Below you will find the Introduction and beginning of the novel.
Dr. Spencer is still undecided on a cover for the ebook. Please feel free to add your input on his cover choices as well as leave your thoughts on his written work.
If you would like to read the synopsis and Dr. Spencer's bio feel free to click this link and go to an earlier blogpost here on the HHP blog: http://ow.ly/wLV5301zb8B
INTRODUCTION:
How's This For Strange?
You want strange? I'll give you strange! Picture this: you stepping out on the wrestling mat ready to fight against your own school. Your best buddy steps out on the other side. Six hundred home town fans are pounding the bleachers and screaming for him to have your head. You're surrounded by a bunch of guys from all over the world you never knew existed six months ago. And you're dressed up in a suit as bright as a banana. Sound like a nightmare? One of those wild dreams you dread - like you're suddenly running around school in your underwear? Well, it was a nightmare. Except, it was happening in real life to me! With all my might, I was out to do in my best friend and my home team. And it all began so innocently....
I had just sat down at the dinner table when my dad dropped the bombshell.
"Bob, I've got to go abroad next year and your mother's coming with me, so we've decided to pull you out of school and let you take your sophomore year abroad."
He might as well have picked up the macaroni and hit me in the face with it. What could I say? I even put down my cell phone – and right in the middle of texting! "What about Mom's work?" I sputtered.
"I'm going to take a leave of absence. I’ll be advising a network of friendship houses in a poor area that serves mothers and children. It sounded so worthwhile that I've arranged for a replacement for the year." My mom is head of obstetrics - that's the division that takes care of pregnant mothers and delivers babies at Richfield General Hospital - and she loves her work. I was amazed anything could pull her away.
"See it as a big vacation," urged my dad. "Any kid would jump at a chance to get out of school and see a whole new place." He didn't sound all that convinced. He was watching me closely.
Usually, they consult me on all family decisions. This time they didn't. I was mad, but I knew what was up. They knew I'd be dead set against it. I looked at them both. Nobody was eating. They were both looking intently at me.
See, my dad is an educational consultant for Inter-Church Service. He's sent all over the place to check out educational projects. Usually, it's just for a couple of days or a week or so and Mom and I stay here. This time something was up. I knew vaguely his job was getting all kinds of flack about some funding to revolutionary groups or something. Maybe everybody was scrambling and beefing up what they had.
"The whole year?" I finally managed.
"Yes," said my mother and then added encouragingly, "don't you want to know where we're going?"
"During the season too?" I demanded.
"All year," said my dad firmly, but his voice softened with a shade of sympathy.
"But I'm gonna be varsity," I pleaded. "I'm sure of it. This forfeits my whole chance!"
"Yeah, but wrestling? Mom, I worked hard for years to make it. Now it's ... well ..." I had a hard time getting out just what I wanted to say. "I mean I want to do it here. In Richfield!"
"Richfield isn't the center of the world," said my dad quietly.
Sure I knew that. Everybody says it over and over. Richfield, for all its fancy name, is just a dumpy little backwater town in central New Jersey. It’s not Westfield, or Scotch Plains, or North Plainfield, or any of the beautiful towns, but – hey - it's my town!
"Besides," I complained, "you didn't even consult me."
"What would you have said?" asked my mother quietly.
"No!" I announced firmly.
"Right," agreed my dad, "so this time there was no point."
"But I don't want to go."
"But this time we are going to exercise our parental prerogative," said my mother.
"So what's that?" I asked.
"You're too provincial, Bob. Your vision begins and ends at Richfield. Your father suggested we leave you with your aunt and uncle, but I disagreed. I think you need broadening out. Definitely."
"So that's the only way I can get 'broadening?'" I asked miserably.
"It's the most logical," ruled my mother. "If you need to get broadened, you go abroad."
They hardly ever put their foot down. But this is one subject there's never any appeal on around here. For my parents, "provincial" is a dirty word. To avoid being provincial, I'd taken Spanish at age six. I went to travel documentaries at the library. I got taken to international festivals in New York.
Those were pretty good. But on the whole I was a flop. My Spanish was totally gone – as forgotten as yesterday’s breakfast.
But – listen - all that stuff is okay, but what I mainly wanted to do was wrestle. If you got something into your blood, you know what I mean. At five foot five inches I was too small for football and basketball, definitely. Soccer is okay, but I haven't got the range. Baseball I can pass fine, but wrestling? Hey, with my low center of gravity I can rule in wrestling. So, how many things is a five foot five inch 125 pounder a power threat in? You see my point?
William David Spencer's other novel "Name in The Papers" has won numerous Awards and is available on Amazon in both ebook and paperback:https://www.amazon.com/Name-Papers-Urban-Adventure-Novel-ebook/dp/B00BJB46KE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1468499269&sr=8-2
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