This book, more of a memoir, chronicles the beginnings of my love of the game through my entire career. It is as honest as I can make it, detailing the in’s and out’s of the coaching profession, along with the details, drama, and political mechanisms that are so integral in the success and failure of both head coaches and programs. No punches are pulled and personal details such as my almost life-ending struggle with post surgery complications are included. It is an interesting journey and one that will keep the reader of any inclination, interested.

Set in the decaying years of the Byzantine Empire, Flavius Fettotempi is trying to reclaim his life. He witnessed the execution of his father and lost his family during the St. Titus Rebellion on Crete. He fled for his life, and through the kindness of a benefactor, began to rebuilding what was left only to find himself, once again, in the middle of intrigue, deception, and lies. His love, Chrysanthe is his only care, but through a series of adventures, including pirates, finds even that hangs in the balance. Torn by his love for Crete, his father, and Chrysanthe, Flavius must make hard choices if he is going to survive.

Journey back to a time rarely, if ever, written about or explored, and discover what devotion, love, and deception can do to a man.

A short story anthology, Falling Leaves attempts to look at the lives of ordinary people in a variety of circumstances as they approach life's endings, be they during the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, reclaiming themselves after the Korean War, or even as an old woman enjoying the falling rain in East Tennessee. Falling Leaves explores not only life, but endings, and leaves the reader pondering their own endings.

The die has been cast and Flavius, driven by the ghost of his publicly executed father due to the failed Revolt of St. Titus, has made a fateful decision. He intends to return to Crete, along with Ramazan, the famed pirate of the Black Ram, and confront his nemesis, the beautiful and brilliant Constanze Kallergis who is now the Duchess of Crete since the death of her husband. She has one goal as well, that of bringing Flavius under her charge, and will move heaven and earth to achieve it.

The eastern Mediterranean Sea in the 14th century was a cauldron of activity. The mighty Byzantine Empire was a shadow of its former self and its navy, once the mistress of the sea is now relegated to the ash heap of history as the Venetians and Genoese assert their dominance amidst the crumbling empire. Money was flowing into Italy sparking the Renaissance period, while that the same time, Islam, fragmented as it was, spread throughout the region and was challenging as well for supremacy of the sea as well as the lucrative trade routes it contained.

It is in this world Flavius Fettotempi began his journey in the first book of the series: Flavius Fettotempi, and here, in book II, he is continuing his saga, coming to grips with the reality of life in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, a life of uncertainty, misery, and the specter of slavery, an all too real condition that affected hundreds of thousands of lives.

Flavius Fettotempi: Into the Mouth of the Lion is a gripping and suspenseful novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page. It's full of historical details, vivid characters, and unexpected twists. If you love historical fiction with a touch of romance and intrigue, you won't want to miss this book