Book excerpt: Marcus recently left a senior executive position and is adjusting to his new life as what a friend has labeled him: a Renaissance man. During this period of adjustment from profit- and process-driven, almost manic, activity to a more leisurely pace, he is researching many interests to keep his brain active in order to maintain his sanity. Among other things, he is traveling extensively, with his camera, finding and enjoying many different experiences. He is based in downtown Chicago and from there stays busy by working for some local charities and remains in touch with the world of business through the almost compulsory consultancy work expected from retired executives. This aspect of his life is as near as he ever is likely to get to the state of normal. His friends keep reminding him about the need to become grounded, a condition he never wants to be in full time. He finds travel and writing pleasurable ways to pass the time, but do they feed the inner man? As a financially independent and self-labeled man of the world, he thinks not. He has therefore set out on a quest to see if true love exists and if there is a soul mate out there just for him. He has been close to true love a few times, but so far he has not experienced the really deep emotional connection with another person that he believes exists. He has yet to see it or find it, which is why he has set out on a mission to see if he can find real deep, true love. To record his adventures and emotions, he decided to write three books to help him find what he is looking for. The first book, 21 Days to Love, has been published. It explains the beginning of his mission, which started with an intense and powerful love affair with Tina. That relationship ended, and shortly afterward he met Anastasia. They went on a twenty-one day journey and fell in love with each other a little, or maybe a lot. This second book details his confusion at deciding who he is and where he is going, as reflected in the titleStory Without End. The third book will be written in 2014 to document the outcome of this journey and if he did indeed find the love he is seeking. The travel aspects of the first two books are largely actual and factual. 21 Days to Love includes visits to Paris, Ireland, London, Marrakech, New Orleans, Santorini, and Malaysia. Story Without End contains travel to Madeira, the Canary Islands, Spain, Key West, Grand Cayman, New Orleans, Wales, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, and the Brazilian Amazon. Some of the characters in the books are real, but most are not. They have been created in the imagination of Marcus. Along with the love relationships and passionate encounters, they are part of his delusional quest for a soul mate.