Wisconsin's unique landmarks once again find themselves in the pages of the latest novel to be presented to readers of history, thrillers and religion in a work that combines all three genres into an adventurous global conspiracy.
The Epoch Point, just released on May 1 and written by Wisconsin native Spencer Zimmerman, is a fictional novel that includes historical facts, certain to intrigue history buffs who are interested in history from the local to the international level, especially as that history thrillingly plays out into what Zimmerman describes as a worldwide "conflict between God and the devil, good and evil."
According to the book's synopsis, the lead character, Robert Davis, is "a young Airman fresh out of Air Force basic training," reflective of Zimmerman's own recent service in the Air Force. "After being held captive in China, (Davis) suddenly finds himself unraveling the most immense conspiracy in history...soon uncovering hidden facts suggesting Russian and Iraqi involvement...discovering the diary of Lee Harvey Oswald...As the clues surface, an evil emerges powerful enough to rewrite the entire history of humanity...before long the conspiracy takes on a supernatural form, marked by [natural disasters] and the wrath of God...Nothing [prepares] (Davis) for the final suspenseful twist the story takes, a da Vinci style revelation that reaffirms his belief in Christ."
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When Disaster Strikes …
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How do you prepare?
I have three bags that are packed and in my vehicle at all times. The minute I get home, I do my laundry and repack. The minute I get a phone call, I get on the next available flight. Doesn't matter, day or night, I get on that next flight.
How do you mentally prepare yourself for this?
It's very difficult. We find that, with a lot of our personnel, once they come out and do the work for the first time, they're either with us for a long time or they leave quickly.
How do you explain what you do to people?
I tell them I am in the cleaning business, the emergency cleaning business. If no one has ever experienced a flood or fire, they have no concept of what's involved. When flood enters your home, everything is affected. Things you wouldn't even think about are affected and it's hard to explain what we really, truly go through.
What is the most rewarding part of the job?
That's an easy question: helping people. When you first walk into a disaster area and see that building, it's dark, smells and is nasty, and the people you're with are very upset. But you look at that person and you know that you can make them happy in a week or two, and that you can put their life on the way to recovery. I make a lot of friends on the road because we work closely with them to help them through the disaster, and that's very rewarding.
And the most challenging?
Making sure all of the different constituencies are happy on a daily basis. It can be such a diverse group. Everyone has his or her individual concerns. I make sure that every one of these groups communicates with me what is important to them and then I get that taken care of in the right priority order.
Who is working on the flood recovery now?
We have people that we pull in from all over the country and we fly them in on an as-needed basis, and then we hire local labor. At the University of Iowa, we have a large number of students that signed up to come work. There are other individuals displaced from jobs that signed up to work.
When will you be done with the cleanup at the University of Iowa?
Hopefully we will be done with our part of the cleanup in three weeks without any unforeseen circumstances. Things change every day; it's a fluid situation. That's a bad pun, isn't it?
© 2008
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