"My heart sank. I dumped my father’s ashes in the heart of communist Vietnam – over a thousand miles from the death of his comrades – over a thousand miles from the smile of that girl. How could I have been so stupid?"

Only the bumbling, overweight, thirtyish, stay-at-home Martin Kinney could have mistakenly flubbed his dying father’s request with such gusto. This thousand mile mistake awakens the ghosts of long-held family secrets and puts Martin on a fateful course with an unlikely romantic interest – a young, beautiful, yet troubled Vietnamese woman named My Phuong.

With its cross-cultural setting and unlikely romance, the 61,000 word novel Beauty Rising creates a powerful, unique voice in today’s literature. In a swift-moving, dialogue-driven prose which is funny, honest, tragic and unpredictable, Beauty Rising explores the depths of culture, family, and love as the Vietnam War, a generation removed, continues to hang on the periphery of society, cursing families and causing destruction.

Mark W. Sasse teaches drama, history, and English when he isn't writing. He lived in Vietnam for nearly ten years which provided the rich background of modern day Vietnam in the novel "Beauty Rising". He is passionate about live theater and has published a series of plays of different genres including "Spy Blue", "Take Two: Who Directs Your Life", "Life with Stewart" and "Fifteen 10-Minute Plays for the Stage." He also produced and directed all of these as original stage productions.

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### Review

"Author Mark W. Sasse has written an emotionally charged and engrossing story. . . .The two main characters, Martin and My Phoung, are portrayed with great depth of emotion and their quest for redemption and self-acceptance is stunning.... I can't say enough about this book; it's a story that you don't want to miss!!"   - Marilou George, Kindle Book Review

### About the Author

Mark W. Sasse was born in Western Pennsylvania, but has lived in Vietnam and Malaysia for most of the past two decades. He has degrees in English and history, and currently teaches drama, speech, and history in Penang - his tropical island of inspiration. 

Sasse is passionate about drama, and has written, produced, and directed nearly ten full-length productions including "Life with Stewart", "Spy Blue", "Take Two" & "Romans on the Couch." His works are known for being plot-driven with strong characters all having something to say through meaningful, thought-provoking dialogue.

His more recent endeavors include co-founding a high-school drama troupe called "The RLT Players", who produce original, funny, and poignant short plays.

**Complete List of Works**

2014 Novel "The Reach of the Banyan Tree" 

2013 Novel "The Recluse Storyteller" (Kindle/Paperback)

2013 Play "Granparents' War" (Kindle/Paperback)

2012 Novel "Beauty Rising" (Kindle/Paperback)

2012 Play "Life with Stewart" (Paperback)

2011 Novella "Spy Blue" (Kindle/Paperback)

2010 Play "Spy Blue" (Paperback)

2009 Musical Play "Take Two" (Paperback)

2008 Musical Play "A Tad of Trouble" (unpublished)

2007 Play "Monkey Love Potion" (unpublished)