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The Dung Beetles of Liberia - Book Tour and Giveaway

8/26/2019

The Dung Beetles of Liberia
by Daniel V. Meier Jr.
Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction

Based on the remarkable true account of a young American who landed in Liberia in 1961.

Ken Verrier is not happy, nor at peace. He is experiencing the turbulence of Ishmael and the guilt of his brother's death. His sudden decision to drop out of college and deal with his demons shocks his family, his friends, and especially his girlfriend, soon to have been his fiancee. His destination: Liberia - The richest country in Africa both in monetary wealth and in natural resources.

Nothing could have prepared Ken for the experiences he was about to live through. He quickly realizes that he has arrived in a place where he understands very little of what is considered normal, where the dignity of life has little meaning, and where he can trust no one.

Flying into the interior bush as a transport pilot, Ken learns quickly. He witnesses first-hand the disparate lives of the Liberian "Country People" and the "Congo People" also known as Americo-Liberians. These descendants of President Monroe's American Colonization Policy that sent freed slaves back to Africa in the 1800's have set up a strict hierarchical society not unlike the antebellum South.

Author Dan Meier describes Ken's many escapades, spanning from horrifying to whimsical, with engaging and fast-moving narrative that ultimately describe a society upon which the wealthy are feeding and in which the poor are being buried.

It's a novel that will stay will you long after the last word has been read.

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“A short time after hiring Ku, I went into the kitchen. He was at his waiting station looking at me. I opened the door to our ancient kerosene-fired refrigerator.
“Wha you wan, boss? Ku get it fo you,” he said, slipping from the stool and putting himself between me and the contents of the refrigerator.
“Something to eat, Ku.”
“No worry, boss.” Ku said, “We ha good stew, good meat—no bush meat—and French baguettes, fresh may t’day, from da new market. Vey goo.”
“Great, Ku. If you would prepare it, I’ll have it out on the porch. That’s where I’ll be.” I retrieved a bottle of beer from the refrigerator, popped it open, and left to find a chair on the porch. Thirty minutes later Ku brought the stew and several slices from the baguette. I had been in Africa long enough to have learned that if something tastes good, don’t ask what it is. However, this time I thought I’d try:
“This is great, Ku. A little different, but delicious. What is it?”
Ku grinned. “Oh, boss, don’t worry. It white man food. I kno why you askin. It no bugabug. It not time for bugabug.”
“Bugabug? What’s bugabug?” I asked.
“Bugabug is wha ya call termites.”
“Termites? You eat termites?”
“Oh, yeah, boss. Dey good. But dey only come out two time a year.”
“How so?”
“Well, you know they live in de big big mounds. Mounds bigga n me. An every now and den, de queen, she decides to move. So dey all move. Swarms and swarms and billions and billions all leave at the same time to find a new home. An das when evybody go get ’em, cook ’em, and eat ’em. Dey real good, boss. Kinda tase lie crunchy chickin.”
“Nice to know, Ku, but when bugabug season comes, I’ll pass.”

A retired Aviation Safety Inspector for the FAA, Daniel V. Meier, Jr. has always had a passion for writing. During his college years, he studied History at The University of North Carolina Wilmington and American Literature at The University of Maryland Graduate School. In 1980 he was published by Leisure Books under the pen name of Vice Daniels. He also worked briefly for the Washington Business Journal as a journalist and has been a contributing writer/editor for several aviation magazines.

Dan and his wife live in Owings, Maryland, about twenty miles south of Annapolis and when he's not writing, they spend their summers sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.

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A few years ago, a friend of mine told me an incredible story about his time in Africa in the 1960’s.

· He’d crashed his plane in the middle of the Liberian jungle and survived. Then he told me some more stories:
· His friend was almost run over by an elephant.
· Smuggling diamonds was easy!
· He’d seen ant hills that were taller than him.
· He saw people EATING the ants!

Over and over again, I said, “You have to write this stuff down! These are great stories, and people should hear them!”
Well, finally it occurred to me that with his permission and his stories that I could write the book. Over a period of a year and a half we would go to lunch and he would regale me with one incredible story after another; and I would take notes.
It was a fun book to write but it soon became apparent that in order to write a cohesive and thematic account of his adventures, I had to rearrange his story into a novel. Most of my hero’s adventures and the Liberian political scene at the time are true, the characters and dialogue are not.
While researching Liberia, both its history and what it was like in the 1960’s I became increasingly fascinated with this country who is our African sister. This is a story that I think everyone should hear. Most have heard it, but have forgotten.
In the posts that follow I shall be showing how my new book, THE DUNG BEETLES OF LIBERIA captures the start of Liberia's tragic path toward civil war and destruction.

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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98 Comments

Bea LaRocca

8/26/2019 03:40:17 am

An intriguing synopsis and excerpt. I like the fact that this is a fictional story based on actual events. That always makes for an interesting read. Thank you for sharing the book details. I will definitely be checking this one out.

James Robert

8/26/2019 03:53:50 am

I appreciate getting to hear about your book. Thank you for sharing!

Dan Meier link

8/26/2019 11:02:35 am

Thanks. I think you’ll like it. It was a fun book to write.

Paula

8/26/2019 07:34:25 am

The cover art seems appropriate for the book. Good job.

9/2/2019 03:35:42 pm

Thanks Paula. Much appreciated.

Janet W.

8/26/2019 07:44:44 am

Sounds like such an interesting read! Love this unique cover, too!

9/2/2019 03:38:29 pm

Thanks Janet. I do hope you enjoy the story..

Shirley Ann Speakman

8/26/2019 09:09:26 am

I enjoyed the post the book sounds very intriguing and I think I'd pass on the Bugabug's too!

9/2/2019 03:42:04 pm

Thanks Shirley. I hope you like the book. Ken also passed on the sea worms.

Victoria

8/26/2019 10:31:47 am

Thanks for sharing!

daniel v. meier jr. link

9/3/2019 02:17:56 pm

Happy to do it. Hope you like the story.

Kelly D

8/26/2019 10:52:38 am

I like the cover. It is original and makes me want to know more about the book.

8/29/2019 01:41:41 pm

Thanks. I hope you enjoy it!

Rita Wray

8/26/2019 12:05:13 pm

Sounds like a good book.

Dan Meier Jr. link

9/3/2019 02:21:08 pm

So far all of the critical reviews have been good - five and four stars. I'll climb out on a limb as say it's a good book. Hope you think so.

Elaine G

8/26/2019 12:32:08 pm

Thanks for sharing the excerpt. Sounds interesting

Calvin

8/26/2019 01:35:35 pm

Sounds like some bizarre and wild adventures you've had. Well experienced traveler I see. Cool book!
Calvin

8/26/2019 04:13:31 pm

Get ready for a good ride. Some unbelievable adventures! True.

Debbie P

8/26/2019 03:33:08 pm

This book sounds like a fascinating read.

9/3/2019 02:24:29 pm

I hope so because it was fascinating to write.

Stephanie

8/26/2019 04:39:03 pm

This isn't my usual kind of read, but it sounds interesting.

9/3/2019 02:26:30 pm

Others have said the same thing, but once into the story, say they liked it. Hope you have the same experience.

wendy hutton

8/26/2019 04:44:31 pm

sounds like an interesting book, thanks

9/7/2019 11:49:07 am

Thanks, hope you like it.

SHERRY

8/26/2019 05:03:33 pm

I love the cover and look forward to reading the book.

9/7/2019 11:51:21 am

Thanks, hope you like the story.

lynn clayton

8/26/2019 07:46:59 pm

love the cover looks like a great read

9/7/2019 11:53:02 am

Thanks, hope you like the story. If you don't tell me why.

Kelly Nicholson

8/26/2019 09:16:46 pm

What do you think of the book or the cover?

im guessing nothing to do with john,paul,george and ringo

9/2/2019 03:51:02 pm

Kelly, I thing with all of the difficulties involved i.e. time compression, order of events, choice of 1st, 2nd or 3rd person, characterisation etc. the story turned out better than I expected. Unfortunately, the story has nothing to do with the Beatles but everything to do, metaphorically speaking, with those pesky D Beetles.

Beyond Comps

8/27/2019 04:49:17 am

Nice cover!

Lucinda E Clarke link

8/27/2019 06:36:18 am

Wow i am so impressed with the length of this blog tour. All the best Dan.

8/27/2019 03:55:47 pm

Thanks Lucinda!

Sara Zielinski

8/27/2019 12:06:26 pm

I think this book has an extremely impressive cover.

Victoria Scott

8/27/2019 05:03:12 pm

Thank you for sharing!

Susan Smith

8/27/2019 08:31:47 pm

Sounds like an interesting book and so is the cover.

Terri Quick

8/27/2019 09:16:15 pm

Thank you for this awesome giveaway

Kristen

8/28/2019 02:03:01 pm

The cover is very bold and grabs your eye.

Marcy Meyer

8/28/2019 04:34:53 pm

This sounds like a really good read. Thanks for sharing.

Dana Scott

8/28/2019 06:02:30 pm

I definitely am digging the premise of this book!

Mary Cloud

8/28/2019 08:53:36 pm

No questions - the cover is interesting

Nicole Fall

8/29/2019 09:25:52 am

What an interesting cover! Very intriguing!

Michelle H.

8/29/2019 09:59:00 am

I appreciate how the author drew information from his friend's experience in Africa.

Sandy Klocinski

8/29/2019 01:08:56 pm

I am so happy to have found your book. Awesome job on the cover. Very cool indeed!

9/7/2019 11:56:20 am

I hope you like the story, Sandy and I'm very happy that you found the book.

beth shepherd

8/29/2019 01:30:56 pm

I really like the cover. It def draws me in. Thank you

Amy F

8/29/2019 06:12:25 pm

Intriguing title and cover design!

Serge B

8/29/2019 08:29:21 pm

Very unique cover, nice artwork

Christie R

8/30/2019 03:41:38 pm

I like the cover. When I first saw the title, I thought it might be about entomology - LOL. The cover showed me otherwise and I am intrigued!

https://twitter.com/lydiagoodman2/status/1167567029592739840?s=20

8/30/2019 05:40:42 pm

The cover is bold and unique. I like it.

Sarah L

8/31/2019 02:04:50 am

Looks like an interesting book.
Thanks for the contest.

Del

8/31/2019 10:21:24 pm

The cover looks great.

Amy Green

9/1/2019 06:52:12 pm

My question for the author is: With your background in journalism, would you ever consider writing a thriller that had a journalist as the main character?

Dan Meie link

9/2/2019 11:54:11 am

Yes Amy, I think that a journalist would be an excellent choice as the main character in a mystery/thriller. In fact, a journalist would be perfect for many situations. After all, it's a journalist job, even responsibility, to search for the truth among the rubble of deceptions, liles and chaos left by unscrupulous people. Remember, it was a journalist who exposed the covey of thieves and con men at ERON. And a journalist who exposed Elisabeth Homes as the charlatan who milked hundreds of people out their life savings by setting up a phony blood testing company that had all of the surface sheen and glitter of a sophisticated high-tech company, and lets not forger Bernie Madoff, the king of con men.

If you are planning to write a novel with a journalist as hero or heroine, I say go for it there's a lot of material out there.

Dan Meier (Dung Beetles of Liberia)

athena graeme

9/3/2019 02:26:59 pm

That's the coolest cover ever!

Ann Fantom

9/3/2019 04:31:23 pm

I like the cover. It is very interesting

jan

9/4/2019 03:08:13 pm

that is a super cool cover

Emmaline

9/5/2019 02:50:53 am

Has your friend read your book about his story? What did he think? :o

9/7/2019 12:00:50 pm

Yes, he read the proof and added a few corrections. He actually likes it although he said that the protagonist in the story is a much nicer guy.

Stephanie Liske

9/5/2019 05:08:10 pm

The cover is interesting.

Leah Cavendish

9/7/2019 06:24:40 pm

The book sounds amazing and the cover looks great.

Barbara Montag

9/8/2019 07:52:42 pm

This sounds like an interesting book - sure to keep my attention.
And a great cover.

Jennifer Sparks

9/9/2019 04:56:10 pm

Sounds like an interesting read. You saw people eating the ants? I have ants in my house and that just turns my stomach to read that, haha. Exterminator coming tomorrow.

9/19/2019 11:57:42 am

Jennifer, it's been my experience that people who are hungry, and I mean people who haven't eaten in weeks or people on diets so poor in nutrients that they will eat anything..

bn100

9/9/2019 11:30:01 pm

cool cover

Mya Murphy

9/10/2019 04:35:32 pm

Books based on actual events always gets my interests up.. I can't wait to read this!!

9/19/2019 11:59:56 am

Let me know if you do like it or even if you don't

Justine Kinch

9/10/2019 10:22:33 pm

Very interesting.

Danny

9/13/2019 11:30:29 pm

The cover art is super cool! It's really striking and catches the eye.

Celeste Herrin

9/14/2019 12:06:03 am

Interesting unique cover that lures you in to know more about the book!

Piroska

9/14/2019 04:27:33 pm

It sounds like a fascinating book!

Christy Leonard

9/15/2019 05:28:18 am

The book sounds awesome. I loved reading about your travels

Nikki

9/15/2019 08:48:44 pm

It's a very intriguing cover. It screams political.

9/19/2019 12:04:30 pm

Glad you noticed that, Nikki. The book does have a strong political theme i.e., what happens to a nation when it's ruled and dominated by a small , privileged, wealthy elite.

Lorena Keech

9/16/2019 05:00:48 pm

I admit I do pick books from the cover, at least some of the time. And this cover is definitely an eye catcher.

Pauline Milner

9/18/2019 05:59:40 am

Dung Beetles of Liberia takes us on a journey to a place in this world that few of us know anything about. To learn about these little known societies is both informative and reminds us how lucky we are.

9/19/2019 12:13:00 pm

Yes Pauline, we are lucky because, like the Americo-Liberians, we don't seem to learn from history what happened to a nation when it's ruled by an entrenched, privileged elite. Liberia, France, Russia, China and even fifth century BC Athens paid the price, but so far we have escaped what happened to them..

Heather Mahley

9/18/2019 05:08:18 pm

Love the cover

Catelyn

9/19/2019 12:36:58 am

The cover is eye-catching!

catelyn link

9/19/2019 12:16:11 pm

Thanks, Catelyn. Hope you like the story.

Rebecca W

9/19/2019 01:52:45 pm

The book sounds intriguing and like it would be fun to read.

Daniel M

9/19/2019 07:18:17 pm

like the cover

Mood Reader

9/22/2019 01:38:32 pm

Looks like an interesting read! :)

Laurie Nykaza

9/22/2019 05:39:30 pm

I like the graphics on the cover. Sounds like a very interesting book to read too.

samantha

9/23/2019 01:47:19 pm

Is it based on real life? If not where did you get the inspiration?

9/25/2019 02:14:36 pm

Yes, Samantha. it is based on some of the experiences of a good friend of mine who was a bush pilot in Liberia at the time of this story.. And some is based on my interest in history, and my understanding of "the human condition." More is based on simple story telling. If you buy the book I hope you like it.

heather

9/23/2019 02:42:35 pm

This so sounds like one that I would love to read this fall season and I love the cover too.

Francine Anchondo

9/24/2019 02:20:54 pm

I like the cover

Shane A

9/24/2019 11:31:41 pm

Do you ever do any of your writing outside in nature?

9/25/2019 02:08:18 pm

It sounds like an intriguing idea but, no, there are too many wonderful distractions out there. I prefer to be alone in a small room with no window or the blinds drawn if there is a window - no pictures on the walls, no music, nothing to deter my assent into the world of imagination.. .

Melissa

9/25/2019 07:19:50 am

i like thats its based on real life adventures!

Lisa Ellison

9/25/2019 04:39:19 pm

I like the cover and the book sounds interesting!

Michelle Tucker

9/25/2019 10:16:34 pm

The cover is different...so it really draws you in. :)

Dorothy Boucher

9/26/2019 12:23:08 pm

Great post and that cover is pretty amazing!!
@tisonlyme143

Hesper Fry

9/26/2019 04:42:19 pm

The book cover is very interesting. Makes me wonder what the book is all about.

Rosanne

9/26/2019 09:22:27 pm

Not a big fan of bugs but I do like how it looks like it's holding a gun

Leah Shumack

9/26/2019 10:38:20 pm

I'm not really a bug fan but this cover is pretty cool!

Jerry Marquardt

9/26/2019 11:51:55 pm

I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including The Dung Beetles of Liberia, and wishing the best in keeping up the good work in the future.

The Dung Beetles of Liberia - Book Tour and Giveaway

The Dung Beetles of Liberia
by Daniel V. Meier Jr.
Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction

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The Dung Beetles of Liberia - Book Tour and Giveaway

The Dung Beetles of Liberia by Daniel V. Meier Jr. Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction

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Categories

Archives

The Dung Beetles of Liberia
by Daniel V. Meier Jr.
Genre: Adventure, Historical Fiction