(October 28, 2002; Chicago, IL) – It is often said that, “truth, is the first casualty of war.” If this is so, then humanity must be its close second.

This is the premise explored by The Sayings, a political counter-thriller set in the midst of the new war on terrorism that defies the black-and-white portrayals of good and evil which always seem to overtake the popular mentality in times of war. It is the story of a young woman officer captured in Northern Iraq by a Kurdish relief doctor believed to have Soviet smallpox weapons. Seen through the eyes of her fellow captives (members of her military intelligence unit), the heroine takes the thinking reader with her on an incredible yet plausible journey that challenges their deepest convictions to the core.

As the doctor leads his American captives deep into the heart of Kurdistan, the young officer struggles to uncover whether her captor is a maligned humanitarian or a demented terrorist. What she discovers along the way tells her so much more – about herself, about her enemy, and about the common humanity that they both share. All the while, the reader is left wondering until the very end (and maybe beyond) whether the villain turns out to be a hero, the hero a villain, or neither, or both. It all depends on your point of view, which is one of the main points of this controversial tale.

At 132 pages, The Sayings can be read in one long sitting (and probably will be for most readers, given the page-turning intensity of its twisting plot). The book marks the debut of W.C. Scheurer, a former lay minister, lawyer and technology entrepreneur, now turned full-time writer. This story was inspired in part by the fact that one of his daughters was a U.S. army intelligence officer who did a tour in Kuwait.

To order a copy of The Sayings (Hourglass Books, ISBN: 0-9725254-0-8) from Barnes & Noble visit www.hourglassbooks.com

To schedule an interview with Mr. Scheurer contact Ms. Randi Layne, Editor, at editor@hourglassbooks.com or 847-370-3412.