Everland" Fantasy Trilogy

Fort Bragg, NC, September 01, 2008 --(PR.com)-- This week small independent publisher Romeo+Juliet Press announced the official release of the first volume in a new fantasy novel trilogy, “Everland Volume I: Opal’s Book of Winter” (ISBN: 978-0-615-23855-5) by author R.J. Amado.

Ricardo J.Amado, who is a 26 year old 92A Automated Logistics specialist assigned to Fort Bragg, NC’s 82nd Airborne Division, wrote the “Everland” trilogy during his first 15-month deployment to Iraq from August 2006 to October 2007.

Not one to brag easily about his accomplishments, R.J. Amado does admit that in addition to writing the books, among many other things he also proofread and edited the manuscripts extensively on his own, designed the entire interior layout, created the artwork for the front cover and built the website http://www.everlandonline.com; all of which was accomplished whenever he was not occupied showing up for his “day job” every day, attending to his wife and four daughters in the evenings, or taking in the minimum amount of sleep at night required to remain mentally and physically functional.

In “Everland: Volume I”, R.J. Amado invites the reader to join Opal, Sam, Nadya, and Crystal: four teenage girls who escape from a miserable foster home existence to a fantasy everland where anything is possible including but not limited to coming face to face with a generic Black Knight and his mysterious horsemen, running from wingless woodland dragons, meeting magic Christmas elves, fierce hornetlike faeries, and talking beer-drinking bears (that's right Bears). Both the girls and the reader soon find that “Everland” delivers a far different experience than what they had expected.

“Going to a distant place, sometimes reluctantly and more often than not with people you do not see eye to eye with. Discovering that when you do not speak the foreign language nor understand the local culture, what matters at the end of the day is that you put your differences aside and take care of those around you so that when the time comes, no matter what, one way or another you can all come home. Because when making it through the year means no less than coming home together, nothing else matters.” It is no coincidence that R.J. Amado could be referring to the themes of his “Everland” trilogy just as easily as he could be talking about the overall experience of his deployment overseas. Indeed, the dedication page reads, “This book is dedicated to all the brave men and women who kick down doors for a living and face roadside IEDs on a daily basis.”

“Everland Volume I: Opal’s Book of Winter” is available now at http://www.everlandonline.com. “Volume II: Nadya’s Book of Spring” is scheduled for release this November 2008.

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About the Author
Ricardo J. Amado is 26 years old and has been serving in the U.S. Army since July 2001. He is currently stationed with his wife and four daughters at Fort Bragg, NC. His book is currently available at http://stores.lulu.com/everlandstore. He may be contacted via e-mail at simplyriki@aim.com and by phone at (910) 717-1694
Contact
Romeo+Juliet Press
Ricardo J. Amado
(910) 717-1694
http://www.everlandonline.com
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