Novel Series by John Vandeventer
The Majestic Talimena Scenic Drive stretching from eight miles north of Talihina and running 52 miles east to Mena, Arkansas brings many tourists during the vacationing months. But in 2014 a group of outlaw bikers is brutally murdered at the very doorstep of the Talimena Scenic Highway. The small Talihina Police Department is the first to respond to the horrific crime scene at Choctaw Vista. The violence of the crime that occurred just outside of his community appalled the local Chief of Police, Samuel Redstone, a veteran of the war in Iraq. With the crime occurring just out of his jurisdiction, Sam can only watch and hope the violence doesn’t spread to Talihina. However, his hopes are dashed when two motorcycle gang members decide to avenge their dead brothers at a popular eating establishment in the heart of the small town. The quick and measured response of two of these off-duty officers quickly becomes a topic of the national news media looking for a follow-up story concerning the violent deaths at Choctaw Vista. The small community suddenly finds itself the center of attention on the evening news.
Suddenly strange occurrences were happening around the community; missing pets and assaults on student protestors while camping. Tales spread about mythical creatures roaming the mountains just outside of town. Sam’s father, a full-blooded Choctaw elder, is aware of his people’s old ways and old enemies. He tries to warn his son of the existence of an ancient race known as “Okla Chito”. Sam remains convinced his battle is against nothing more than average everyday human criminal activity, but the threat became real when Sam witnesses an unimaginable creature, taking one of his own officers. Next, the federal government and the military have suddenly invaded the local area, causing more complications. Sam realizes the only way to bring peace back to his community and his own life is to join his father in a life and death battle with the mysterious creatures preying on the citizens of Talihina.
The creatures are known by many names, Sasquatch, Bigfoot, Skunk Ape, Skookum, and others. Sam comes to know them by the terms used by an antagonist government agent named Paul Eastman. If he is to restore tranquility and safety to the citizens of Talihina, he must defeat Eastman and his minions, as well as the monstrous beasts he comes to know as “Relics”.
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Two years have passed since the experience of what they called “The Dark Autumn” in the small town of Talihina, Oklahoma. Most residents were never aware of the actual truth behind the violence and deaths that plagued the small community during late October and early November of 2014. Most locals claim it was nothing more than a simple crime spree committed by a group of outlaw bikers funded by a corrupt local attorney. Other citizens made claims of a wilder story involving Sasquatch-like creatures preying upon the community’s citizens. Debates had been whispered over coffee in local restaurants the past two years. A select few local citizens who had helped the Redstone’s bring peace back to the community were the ones who knew the factual truth. Although happy to be reunited with his lifelong love, Sam Redstone struggles to adjust to the emotional trauma. Carrying guilt from the events of 2014, Sam feels off balance and unsure about his place in the community. He is more uncertain of how to proceed when the specter of Sasquatch activity returns to his father’s property and in the small community of Honobia, just twenty miles to the south.
Meanwhile, Addison has settled in happily with his new wife, although he keeps a watchful eye for activity of any kind that could mean the creatures have returned. He also remains in contact with General Malcolm Henderson, the man in charge of the Special Forces operations in 2014. Addison finds the information received from the General to be a vague and confusing mixture of biblical history and supernatural mystery.
Both Addison and Sam are unprepared for the explosion of activity, as the beginning of the holiday season for 2016 overtakes them with violence, loss, and confusion. Even the unexpected return of a couple of allies from 2014 isn’t enough to ensure they’ll survive the onslaught set in motion against them from a rejuvenated enemy from two years past. An enemy now controlled by an ancient evil so powerful they can’t comprehend what they’re facing. Neither men are ready for the truths they are about to learn from a Choctaw elder living outside Honobia, Oklahoma. As they discover they had not battled against traditional Sasquatch two years earlier. Instead, they learn they are part of a larger war carried on more recently by Nathan Parks and Trent Williams in Afghanistan. Their new ally and mentor, Joshua Nashoba, has fought the same enemy in the sky above the frigid waters off Antarctica in 1947 and again above the waters of the steaming jungle coast of Vietnam in 1968.
A sweeping, intense story of determined warriors against an enemy that first came to prominence as a god in ancient Mesopotamia. The mountains above Honobia, Oklahoma, become the backdrop for another life and death struggle involving the Redstone’s and their friends. A battle where the enemy can attack you in any form; beast, otherworldly craft, or even your own government.
Shadow Chasers
Things seemed to have gone from bad to worse for twelve-year-old Finn Harper, having just moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Talihina, Oklahoma, a small town where everyone knows everyone. Finn had found little to like about his new hometown. Making friends was never easy for him. This had been the case his entire life growing up in Tulsa. The only kids in Talihina who seemed to hold any interest in him were two 7th grade class bullies who seemed to have a special affection for picking on the new kids who were smaller than them. But in Finn’s darkest moment, a friend appears out of nowhere. Not just any friend, but that special friend you remember for a lifetime. Allie Wren, a girl from his class, intervenes on his behalf just when he needs help the most. Smart, tough, and pretty too, Allie also brings another friend into Finn’s life, Logan Grayhand. The three had bonded over a common interest. That interest is a mysterious footprint Finn finds while hunting for arrowheads along the banks of Rock Creek, which runs through the outskirts of Talihina.
In just three days, their reality changes. They would test the glue of their friendship in ways they could not imagine. This glue must be strong enough to hold them together as they withstand the dangers of human enemies, non-human enemies, and even nature itself. With the help of a mysterious Choctaw Elder, the three become involved in an unbelievable rescue mission attempting to save the beast they had once feared. Together, they learn teamwork, trust, and forgiveness. They also learn the biggest lessons, and the toughest tests in life don’t come from the classroom. They come when you chase the shadows.