TEASER: The Taliban tried to blow my dad to pieces in Iraq. Our government sewed him up and sent him back. He's finally home, but he's not my dad. He's Frankenstein. Once The Monster's Out Of The Box, It's Hell Getting Him Back In. IT'S ABOUT: Damaged is the story of two cousins, Jayden (16) and Lea (12), whose lives are thrown into chaos after Lea's father (Mark) returns from combat duty. PLOT SUMMARY: Jayden (16) is befriended by his cousin Lea's father (Mark), who has just returned from multiple tours of duty in the Persian Gulf. Mark calls Jayden "J-man" and treats him like an adult. Lea is heartbroken after realizing that she's little more than a bargaining chip in her father's divorce battle. Mark teaches his sixteen-year-old protégé how to use night-vision goggles, listening devices, guns, and explosives. After Jayden refuses to testify during a child-custody hearing, Mark sees him as a traitor. Jayden and Lea work together to save themselves and their families from Mark's violent meltdown. VIDEO-GAME TIE-IN: Jayden can't stop thinking about a video-game named No Exit. He's Agent J and his job to rush the ambassador's daughter out of Baghdad as the government is falling. The game gives him a taste of what Mark dealt with during his tours of duty in Iraq. The game forces Jayden to make decision after decision, rarely giving him time to think about the outcome. In real life, Jayden wonders, would he have the guts to do the right thing or would he bolt? How many lies are too many? Is it better to die nobly or to live with shame? In the fog of war, there are no easy answers. In video games, all deaths are virtual, mistakes can be corrected. But Jayden and Lea are being hunted, and there's no RESET button in sight. STYLE: Damaged is fast moving and dialogue-driven so that boys will keep turning the pages. Female readers will identify with Lea (age 12). Most readers can finish the novel during a weekend. Author's Website: www.LeeSmyth.com