Seven friends set out on a Fourth of July vacation that soon becomes sinister. Their fun trip soon fills to the brim with steamy suspense once they dock near the sleepy town of Avalon. Paranoia in the group runs high after they hear about the successful cloning of Dolly the Sheep. But is 1996 the first time an animal has been successfully cloned or the first time that the public finds out? Friendships are tested and motives come into question when a member of the group begins to act differently after adventuring on the island. The situation of once unfounded paranoia spirals into actual terror when a member of the crew mysteriously disappears.

Up until 1980, less than 50 brave souls had managed the monumental open-ocean solo swim from the SoCal coast to Catalina Island. But that's exactly what Cal, a simple burger artist, sets out to do in Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid. In the clammy coastal town of No Palms, Chip Rock and his pals have aged out of the pathetic orphanage known as Boys Hall. 27 miles across the channel, Catalina Island sits in the haze. Catalina Kid tells the saga of Chip's lifelong friend, Cal, an industrious yet unsettled dreamer, looking for a meaningful role in his world. Following a seemingly random remark, Cal shocks the community when he embarks on a daring 27-mile open-water swim to Catalina Island. His daunting attempt will captivate the entire town, including: Haley, the tenacious heart-throb who entangles Cal's swirling emotions; and Sherwin, a 5 year-old pipsqueak and cheerleader. As Haley helps in her mysterious ways, and the waves pound the No Palms cliffs, Cal's harrowing attempt turns perilous, drawing the entire town into the physical and emotional trials of his punishing adventure. The suspense builds from the moment Cal dips his toe in the water. Catalina Kid reveals the unlikely hero in all of us, and how ordinary people react to extraordinary situations. Chip Rock and the Catalina Kid is the nail-biting sequel to Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart. Michael Daswick's first book, Chip Rock and the Fat Old Fart, is a novel about revelations, underdogs, the fragile threads that hold families together, and fatherhood. This sequel, Chip Rock and The Catalina Kid, explores the strength of dreams and the unexpected pursuits of heroism.