Heart of Gold , this historical novel is Book Two, in Under the Canyon Sky: about the early Grand Canyon pioneers. It is the story of gold discovery, copper mines, rockslides, outlaws, beer-drinking burros, a railway on the brink, conflicting federal regulations, and badgering by a flourishing commercial tourist industry that fiercely opposes independents. Monte Bridgestone – miner, trail-builder, guide, hotel manager, and homesteader on the South Rim. He becomes emotionally attached to the Grand Canyon and advocates its protection for future generations to behold, experience and cherish. Kirby and Sabrina O’Brien – their romance springs from below the rim and their life together evolves from prospecting to ranching. They work to preserve the legacy of the canyon pioneers by planning and financing a Canyon Pioneers Museum. Clint McCarty – Monte’s mining partner until a falling out over his rampant abuse of mining laws. He opposes making the Canyon a national park and wants it all for himself. His proliferation of mining claims hinders administrative control of the Canyon. Teddy Roosevelt – in his notorious address on the South Rim, he asks that the Canyon remain void of anything manmade. He establishes Grand Canyon National Monument, and twice returns for adventurous canyon mule trips. “Follow the twists and turns of mining, politics and romance in Heart of Gold , Dick Brown's well-written continuing saga of pioneer life at the Grand Canyon. A definite page turner!” — Dr. Gary Fogel , Author and Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University The Grand Canyon’s long journey from unexplored wilderness to a great American national park involves tangled bureaucracy, greedy schemes, fraudulent mining claims, and competition between favored commercial operators and private entrepreneurs. The government’s rough start in managing this natural wonder and the pioneers conducting their own tourism enterprises create bitter conflicts that last for decades. Dick Brown has always been fascinated by western history - mountain men, wagon trains, gold rushes, cattle drives, notorious outlaws, ghost towns, and transcontinental railroads; however, he has concentrated much of his recent writing on one region of the American West in particular - the Grand Canyon. He has spent decades researching the early pioneers and the Canyon's bumpy road from unbridled backcountry to a national park. It is the venerable pioneers of the late nineteenth century, with their struggles to survive and thrive on the ragged edge of this tremendous abyss, that inspired Dick to write this historical novel. The story is based on his own exploration below the rims of the Canyon, on the Colorado River, on the twisted trails, on a mule named Hank, in the copper mines, and at the sites of primitive camps and lodges of a bygone era. During his writing career, Dick has authored and co-authored five award-winning books and has been published in numerous periodicals. He is a retired systems engineer and president of the Grand Canyon Historical Society. As a former Navy submariner, he is a regular contributor to the journal The Submarine Review. He is also past editor of the magazine Ballooning. Dick lives in the forested mountains of central New Mexico, enjoying retirement with his wife and two feral cats.