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Perseus has lived a privileged life, but on his twenty-first birthday he finds himself stuck in a limbo of indecision, unsure where his life is headed. He leaves his parents’ home unexpectedly and heads out west on a journey to find himself. He runs out of money in a middle-of-nowhere town in Oklahoma, where he’s offered the unlikely job of working on a local cattle ranch by the owner’s daughter, Penelope. Thus begins the real journey that will ultimately define the person he was destined to be.
Perseus soon discovers he’s in the Native-American territory called the Choctaw Nation, one of the largest Native-American tribes in the United States, and he soon begins a lasting friendship with Tommy, one of the tribal members. He also meets a local seer and medicine man who has a vision in which Perseus plays a central role, a vision which will result in an unusual quest to find an extraordinary creature from a Native-American legend.
Ever the reluctant hero, Perseus faces many unexpected and daunting challenges on his journey. As he becomes increasingly immersed in the daily rough-and-tumble life of the ranch, Perseus struggles to overcome all the self-doubts that stand in the way of him becoming the man he wants to be. He also finds trouble in Choctaw County in the form a corrupt and violent ranch foreman from a neighboring ranch, who takes an immediate and deadly dislike for Perseus.
Excerpt from Trouble in Choctaw County
As Perseus drew near to the small city of Hugo, Oklahoma, he was painfully aware that he was precariously low on funds. His father had cancelled his credit card, “for your own good,” he’d said. As he approached the city limits, he saw the sign, Welcome to Hugo, established 1901: Circus City, USA. No kidding? Well, that was interesting.
He drove through the town, past the city limits on the other side, and decided to turn around. This was a small town, but it was larger than most of the tiny towns he’d driven through in the past several days. He decided he should stop here for a while to give himself some time to figure out what he should do next.
He spied a quaint diner at the eastern edge of town and pulled in. The sign read, Syble’s Café. It looked like a classic greasy spoon, the kind of place that might offer inexpensive but decent food. It was the middle of the afternoon, and there was only one other customer inside. He took a seat at the counter a few stools down from the other customer, and the lone waitress, a nice-looking, older woman, handed him a plastic covered menu.
“Hi there. I’m Syble. I’ll be your waitress and cook,” she said, offering him a big smile. “Can I get you something to drink while you look over the menu?”
“Uh, do you have any bottled water, like, maybe Perrier?”
She studied him a moment, then chuckled. “Honey, if you want water, what you get here is whatever comes out of the tap.”
Perseus had to take a few seconds to recall if he had ever had water from a tap. “Oh. Yeah, I suppose that would be okay. Sure. Does it come with ice?”
Syble laughed. “I’ll put some ice in it for you, honey, no extra charge.” She walked away still chuckling.
"Captivating with colorful characters and a very engaging and unlikely protagonist. Interweaves Choctaw culture, legend and morality with current day issues, cattle ranching, and interpersonal relationships. The story line moves along quickly with unforeseen twists that keep the reader engaged and anxious for the next plot spin to unfold."
Carol Williams
“Hold on to your hats as John R. York's latest novel takes you on a thrilling ride! Trouble in Choctaw County, is a real gun toting Sci-Fi story that takes you on quite an adventure! A modern day tale in rural Oklahoma that involves cowboys and dragons! The story has you rooting for the good guys and the dragons! York has a knack for developing his book characters. His latest novel is a real page turner that leaves you wanting more! Intriguing story and clever writing. Once again John R. York is at the top of his game.”
Ellen Massena
“Fantastic. This is John York's niche. Follows along the same wonderful lines as his previous work. The story had me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. By integrating the real and unreal together he shows that reality can be shitty and wonderful at the same time. I only hope to see Ittikana again.”
Richard Murdock