Action, Fiction

Stockton Clay, an ambitious young automotive journalist, receives a mysterious invitation to the world premiere of a secret prototype supercar. The half-Asian, half-Caucasian Clay, who was adopted as an infant and is desperate to find his own place in the world, sees this invitation as the break he had long been waiting for. At the gala event in Southern France, one of his colleagues is killed in a bizarre “accident,” and Clay is secretly led to CIA agents who tell him that he was the real target in the murder. Clay then discovers he suffers from a rare disease that can only be cured by the blood cells from a direct relative. Clay’s search for his biological father leads him to Japan, where he is caught in the crossfire between the CIA and a mad Russian scientist trying to sell his underground nanotechnology program to a hostile country. Clay finds himself in a fight for his life, as he tries to help thwart an evil plot that could sway the balance of world power.
Author Sam Mitani has taken his 20-year experience as an international automotive journalist and incorporated them into his first work of fiction: a novel filled with action, intrigue, and twists and turns. The Prototype, about a man’s journey to find his true self, is for all people, not just car enthusiasts, and will inspire you to live life to the fullest potential.

As the first Asian-American writer at one of the Big Three American automotive publications (Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Road & Track), Sam Mitani faced plenty of scrutiny and challenges as he established himself as one of the foremost American authorities on Japanese cars. In addition to being the International Editor of Road & Track in its heyday, he has been published in magazines in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan, and in his spare time, authored a couple of travel books on Southeast Asia. Satisfied with his accomplishments in the magazine industry, which paved the way for Asian-American automotive writers, Mitani has since taken on a new challenge: breaking into the highly-restricted fiction market. His expertise in martial arts and numerous adventures around the world—including participating in the treacherous Dakar Rally and setting a speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats going 204 mph—have provided him with a rich source of experiences to tap for his debut novel.