This book is about the expedition of a young boy's life growing up in the 70's in a small, rural town in Missouri. Throughout, readers will relive the small town teenage experience, the values of lifelong friendship, determination and love, and the incredible beauty of Missouri's scenery, including a popular local hangout where a mysterious murder takes place. Additionally, readers will be drawn into the exciting adventure of a car theft operation the boy finds himself wrapped up in, which extends across state lines. Coincidentally during the same time, another amazing story of a young American Thoroughbred, Spectacular Bid, with a legendary aura and unmistakable determination to win was occurring. The similarities between the two are evident, and the spectacular win of the 1979 Kentucky Derby is thrilling in much of the same way as the boy's triumphs. The plot will intrigue the reader as they connect with the boy and the struggles he will face on his journey to becoming a man, including the many crossroads he will encounter along the way. My Spectacular Bid is a must read that will reveal many of life's struggles, determination, and one teenage boy's mission to make sense of it all.
When you hear a familiar song play on the radio, immediately, it takes you back--back to your childhood, your first love, cruising with friends in the car, whatever the memory may be. Songs are like time capsules, capturing the moment, feeling, and essence of a moment in our lives. It's time to take a trip back to the seventies, to a time of muscle cars, hippies, and the Vietnam War.
The Walkover is a captivating narrative story that tells the experiences of a family through the eyes of different members over several years. Comprised of both flashbacks and present-day narrative, the novel showcases the importance of knowing your history--being proud of where you came from and where you're going and understanding how you fit in this moment and place on earth.
Inspired to write the story after watching the films Billy Jack and The Trial of Billy Jack, the female characters in the book are shaped after the mentally strong women the author is friends with, as well as the family members he grew up with, using them as inspiration to create the tough-minded, beautiful Cherokee women of the Smithee family. With music as the guiding thread throughout the pages, the book provides a playlist for the journey. Each chapter features a song that embodies the overall theme of the book. Within the pages of the book are familiar songs from the seventies and other decades, as well as ones you may not have heard, widening your knowledge of the music of the time. So, grab some headphones, get comfortable, and dive on in--you won't want to put this book down.