About the Author:

R. M. Wheeler

A natural-born promoter/producer who feels a spiritual calling to aid the needy and the underdog, R. M. Wheeler has been in love with the Mighty Mississippi ever since he began working on the river at age seventeen. He made 3rd Engineer in 30 days, serving in a diesel engine room where he lost part of his hearing and learned to read lips. Having proved himself particularly adroit at making connections and handling mechanical equipment, he landed a job on a government steamboat as an oiler and striker, and quickly rose through the ranks to fireman and water tender. He left before moving up to steam engineering.

After Mr. Wheeler moved to dry land, he embarked on a multi-pronged career, serving as land-clearing broker as well as doing levy work for several companies, including International Paper Co. Concurrently he also worked on a mobilized concrete cross-tie machine with a world-renowned concrete expert. Wheeler eventually moved on to other projects, including medical and hi-tech research and development. He has been awarded several utility patents for his inventions, including the concrete cross-tie machine and a cardio-vascular prep machine. Over the course of his quarter-century career as an inventor, recruiter, and deal-maker, Mr. Wheeler has also created or developed numerous other cutting-edge technological inventions, including a one-piece disposable hospital gown, a HazMat Cooling System for firefighting and biological warfare use and an orthopedic brace.

Although Wheeler’s inventions and innovations have consistently been lauded and coveted, many have never been released to the public, primarily due to others’ greed, cover-ups and lies. His concrete cross-tie machine, for example, which is still viable with several patents pending, has been stalled for decades due to investor greed. The cardio-vascular prep machine, a vital life-saving device sought by many hospitals and endorsed by insurance companies, has also been sidelined by corporate mendacity and avarice.

In both cases — and in many other situations in which Wheeler has played an innovative part — deceit and stinginess have caused loss and harm to the greedy as well as the innocent. Consequently, when Wheeler heard the story of how 1,800 people died on the Sultana as a direct result of a few mens’ lies, greed, and corruption, he realized he is the most informed person to write a novel about their lives, their unnecessary deaths, and the needless destruction of that illustrious river boat.

Because R. M. Wheeler is dedicated to providing support for orphaned and abused children, firefighters and burn victims, and Iraqi and Afghanistan war vets, a portion of the proceeds from his novel will go to benefit those victims.