As wildfires threaten his home, his stepfather’s livelihood, and the raptors he has come to love, Luther struggles to resolve the conflicts in his community and the ones inside himself.

The town of Heartwood, Montana is burning out of control. Stoked by nearby wildfires, long-standing disputes over forestry policies have been reignited, pitting out-of-work local residents against environmentalists and state wildlife managers. At the center of the heated dispute is high school sophomore Luther Wright.

Luther used to be just like all his friends, playing football and partying every chance he got. But now he spends his time helping the local veterinarian Kay rehabilitate injured raptors. Against the backdrop of Montana’s worst wildfire season in years, Luther begins questioning many of the community’s basic precepts, and in doing so faces alienation. But when someone starts shooting Kay’s birds and suspicious fires start breaking out, Luther is drawn into a situation far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

Award-winning author Sneed B. Collard III offers readers an affecting, realistic portrait of a teenage boy who learns to navigate a difficult course between standing up for what he believes and maintaining loyalty to his family and friends. Collard also provides a balanced look at the difficulties of balancing competing environmental and economic interests.

Mike and Kyle must outrun both a hurricane and thieves who will do anything to get their hands on a fortune in Confederate gold!

The year is 1862. The Skink, a Confederate ship, is attacked by Union forces and sinks off the Alabama coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Although the ship was rumored to be carrying newly minted gold coins, no trace of the wreck and not even a single piece of Confederate gold is ever found.

Fast forward to 1973. Mike is prepared for another routine summer in Pensacola with his marine biologist father. But plans suddenly change and Mike finds himself on Shipwreck Island―right near the site where the Skink went down. Mike and his new friend Kyle are intrigued by a salvage ship anchored just offshore. Some say it was brought in by fortune hunters, but when the boys scale a fence at the fort on the island, they realize that the fortune hunters may be looking in the wrong place. There in the sand-covered floor of an abandoned chamber they spot something shiny: an old double-eagle gold coin. Mike and Kyle agree to keep their discovery a secret and start their own investigation into the shipwreck and the missing gold.

Award-winning author Sneed B. Collard III blends history and mystery to create a dramatic, page-turning story featuring a strong friendship and plenty of action.