By the age of 71, most people have found their passions. In fact, most are retired.

Ronald Johnson found his passion just two years ago when he sat down at his desktop computer to write his first novel, “Deceit and Vengeance.”

Johnson, who considers himself a lifelong learner, said his previous writing experience boasted little more than blurbs for his health care systems business, R.L. Johnson and Associates.

After reading novels in the form of romance, suspense and nearly every genre in between, he became bored.

“Most novels, you can go through 30, 40 pages, and you haven’t progressed in the story,” he said.

Johnson decided to do something about the lag in his reading.

“There’s got to be a better way,” he said.

When he sat down at his computer 2½ years ago, he didn’t know what type of story he would create. He just began to type. And sentence-by-sentence, the story of a young man named Tucker began to unfold.

Tucker, named after Johnson’s golden retriever, is a former Special Forces agent who is sent to Colombia to bust a drug-smuggling operation. He later finds out that he’s been tricked and has to find a way to escape the country. Meanwhile, he has to free Mary, a drug enforcement agent held hostage.

The story line involves suspense, a little romance and humor, Johnson said.

“I start writing and I don’t know where the story is going myself, and that’s why love it,” he said. “There’s a few turns and twists in it.”

— “Deceit and Vengeance,” was released this week by Publish America. It’s available for purchase at www.publishamerica.com and at Barnes and Noble in Tracy.