Third Time's a Charm

Over the weekend I got news that my manuscript, Cretin Boy, was accepted for publication by Burning Bulb Pulishing. If you're on Facebook, you already know this, but for those not, well, now you know.

This will be my third published memoir since I began this whole writing thing 10 years ago. Getting a book published is an amazing feeling and it never grows old. I am so excited by the prospect of this book about my high school experience becoming real! Like my other books, it's been in the works for years, in this case, about 3 years. When you put that much work into something, there is nothing better than to see it validated by a willing publisher.

And as weird as it may sound, I have always thought that until I have 3 full length books, I'm still not legit. I know that is warped, untrue and self-defeating, but it's a number I had in my mind. I also have 5 poetry books, but I always look at those as a bonus to my success as a nonfiction writer. It's these 220+ page books that are my first love, poetry is just my mistress. 

The book is about my experience at Cretin High School from 1975-1979. Cretin at the time was an all-male, military, Christian academy. It featured Christian Brothers, laypersons and military teachers. I always jole we went to school under the oppression of both Church and State. It was a unique environment for sure, one I thought worthy of the story of my experience.

The story is about more than life between the walls of Cretin however. It also addresses those awkward coming of age years as a teenager. It is about first cars and first girlfriends, homework and shoe shining, the popular kids versus the straight-arrow kids. There are some great adventures and some run ins with the law. It was a time of Steely Dan and Supertramp, powder blue tuxedos and feathered hair.

So, no details yet on when it will be released. Possibly by year end, but if not, early 2021.  

Also, as with all my books, I intend to donate a portion of all my sales to Cretin-Derham school. (The all male, Cretin merged with the all female Derham Hall in the mid 80s to form Cretin-Derham.) Despite any fun I poke at my experience there, the school did alright by me. I had a great experience and it set the stage for the rest of my life. No complaints so far with that!

So, stay tuned.

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