Alaskan Chronicles fans need look no further than the front cover, to know this book is a dramatic change from CloudDancer’s first two humorous literary efforts. The new cover reflects the somber theme of the stories within. So what’s happened? Did Cloudy run out of funny stories? No.

CloudDancer still loves a good laugh or great flying story. When combined, all is right with the world. (Adding a gorgeous dame and a Bacardi and Coke helps too.) Another volume of Arctic flying funnies someday is a given.

But, a while back, desperate to find an inner peace, and extinguish smoldering embers of anger that had glowed within for decades, CloudDancer wrote"Chains and Padlocks.“ It recounts the loss of two people he loved deeply. Internet response was overwhelmingly positive. And CloudDancer felt the exercise had helped to keep the inner demons at bay.

Thus the genesis of this book; a collection of drama-filled tragedies. The little humor within is mostly ironic. All are written from the perspective of his direct involvement, as either a participant, or an observer of the drama. Seems Arctic flying, while mostly fun, is not always funny. All too often, people get killed doing it. Sometimes they’re your friends.