Author Alex Cord (born Alex Viespi in Long Island, New York,) possesses the qualities of the quintessential Western hero-rugged, resilient, and resourceful. As a young man, he would need all those qualities, for at age twelve he was stricken with polio and confined in a hospital. It was a devastating blow to a boy who'd been riding horses ever since he was two years old. To those around him, the illness had seemingly dashed his childhood dream of becoming a professional horseman. Alex, however, remained determined. When he was sent to a Wyoming ranch for therapy, he soon displayed an uncanny knack for being able to ride even the most stubborn horses. He dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen and joined the rodeo circuit riding bulls and bareback horses. During an extended hospital stay following a horrendous spill at a rodeo in New York City's Madison Square Garden, he began to reevaluate his life's direction. After he was released, he finished high school and went on to study literature at New York University. Bitten by the acting bug, he got his start as a professional actor at the American Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Connecticut. British producer Oscar Lewenstein saw him there and invited him to London where he starred in four plays and was nominated by the London Critics' Circle for its distinguished "Best Actor Award." Alex has starred in more than 30 feature films, including Stagecoach with Bing Crosby and Ann-Margaret, The Brotherhood with Kirk Douglas, Harold Robbins' Stiletto, The Last Grenade with Richard Attenborough, and Fire with Ernest Borgnine. He has also starred in more than 300 television shows, among them Airwolf, Mission Impossible, Walker Texas Ranger, and Murder She Wrote. Throughout his life, he has maintained his love affair with horses, having competed in nearly every category of equestrian events, from roping and cutting to polo. He was a regular competitor in the Ben Johnson Pro-Celebrity Rodeos that raised money for children's charities, and he is one of the founders of the Chukkers for Charity Celebrity Polo Team which has raised more than $3 million for worthy causes. He is especially proud of Ahead with Horses, an organization he chairs that provides a therapeutic riding program for those physically and emotionally challenged. Alex and his wife Susannah now live on their horse ranch in north Texas. Susannah is a dressage trainer who works with horses in all disciplines, while Alex team ropes and rides cutters. A Feather in the Rain is Alex's second novel. His first, Sandsong, was published by Warner Books and has been bought for a feature film production. He has also written and sold three screenplays. Web site: http://www.FeatherintheRain.com ISBN 978-1-58985-011-8 $ 24.95 Published by Five Star Legends, a division of Five Star Publications Published 2005 Hardcover with Dust Jacket Main   Author   News   Interview Questions/Fact Sheet   Interviews/ Reviews   Book Tour   Excerpt   © 1996-2009 Five Star Publications, Inc.. No portion of this website may be reprinted without express written consent of Five Star Publications, Inc.