Archives > Mesquite News > News
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Mesquite author tells of personal quest for gold
By Candace Foots, Staff Writer
Through RoseDog Books, local author John Bavender tells the story of his quest to determine what happened to the treasures of the Asian nations that were plundered by the Japanese army during World War II.
In his book, Hey You AU (Secret) Gold, Bavender recounts his travels in the Philippines and his encounters with local citizens there who had quantities of gold for sale.
Bavender says the gold was typically available only in very large amounts and had to be sold quickly. It also was the responsibility of the buyer to transport the gold out of the country once it had been purchased.
“Time gets away, but in the Philippines there is no time or schedule to keep,” Bavender say. “Once the Filipinos realize you have an interest in their gold, and you make arrangement to meet with them, they seem to disappear back into the mountains.”
During his stay in the Philippines, Bavender kept a detailed log of events about the places he visited and the people he met. Upon his return to the United States, he decided to share the information he had gathered to add an element of finality to the rumors hidden in the Philippines.
“Each night while in the Philippines, I recorded what happened that day, Bavender said. “I thought about giving up, but I had so much information and so many leads that I had to tell my story of what I knew.”
According to Bavender, Hey You AU (Secret) Gold appeals primarily to WWII Pacific Theater members, but also captivates those interested in historical events.
As a new author, Bavender found it difficult to find a publisher who was willing to take a chance on publishing his work. Once his manuscript was accepted by RoseDog Books, Hey You AU (Secret) Gold was completed within five months.
Although RoseDog Books was willing to take him on as a new author, Bavender found some drawbacks to enlisting the services of the print-on-demand publisher.
“What was published was not my original story,” said Bavender. “My original manuscript was written in present tense. but Rosedog Books wanted the story to be written in past tense.”
“So much time had passed since I had written my original manuscript, so rewriting the story in past tense was the most challenging part of my publishing experience,” Bavender said.
In terms of his quest for gold, Bavender says he feels that he was never given enough information about the treasure contained in the Philippines. However, his story is a treasure in its own right. It is the account of a story that has been continuing to unfold for the past 60 years.
“The U.S. Government says there isn’t much gold bouillon in the Philippines, but I concluded that there is indeed gold there, but in large quantities scattered all over the country,” Bavender said. “But the rumors that quantities of gold exist in the Philippines are true, and I was able to see that firsthand.”
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: News «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
