by Guy Franks (Author)
Based on a true story, The Heights of Mountains tells the tale of CrestPoint
Communications, a start-up company founded in the late 90's during the
Dot-com boom. It follows the classic arc of tragedy-the rise and fall of great
ambition-from humble beginnings in a studio apartment in Silicon Valley to
exuberant growth, early success, and a sudden gut-wrenching ending.
There is the brilliant and capricious Marty Madrid, CEO of CrestPoint, who quotes
the Grateful Dead and envisions himself as the next Steve Jobs. Russ Chappel
is the sophisticate of the group, witty, charming and devilishly handsome, who
beds and then discards beautiful women with an easy nonchalance. His first
lieutenant, Mark Kirkland, is a driven, self-made man in search of something
more-something eternal to fill the dark hole in his soul, while Stuart Baum,
the CFO of CrestPoint, will do "whatever it takes," including fraud and
blackmail, to stay atop the mountain. Then there is Gwen Novak, a talented
and ambitious outsider, who is brought in as president to right the ship but has
dirty secrets of her own and a cutthroat plan to save the company.
Part homage to Harold Robbins, The Heights of Mountains, provides a lively
and engaging narrative filled with unforgettable characters, stylish smut,
and multiple subplots. It depicts the inner workings of corporate America
with candid accuracy while capturing an era in our history acclaimed for its
revolutionary technology-an era equally marked by hip self-absorption and
streaks of foolhardiness. But despite the madcap ambitions and shattered
dreams, the heartbeat of this sprawling saga is one of redemptive love and
spiritual enlightenment.