Featured Book of the Week - Blind Spot-#8

I was born in a small town. Taught to fear Jesus in that same small town.

And I was back doing a book-signing in that small town and I felt pretty good. My books were selling well and I'd sort of found my way with the writing. I knew that I was doing what I wanted to do and, somewhat to my wife's chagrin, I was donating and helping, and

I was writing well.

Feeling confident.

I felt I could just write anything I wanted without too much in the way of an effort.

The book-signing was almost over when a life-long friend from one of those cherished small town families stopped by. The man before me was a Dad who'd suffered an unspeakable tragedy, losing his child in an accident that claimed two and rocked the town to the core.

We talked a lot about God and why.

"I was hoping you could help me make a little sense of things," my dear friend said.

And that single line shook me for months.

How does one make sense of the pure tragedy that occurs?

How do you go forward at all?

Well, forget about the writing without much effort.

Blind Spot became my gift to a couple of families in a close town.

What's unique about the story was that I incorporated another story into it. I knew of a man who once told his wife he was 'heading out to get a haircut' and didn't return for a lot of years.

I often thought of that wife as day turned to night, and night turned to morning, wondering about how the haircut was going.

So, my main character headed out alone. He became the protagonist and the antagonist of his own story. He confronted the God issue straight on.

We ask God why, but maybe God didn't do it. Maybe God was fighting for the accident not to happen, and he lost in an epic battle against evil.

So many thoughts.

So much grief.

The character weaves his way through the story. I incorporated a City Mission story that was actually fairly factual.

I loved doing it with my buddy and his family in mind.

I worked to 'make some sense of a few things.'

And when it was done...I loved it for what it turned into.

A story of love, redemption, and a way to cope with overwhelming grief.

(Something that I'd soon know way too much about).

I was coming back from an awards show in 2009 where Blind Spot received a festival mention.

I was proud of the book.

"Just finished reading Blind Spot," my brother Jeff said through the telephone cell. "And I loved it, but I need to tell you one thing; you probably should just enjoy your life instead of trying to understand it."

Two days later our family suffered an unspeakable tragedy.

And so I think of Blind Spot with a true shadow over each and every thought.

Yet it's a good read, folks.

You'll enjoy it.

As you struggle to understand some things.