Staying Novel

In 2005 I was fortunate enough to win a publishing contract coming out of High School. The end result - albeit a bit embarrassing now (we all write silly novels when we’re 18, right?) -was a real live book.

Called Baker’s Dozen, the story consists of 13 days in the journal of Justin Baker, a wistful student in the first weeks of his senior year as he comes to grips with midwestern malaise — before 9/11 hits and changes all our lives forever.

It was and remains an amazing experience that not only constitutes the first time I was paid to write, but got to help create and participate in a marketing campaign - from signings, interviews, events and even one particularly “wait, that happened?!” interview with Montel Williams .

It’s silly, earnest, honest and verbose. And I remain at least a few of those things - okay, all of them — to this day.