About the Book

Will your life click away as a montage before your eyes when Death comes? Will it be a car wreck or cancer? Will Death appear to you as a skull-faced ghoul or avuncular guide? Rest assured, you will certainly meet him.

Since humans became human, Death has harvested. Over the millennia, he has occasionally revealed himself to mortals. Nick, as a pre-teen, meets the specter after surviving a near miss. Throughout Nick's life, Death appears on no set schedule, their conversations a mix of reveal and closely held answers to Nick's questions: Is there a God? Is there any kind of life after death? How do you maintain such a nice tan?

Nick's search for answers continues throughout his life, at times an accepted reality, at others causing Nick debilitating pain and anger. As years tick away, Nick realizes the many cultural and spiritual differences in dealing with and accepting Death, leading him to a personal understanding that helps him cope. Nick's story will bring hope to some, peace to many, and acceptance to most, as we all must ultimately face our own last goal.

About the Author

Michael O'Neal's interest in death and dying has been there since childhood. As a teacher, he continued education in classes focused on suicide intervention, philosophy, cultural studies, and death and dying. An enlightening experience happened when he presented a salon class on death and dying at a women's prison. A Native American woman confided in O'Neal that she'd had the Kubler-Ross experience of seeing the light.

A master's degree in multicultural education, international travel, and years of living overseas gave O'Neal adjusted perceptions of Death. Being run over as a kid, two close friends committing suicide, and assisting his brother with a dignified death, motivated O'Neal to write The Last Goal.