Like the rest of us, the storyteller has become accustomed to life at sea. Hard to believe the man who used to get so puking sick and miserable is now one of my most reliable crew. If Maria and I must share our first romantic dinner alone in a year with somebody, he’s probably the one I’d invite. Gray Beard’s gotten pretty good at manning the rudder. After grub, I’m gonna let him take the evening shift while my lover and I share a shell of Sal’s latest grappa in our bunk.
There are hundreds of miles of open sea in front of us and plenty of moonlight. We’ll see where the wind takes us.
THE END
GALWAY IS DEDICATED TO READERS EVERYWHERE
Where would writers be without readers? Personally, I wouldn’t have my newspaper career, nor an excuse for spending so much of my free time lost in the Paleolithic. Novel writing is a lonely yet strangely fulfilling addiction. Ignoring chores, friends, family and once-favorite pastimes, we toil in our dark, air-conditioned caves with one overriding goal: to entertain an unknown number of strangers. Thank you for buying this book. Mammoth-size thanks go out to readers who continue to support the 30,000 B.C. Chronicles series by posting ratings and reviews, and by spreading the word among fellow readers. Your consideration is truly appreciated. The 30,000 B.C. Chronicles will continue with Book Five, Rome, scheduled for 2017 release. Until then, I’ll be in my cave.
Aloha, Matthew Thayer
Contact Matthew at [email protected]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book would be a much different animal without the guidance of outstanding editor Cindy Moorhead. Cindy stepped in to provide an ideal mix of tough love and positive nudges. Her commitment to the storyline and characters made her the perfect sounding board and sheriff. More than once she stopped me from driving the story off the rails. Cindy’s mastery of language and her owl-eyed edits were beyond invaluable. Cindy, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Another big thanks goes out to retired newsman and lifelong wordsmith Ron Youngblood for his very insightful critique. I will forever be in Ron’s debt for his recommendation to flesh out the ending. For their insights on everything from scientific terms to types of English trees, mahalo nui loa to first readers: Frank Hackett, Lindsay Alexander, Dr. Diane Shepherd, Dr. Pierre Langeron, Paul Edmunds, Hans Zink and copy editor extraordinaire David Hoff. Thanks also to “focus group” members John and Michael Moorhead. Last but not least, thanks to my beautiful wife, Kelly, for putting up with me.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS IN THE SERIES
30,000 B.C. Chronicles: Bordeaux – Shipwrecked in the Paleolithic with their modern gear slowly turning to dust, members of a scientific expedition go native to survive. The 30,000 B.C. Chronicles begin with Bordeaux, a tale of love and action set in a prehistoric world. The time travelers from dried-out, over-populated year 2233 are beached on a European continent that is a sea of green. Home to outsized Mega-fauna, forests without end and mind-boggling sea life, it is a land unspoiled. There is also danger at every turn. The explorers soon join Cro-Magnon clans to survive. They find that man’s basic needs, the desire for companionship and comfort, the fear of death, and the eternal question of, “what comes after?” transcend time.
30,000 B.C. Chronicles: Tuscany – Leaving a trail of carnage as he preaches his warped brand of religion to a growing Cro-Magnon army, empire builder Lorenzo Martinelli takes his campaign into the boot of pre-historic Italy. The madman’s modern shipmates face many challenges as they attempt to halt his crusade before it disrupts the future of mankind. Tuscany is the second book in the 30,000 B.C. Chronicles, an action series of love and exploration in a world dominated by mammoth and wolf pack.
30,000 B.C. Chronicles: Gibraltar – Taking two very different routes north, members of the Green Turtle Clan begin their quest to find the wreckage of the Einstein IV timeship. Diligent Chief Botanist Dr. Maria Duarte and her lover, Hawaiian waterman Paul Kaikane, brave the open seas in a small jury-rigged sailboat, stopping to study the Neanderthal of southern Spain along the way. Dandy Salvatore Bolzano bends the rules as he and Capt. Juniper Jones accompany native members of the clan in a perilous, thrilling trek across prehistoric France.
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