[Garnet Gamecock]

Here is a synopsis of some of the action or key elements (trying not to give it all away):

1) Kayakers attacked by orcas (freak accident; orcas are not normally aggressive toward humans -- indirect tribute to Dawn Brancheau at USC with a positive message about nature)

2) Mountain lion attack during a blizzard (the mountain lion was starving to death -- I explain why in the book; again, a positive message about nature)

3) Interaction between a wolverine and a Gigantopithecus (Originally in China; believed to have died out 20,000 years ago; nearly ten foot tall hominoid which now has a remnant population surviving in the Pacific Northwest, aka Sasquatch)

4) National Geographic expedition to the Amazon to photograph the Mapinguari (cryptid most likely to be a remnant Giant Ground Sloth)

5) Special group of Canadian Girl Scouts ("Girl Guides" is what the Canucks call them) who are all totally deaf -- they go on a survival trek in the Olympic National Park of Washington state.

6) Young Kenyan girl who saves her little brother from an attack by a black mamba.

7) Shrunken head and voodoo dolls sent as a warning from a serial killer.

8) Marine Corps extraction team using Ospreys (vertical take-off and landing) for a combination rescue/search and destroy mission.

9) Rare arctic supercell which meteorologists name Rasputin. Has all the traits of a tropical hurricane, but much more deadly and totally unpredictable.

10) Karelian bear dogs for search and rescue, black footed ferret, wolverine, australian shepherd, cougar, golden eagle, bald eagle, three-toed sloth

11) First tissue sample from a real Gigantopithecus

12) World famous athlete and his supermodel wife (who is a top designer) -- these are real people that you might recognize