Member Since:
Jan. 25, 2010
Don Westenhaver
Biography
As a boy I planned to become a Catholic priest, but I dropped out of the seminary because I didn’t want someone else controlling my life. Making the same mistake a second time, I enlisted in the Marine Corps. The Marines trained me to be a Vietnamese interpreter, so I expected to be assigned to a glamorous intelligence unit. When I landed in Vietnam in April 1967 the USMC assigned me to an infantry company near the DMZ. They didn’t need an interpreter and gave me a rifle and a radio to haul through the jungle. I was quickly promoted to sergeant because the more senior radiomen kept getting shot.
Back in the USA I finished college and became a finance executive in the oil industry, traveling frequently to Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. The travels expanded my view of the world and made me appreciate other cultural values. Paradoxically I also learned to appreciate the United States more. It is the best country on earth, but there are things we can learn from others. After the oil business I moved to Nissan’s national headquarters, where I remained until retirement.
I have been married to my wife Ellie for over 40 years. We live in Southern California and have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. We are retired and spend much of our time assisting four different charities. We also love traveling, reading, golfing, and of course hanging out with the grandkids. I am a member of the Southern California Writers Association and the Military Writers Society of America.
Back in the USA I finished college and became a finance executive in the oil industry, traveling frequently to Asia, Europe, Latin America and Africa. The travels expanded my view of the world and made me appreciate other cultural values. Paradoxically I also learned to appreciate the United States more. It is the best country on earth, but there are things we can learn from others. After the oil business I moved to Nissan’s national headquarters, where I remained until retirement.
I have been married to my wife Ellie for over 40 years. We live in Southern California and have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. We are retired and spend much of our time assisting four different charities. We also love traveling, reading, golfing, and of course hanging out with the grandkids. I am a member of the Southern California Writers Association and the Military Writers Society of America.
Where to find Don Westenhaver online
Website: http://www.DonWestenhaver.com
Books
Missing Star
by Don Westenhaver
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 92,090.
Language:
English.
Published: January 7, 2018
.
Categories:
Fiction » Historical » USA, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Crime thriller
Missing Star takes place in Long Beach, California in 1919. Danny Parker, a pilot wounded in the Great War, returns home hoping to reconcile with his former girlfriend who is now a silent movie star. But Joyce has disappeared. As Danny searches for Joyce, clues lead him to an aviation pioneer, a corrupt police department, a big tent evangelist, and a former circus showman.
Alexander's Lighthouse
by Don Westenhaver
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 133,930.
Language:
American English.
Published: September 3, 2012
.
Categories:
Fiction » Historical » Classical Greece & Rome, Fiction » Thriller & suspense » Action & suspense
In 92 AD, Alexandria Egypt is the unchallenged pinnacle of Western intellectual achievement. A melting pot of Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, and Romans, the city frequently boils over into violence. A young engineer finds himself caught between the Romans and rebel forces as he helps invent the most powerful weapon in the world.
The Whiplash Hypothesis
by Don Westenhaver
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 102,830.
Language:
English.
Published: March 30, 2010
.
Categories:
Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Historical » General
In 1967, Marine officer Sam Weber is sent on a top secret mission to destroy an enemy arms depot run by a wealthy Chinese named Sing Han. There Sam meets Sing Han’s daughter, Liang, who helps him escape. In 1984 Sam and Liang meet again and fall in love. Sing Han has been plotting for years to destroy the U.S economy by manipulating the global price of oil. Only Sam and Liang stand in his way.
The Red Turtle Project
by Don Westenhaver
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 140,590.
Language:
English.
Published: February 19, 2010
.
Categories:
Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Historical » General
Liang Weber inherits a fortune from Sing Han, her gangster father when a rival gang assassinates him and then comes after her. She donates the money to a secret project which will ultimately transform Vietnam from Communist to Capitalist, from one of the world’s poorest countries into the newest Asian Tiger. But the gang has infiltrated the project, using it to take control of Vietnam.
Nero's Concert
by Don Westenhaver
Price:
$3.99 USD.
Words: 119,010.
Language:
English.
Published: February 8, 2010
.
Categories:
Fiction » Thriller & suspense » General, Fiction » Historical » Classical Greece & Rome
Rome has burned to the ground, and Emperor Nero orders his friend Rusticus to find proof that the Christians caused the fire. Instead Rusticus discovers three murdered senators and signs that he may be next. He also falls in love with Camilia, not knowing she is a Christian and has introduced his daughter to the secret religion. Will he be loyal to Nero or to the woman who lied to him?