The Vitaman

Still reeling from his divorce, Larry Stoddard, international sales Ace for VitaMan Inc., is sent to exotic Thailand by his bullying boss to investigate a mysterious plant rumored to be the most potent love potion on Earth. But he is not alone on this quest. Sleazy business spies, alluring honey traps, seductive transvestites, bizarre nightclubs, murderous thugs, awkward cultural shocks, supernatural wonders, and meals that would call for an exterminator are just a few of the surprises "The Land of Smiles" has in store for the unsuspecting Larry. And things don't improve when he falls head over heels in love with the soulful bar girl Lili. Together with the enigmatic tuk-tuk driver Somsak as his not always subtle guide, Larry sets out on a colorful overland motorbike trek across Thailand, an odyssey for the twenty-first century. Mountains, river rafting, puzzling caves, remote jungles and opium fields are some of the things Larry has to face, sometimes with grit, sometimes with trepidation, but always driven by Somsak's wisdom, quiet humor and Lili's hold on his heart. It's a journey that proves to be the greatest adventure of his life and it's not before long Larry begins to learn that sometimes one has to get lost in order to find one's way... About the Author: John Dahlgren, is a psychologist and an award winning writer. He has been working as a marketing director for a pharmaceutical company in Switzerland since 1998. Born in Stockholm, Sweden, he grew up close to the vast and untamed landscapes of Scandinavia, and was influenced from an early age by the Nordic sagas, fairy tales, and mythologies. This environment triggered his imagination and later inspired him to become a fiction writer. He has studied creative and fiction writing at Oxford University where he got high praise for his work. Dahlgren is an avid traveler and has spent a long time in South-East Asia, including Thailand. Currently engaged in several book projects for both younger r