STORYWORLD

One of the nice things about writing a book is that you get to dedicate it to someone special or significant in your life. I have a story about the dedication in my latest novel, BUSTED OUT, my first novel set in Canada. The novel is about teens trying to find their way through personal and family conflict. It's also a tragic story that touches on abuse - physical abuse, alcoholism and gambling addiction. In a way, the story really underlines the courage and resilience of these kids, and their ability to survive. But sometimes the obstacles can be just too overwhelming, and some kids don't survive. That's why I dedicated the book to four young people I worked with many years ago who didn't make it. They were trying to turn their lives around by going to school to get their Grade 12, but they all met tragic ends. Mike C was an energetic, handsome young guy and a great leader. He was a guide up north during the summer for hunters and fishing trips. He was fatally st

I'm so happy to give you a sneak preview of my new YA novel BUSTED OUT. It's available on Amazon Kindle today and the paperback will follow soon. Here's the blurb: On her morning run, seventeen year old Katie discovers a frozen body lying on the snowy forest trail.   The story goes back three months to trace the events leading up to the tragedy.   Who is the victim?   Is it Mike , the import car fanatic who worships his older brother, Frankie , a hotshot graduate who’s gone East and developed big spending habits fuelled by poker winnings? Is it Jay - the budding musician whose father wants him to be an NHL player even though he hates hockey? Is it Kim , the math whiz and talented artist whose mother recently died and left her alone with a cold and abusive father? Is it Nick ?   Forced to be a parent to his two young sisters while his single mom goes off for days at a time and drowns herself in booze . Gambling changes their lives until events spiral out