MADISON – In his new book, Daniel L. Draffen puts Madison in the crosshairs with his suspenseful blend of science fiction and fantasy, “Wall Triana – An Epic Journey to the Edge of Forever.”

“A lot of the story takes place in and around Triana, Madison, Harvest and along our beloved — and sometimes frustrating (traffic anyone?) — Wall Triana Highway,” Draffen said.

The plot follows Jerome, who has lost his best friend and lover to a group of vigilantes. Jerome “sets off on an epic road trip across a troubled land in a post-apocalyptic highway, leading out of his humble village of Triana to a mysterious Wall at the far northern terminus,” Draffen said.

For transportation, Jerome is outfitted with a monstrous military vehicle that “his well-connected recluse Uncle Ray provides as part of a classified mission to get across the giant wall and engage with the ‘aliens,’ who are thought to reside on the other side, who may hold the key to salvation.”

Along the way, Jerome meets Theo, who joins him on his critical mission to “save the world from ourselves.” (barnesandnoble.com)

Draffen advises readers to “find out just exactly what happened to the USA and how the Wall Triana Highway grew from a little road in North Alabama to the longest road in the whole of the Northern Realm.”

One book reviewer describes Draffen’s work as “a coming of age, leading up to a climatic ending. It starts off a bit slow in the sleepy hometown. but the tempo rapidly picks up as the ‘mission’ gets off the ground . . . They fly over that bizarre wall, being chased by enemy troops and meet their destiny.”

Monica Yother with MY Designs at Lowe Mill in Huntsville designed the book cover.

Draffen works in the defense industry in Madison and drives on Wall Triana nearly every day. In 2005, he enjoyed a road trip across northern India and the Himalayas, prompting his idea for a book about this highway.

“Wall Triana – An Epic Journey to the Edge of Forever” is available in both eBook and paperback form. The link to the eBook is amazon.com/dp/B0BNLZ91VR.

For more insights from Draffen, visit his website at walltriana.com.