Good News!

I have news I’m excited to share with you my dear friends and family.

If you remember, back in November I participated in National Novel Writing Month in which participants are challenged to write a fifty-thousand-word book in one month, from November 1 to November 30. I accepted the challenge and wrote furiously for thirty days. At the end of the month, I had 45,000 words written. I was short of the goal; nevertheless, I felt pretty darn good about what I’d accomplished.

Over the next four months, I added those missing five thousand words plus nearly three thousand more. The book was finished except for a bit of fine tuning to make it publishable.

One little thing the book lacked was a title. This story of mine went from From Ashes . . . Come Blossoms, to Hope Grows, to who knows what. This poor book has had more titles than Carter has little liver pills. Eventually, I settled on the very first name I had considered but dismissed, that being Finding Gary.  

If you’ve read my book, Leaving Mark, then you know Mark Fortier has a good friend named Gary Haywood. In that book, Gary is the voice of reason in Mark’s erratic journey to manhood. In Finding Gary, we learn more about Gary’s childhood and what makes him tick.

Here’s the back cover blurb: Gary Haywood is a thirteen-year-old who, unhappy at home, runs away. When his abusive father finds him and delivers him back home, he comes up with a more drastic idea to escape his miserable life. A counselor, Marty Colson, is appointed by the court to help Gary realize his worth. One thing Marty doesn’t count on is the strong attachment that develops between him and his client.

This is a coming-of-age story involving a suicide attempt, prison, love, heartbreak, basketball, God, and lilacs.

As promised, here’s the good news! Yesterday I published Finding Gary through CreateSpace and it is now, or within days will be, available on Amazon, both in print and Kindle versions. Get your copy now and be the first on your block to read my latest book. But be warned, you’ll want to keep a handkerchief handy.

For you dear friends who leave a review on Amazon by May 31, I will pick a name at random and send the lucky winner a paperback copy of either Finding Gary or Leaving Mark; your choice.

Happy Reading.

Quote of the Day: The novel is something that never was before and will not be again. Eudora Welty