Christopher Brice's New Book Shares a Deeply Personal and Moving Account of His Life

Alexandria, LA

With his "old self" disintegrating, barriers that hinder total interaction in the moment for him no longer exist. Along with a "band" of associates often fueled by psychedelics and other contraband, he and they plow fearlessly into the nights and heights of exhilarating extremes, and thus comes "Wild Tales from the East." Life's events unfold for author Christopher Brice from Louisiana, to California, and ultimately culminate in Okinawa, Japan.

"Wild Tales from the East" is a first person, present tense recapitulation of the author's four year foray through the tumultuous period of the late sixties and early seventies. Christopher Brice enlists for four years in the US Navy as a hospital corpsman. Hurling headlong into a turbulent transitional period in the nation's history, his inner journey, in many ways, reflects the upheavals of that day. He soon finds himself in Southern California and discovers there that the simplistic world of rural Louisiana has ill prepared him for the waves of change heading his way. With the Vietnam War dividing loyalties, conflicts also abound within Brice as he searches for self-identity, his place in the sun, and that elusive thing called love.

Brice's gradual inculcation into the counterculture movement often places him in conflict with himself and the military's ideals. He struggles to bridge two worlds: one of the status quo and the other of a world that reflects his emerging sense of independence and freedom. Although he still harbors emotional attachment to a doomed illicit affair, he opts to marry a hometown girl and thus maintain normalcy. However, all wedding plans went off when he unexpectedly receives orders to go to Okinawa.

The warm, balmy, tropical island of Okinawa is tailor made for Brice. Likened to a fantasy island, it is also one ideally suited for the raucous and outrageous times of that era. He finds Okinawa to be a place that caters to the desires and appetites of those who would dare pursue them. It is a place where eroticism and mysticism meet. Into this Wild West-like cauldron, the author submerses himself. On this long and often-lonely winding road on Okinawa, Brice ultimately finds a boundless love that captures his soul, salvages and delivers him.

A unique story told through personal experience, "Wild Tales from the East" shares to readers a part of Brice's life -those turbulent, often-frightening, but always-exciting music-derived days of the late sixties and early seventies-his coming-of-age. Creatively employing song lyrics of that genre as segues, readers will be guided to and experience reading on multiple levels. For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to Xlibris.com.

About the Author
Christopher Brice was born on January 14, 1947 in Minden, LA. In 1968, he graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a BS degree in Business Administration. He is a 1980 graduate of Louisiana State University's affiliated School of Banking of the South (Baton Rouge campus). He served in the US Navy as a hospital corpsman (medic) from 1968 to 1972. He was a commercial banker from 1972 to 1989 and was the area's first black VP in commercial lending. Brice also established and served as CEO of Alpha One Enterprises, a medical supply company. He is currently retired and enjoys listening to music, reading, writing, religious philosophy, socializing, and pondering. Brice plans to move to Central America and live out his retirement days.

Wild Tales from the East* by Christopher Brice
Okinawa Nights - A Memoir
Publication Date: 4/2/2014
Trade Paperback; $15.99; 372 pages; 978-1-4931-6089-1
Trade Hardback; $22.99; 372 pages; 978-1-4931-6090-7
e-book; $3.99; 978-1-4931-6091-4

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

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