eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards, 2013 Runner-Up in General Fiction Book 1 of the Bahia de Sueños Novels Jalal Vaziri has looks, money, women--and a habit of running from reality. Convinced he's only running from a father who hates him, a career mistake, and endless partying, he abandons Wall Street and reinvents himself as a poet in a California beach house. A fresh start is all he needs. When Meredith, an intriguing older woman enters his life, he believes all his dreams are coming true. But too soon those dreams dissolve into nightmare. Jalal flees again. He's nearing the point of no return when young and feisty Renee blocks his retreat and challenges him to finally face the truth about what he's trying to outrun. In this contemporary tale of love, loss, and redemption, a desperate man discovers his salvation lies in an unlikely source.