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"For some reason, I decided to write a song that's a play on opposing ideas. Here's what I came up with."
YOU'RE MY DIVISION
And you are the gold that betrays me
You are the joke that slays me Unceasing to amaze me You break me down
You're my struggle and survival
My hero and my rival You're my honesty's denial You're really something
CHORUS:
You are my division You're my indecision When you lift me up I fall for you You are my division On the inner part of me I'm tied to you And with you I'm free
And you are the desert sun that blinds me
You're the tension that unwinds me The missing part that finds me The clarity of rain CHORUS
Copyright 2012 John Herrick
Danny (Photo credit: Steven Vance) |
By John Herrick
"With tender care...Meghan kissed the blond boy on the head. "I love you, baby Danny..."
Is it time for you to read a precious, endearing romantic story--one that will totally engulf your thoughts and memories? One that will have you swooning that if only you could find such a man... Well, here it is! I read somewhere that the author was surprised when a reader called the story "sweet." But, well, it just is! But don't get me wrong, it's not a book that would not appeal to men as well--it is after all, primarily about the lead character, Danny Bale. An uncomplicated story that is both heartwarming and irritating... Of course, I loved it!
Irritating because sometimes we humans just don't allow things to happen naturally...even if they seemed fated from the beginning...
It was the mothers who were good friends, close enough that they kept in touch even after they were married and had children. They even spent time together at least once a year. So it was natural that the children became friends as well. Of course, the ages of the siblings did not totally fit. For instance, Meghan Harting was over a year older than Danny Bales but they had become close friends who continued a relationship beyond the once-a-year visits.
The book is written in time sequences moving to different time periods, perhaps as Danny is remembering...
Because he does a lot of thinking about the past, what he should have done, what he could have done...
He knew he loved Meghan. But she was living with somebody else...
Remembering took him back to the days when the parents would settle down after dinner and the kids would all go out to see what they could get into. One funny scene about changing drivers without stopping the car will have readers totally confused as to how it was done. They had always had fun though, and that little relocation resulted in Meghan in the back seat sitting next to Danny--Cool! They always had shared so much...
If you didn't have a book in your hand, seeing the cover with a young man singing, you might think this was a story somebody was telling about their son or daughter. Herrick creates characters that are real and honest, allowing us to see what and how they are feeling. The characters reflect an integrity that you know comes from the author himself. His first book published, From the Dead, became a best seller--with good reason. Although The Landing is an entirely different book, I believe it has the potential to be one also.
The Landing is a short read, just 185 pages into which is packed the lives of one young man who had fallen in love with an older girl when he was just a young boy who found it hard to share his feelings openly. He often allowed it to be reflected in the songs that he wrote and sang and even shared with her, Meghan. Yes, her heart was affected, but, especially when school put them into separate circles and friends, a distance had developed. Now, Danny knew he either had to act or be alone, possibly forever...
So, he wrote a song...
Don't miss this one...
GABixlerReviews
Author website: www.JohnHerrick.net
When he decided to become a novelist, John Herrick did not expect to invest the next twenty years in what would seem a grueling, disconnected process.
A native of St. Louis, Herrick fell in love with writing fiction at eight years old, and by eleven, his goal shifted from short stories to a novel--and turning a hobby into a career. Challenged with a constant flow of fresh ideas and lack of patience to complete such long-term projects, he merged the written word with another love: music. Herrick spent fifteen years developing his songwriting and lent several songs to benefit recordings by nonprofit entities.
Herrick attended his first year of college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He completed his studies at University of Missouri--Columbia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mass communication.
While he gained ghostwriting and voice-over experience for print, radio and the Internet, Herrick spent nearly a decade in the information technology arena. To his surprise, through technical work he acquired analytical and project-management skills that would help shape his personal writing process. His project work included software development and support for the media and fund-development arenas.
Eventually fund-development executives approached Herrick and asked him to manage donor marketing and analytics for a national nonprofit media syndicate. Intrigued by the prospect of combining his creative and technical skills, Herrick accepted the challenge. By the end of his first year at the helm, the program experienced its strongest revenue performance in four years. His sense of calling, however, remained alive. When offered a promotion to directorship, Herrick respectfully declined, sensing a need to preserve his evenings for his true passion as a writer.
While he worked behind a desk at a nonprofit organization, Herrick struggled with the need to write. Armed with a concept that had burned within him for three years, he chipped away for an hour or two each evening until he completed the manuscript for his first novel, The Landing. The novel became a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. In response to reader requests, The Landing hit bookshelves in 2012.
For his second novel--his first novel to hit the shelves (in 2010)--Herrick crafted From The Dead, where he weaves together themes of life, romance, and spiritual journey. In From The Dead, Herrick examines a character who rediscovers his true destiny, acquires a fatherhood role--and discovers how far a father would go to spare the life of his son.
Herrick's work has garnered critical acclaim. The Phantom Tollbooth wrote, "There is a heart and integrity to Herrick's writing."
Looking back on the life events that culminated in his career as a novelist, Herrick admits that, on many occasions, his circumstances appeared unrelated and without focus. Yet, with regard to the journey, Herrick acknowledges, "It was a challenge but also a growth process. At the time I wondered what God's plan could be. But in retrospect, I can see His fingerprints all over it."
When he decided to become a novelist, John Herrick did not expect to invest the next twenty years in what would seem a grueling, disconnected process.
A native of St. Louis, Herrick fell in love with writing fiction at eight years old, and by eleven, his goal shifted from short stories to a novel--and turning a hobby into a career. Challenged with a constant flow of fresh ideas and lack of patience to complete such long-term projects, he merged the written word with another love: music. Herrick spent fifteen years developing his songwriting and lent several songs to benefit recordings by nonprofit entities.
Herrick attended his first year of college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He completed his studies at University of Missouri--Columbia, where he graduated cum laude with a B.A. in mass communication.
While he gained ghostwriting and voice-over experience for print, radio and the Internet, Herrick spent nearly a decade in the information technology arena. To his surprise, through technical work he acquired analytical and project-management skills that would help shape his personal writing process. His project work included software development and support for the media and fund-development arenas.
Eventually fund-development executives approached Herrick and asked him to manage donor marketing and analytics for a national nonprofit media syndicate. Intrigued by the prospect of combining his creative and technical skills, Herrick accepted the challenge. By the end of his first year at the helm, the program experienced its strongest revenue performance in four years. His sense of calling, however, remained alive. When offered a promotion to directorship, Herrick respectfully declined, sensing a need to preserve his evenings for his true passion as a writer.
While he worked behind a desk at a nonprofit organization, Herrick struggled with the need to write. Armed with a concept that had burned within him for three years, he chipped away for an hour or two each evening until he completed the manuscript for his first novel, The Landing. The novel became a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. In response to reader requests, The Landing hit bookshelves in 2012.
For his second novel--his first novel to hit the shelves (in 2010)--Herrick crafted From The Dead, where he weaves together themes of life, romance, and spiritual journey. In From The Dead, Herrick examines a character who rediscovers his true destiny, acquires a fatherhood role--and discovers how far a father would go to spare the life of his son.
Herrick's work has garnered critical acclaim. The Phantom Tollbooth wrote, "There is a heart and integrity to Herrick's writing."
Looking back on the life events that culminated in his career as a novelist, Herrick admits that, on many occasions, his circumstances appeared unrelated and without focus. Yet, with regard to the journey, Herrick acknowledges, "It was a challenge but also a growth process. At the time I wondered what God's plan could be. But in retrospect, I can see His fingerprints all over it."
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