The Forgotten Wars

When we first began working on In the Dark of the Sun, the South American Drug War was in full battle rage. It has, of course, since faded far into the backdrop of the more global and escalating War on Terror. So it probably stunned many when NBC aired U.S. Hostages Languish in Colombia, which profiles the story of four contractors who have been held hostage by the FARC since 2003. There are still close to a thousand kidnappings in Colombia each year.

Retired Army General Barry McCaffrey says: "It is the forgotten war. These abducted brave Americans, contractors working for the U.S., if they had been kidnapped in Iraq, we'd be hearing about them frequently."

Just as the movies Hotel Rwanda, The Constant Gardner, Catch a Fire, In My Country, and Blood Diamond raise awareness of the ongoing atrocities, wars, and politics of Africa, the NBC story reminds us that while Iraq and Al-Quaida dominates the headlines, many other bloody and catastrophic conflicts smoulder like forgotten fires.

It seems all the more appropriate that In the Dark of the Sun is our inaugural book in the Jake Tyler series.