Once Upon a Time in Colombia

Once Upon a Time in Colombia is inspired by the protagonist’s experiences in Colombia, where as a young American college dropout/entrepreneur, he traveled in search of adventure, women and money in the flourishing adult web cam chat industry.

The story follows him from a privileged upbringing in Miami to the streets of Medellin, Colombia,-providing an inside look into the neighborhoods, a rarely talked about sub-culture, and the city’s violent history. But the story is an upbeat beat one, dare I say, even a love story between a boy and a city. It is also a coming of age tale, a callous youth growing up in a rapidly changing landscape fraught with challenges and dangers, which he must overcome. The protagonist continues to return to Medellin, a symbol as much as something tangible of rebellion against society, a place where he did not have to go to college, wear a suit, and be “proper” to be successful. In the end, sometimes happiness is a lot closer then we think.

The story is poetic, almost rhythmical, the play on words from English to Spanish, and even just those in English will amuse the most inattentive readers. As the story evolves, so do the characters, and the reader gets a glimpse into life in the South American Billion Dollar Web Cam Industry, seeing it from the side of the women in the films, their families, the managers, attorneys, and others involved in the business.