The Venerable Bead

As the story begins...It is the early 1970s when every American man woman and child is fighting the threat of Communist invasion. Leila Aluja an Iraqi-American lawyer becomes a film star as part of her job with the governments top counter-espionage unit in an effort to track down a ring of Sino-Albanian spies operating out of Hollywoods most powerful talent agency. Leila accomplishes her mission but not before she falls in love with Albanian spymaster Josef Shqitonja and compromises her organization by allowing him to escape bringing an end to her budding undercover career. . Leila bounces back to become a partner of Washingtons largest lobbying firm representing the National Gun Carriers Association C.A.N.C.E.R. (Center for American National Cigarette Education and Research) and Barkers Hill Enterprises investment arm of organized crime. From her law practice Leila moves onto public relations and then to the head of the worlds largest fast-food conglomerate all the while separated from her true love Shqitonja as he scours Albania for a secret life-prolonging yogurt formula. . Despite the occasional not to say habitual affairs daliances and marriages Leila and Shqitonja cling to their love for each other - until the secret of the yogurt finally reunites them. More than just a love story The Venerable Bead is a saga of love for self money unassailable corruption and power. All just kidding of course.