The Unlikeliest Author
Everyone who knows me is amazed that I’ve written a novel. If there was a high school senior class pole to name the person least likely to write a novel I would have been voted #1. In some ways I am a paradox, a contradiction, and with my background, writing would certainly fall into that category. But on the other hand perhaps I am merely a product of social labeling and expectations.
I have no doubt that many times I’ve lived up, or down, to the limitations and expectations placed on me by others, the same typical stereotyping that limits the vast majority of the population. But I have never been content with ‘where I am’. I am a firm believer that each of us must get out of our comfort zone. We must get out of the rut before we can see the horizon. I am the kind of person who, when someone else tells me I won’t be able to do something or ‘it will never work’, I will go to the ends of the earth to prove them wrong.
This novel was not the result of someone else trying to limit me but rather of simply trying to go beyond the limitations I placed on myself, to get out of one of my ruts.
I’ve known for a long time that I am much better at written, verses oral communication. I am able to convey my thoughts more clearly on paper than verbally. Although every single paper I wrote for any of my college literature classes was well received by each of my professors it never occurred to me that I might have a natural ability for writing stories. I don’t tell stories well verbally so don’t expect me to tell a story when we are all sitting around a campfire because it’s just not going to happen. That is the paradox, the contradiction. I almost failed my high school literature classes only to have my college professors enjoy my writing.
So when did I discover that I was a writer? Well perhaps the first indication came when I realized 140 characters just wouldn’t cut it. In fact it didn’t even come close.
But before I tell you about the book I’ll tell you a little about my background, a bit of a story in itself and no doubt fuel for a future book.
After high school I went to an automotive technical school and became a mechanic and worked on cars for 20 plus years. I inherited my mechanical ability from my father. – I know you’re asking so where is college? Well we’re skipping over that for now. I’ll put the complete story in a full book. – During those 20 years I married my wife, Dora and we had our son, Matthew who is disabled with cerebral palsy. With Matthew’s special needs our time was leveraged to the max and we decided that a move to rural West Virginia to be near family could give us the time we wanted to spend with our son. After a few years in West Virginia I started making specialized seating and positioning devices for children with disabilities and although it was emotionally rewarding it in no way paid the bills.
When Matthew was 5 years old his grandmother paid for us to take a vacation to central Florida. We were hooked and within a couple of years we managed to purchase a vacation home near Disney World. I aggressively marketed the vacation home to other families for weekly rentals and before long I had more guests than we could handle and I started managing and promoting other vacation homes for other owners.
When Dora got deathly ill and lost her job she started working with me after her recovery, managing all the vacation homes. Dora’s help gave me a little more free time and allowed me to start my novel.
So now that you have the Reader’s Digest version of my unlikely authorship history I’ll tell you a little about the book.