Novels

A sample from my first novel:  “Living in Earnest” – conceived with Beth Long
I am working on the screen play of this as well.  Samples of that to follow.

Max and Ford tumbled through the summer of 1963, breathless with laughter and sun-blind to the shadows that lay ahead. That summer tasted like crab and brackish water; it smelled like greased machinery and cut grass. It burned like the sun and like a dream, it was soon forgotten.

Not so much forgotten as painted over: that summer gradually faded beneath layers of other summers, obscured by too many resentments, bitter words and sullen silences.

But that summer in Ernest, Max, eight: Ford soon to turn seven, could not have been happier.

The town bore their family name, bestowed by their great-grandfather; the house where they stayed from June through August had passed to their father after their grandfather’s sudden death. The boys claimed the tree house their father and aunt played in when they had been kids and set out every day on adventures.. They had treasure hunts and races to the creek to tussle in the cold, fresh water. Max was older but Ford was strong making them evenly matched.

They had been raised in Alexandria Virginia a place of history, weathered wood and cobblestone. Neither had experienced nature this raw. Max was quiet, contemplative and fell in love with the wildness of the Eastern Shore, the nooks and alcoves of the creek and the cathedral calm of the patch of woods on their property. Ford was the adventurer and threw himself into every uninhabited place, exploring paths and streams, prowling every waterway and undeveloped lot; charting territory and trapping bugs. He often came home a muddy mess with elaborate explanations to his adoring mother.

“But mom I had to get on my hands and knees to get this cool rock at the bottom of the stream It was all shiny and it said my name …just look at it!”

She would feign great annoyance but he could see right through her and would always say something to make her laugh.

“ Rutherford Ernest! what am I going to do with you?”.

“You have love me Mom! That’s what!”

———————————————————————————————————————

“Max! Rutherford ! Get out of that lake immediately” yelled Maxwell.

He stood at the edge of the lake with Ms. Ellie and Mr. Johnson.

“What do you think you are doing? Get out of there!”

Ford slid off Roger’s, aka the Captain’s, back and ran to his father.

“Get him Dad! He was killing Jack Handy!”

The two naked young men stood side by side sheepish and grateful to be waist high in water.

“Come out there you two idiots” said Mr. Johnson “What the heck is all this Tom foolery anyway?”

“We can’t sir,” said Roger.

“Why the blazes not?” said old man Johnson

“We are sort of …indisposed” replied Jack Handy whose real name was Guy.

They pointed to the towels on the shore.

“Oh brother” said Mr Johnson.  “Ok, you two fools, stay in that lake till we get out of site and then wait for me in the employee locker room. I am not finished with you.  I’ll get some towels from inside to get the boys dried off .”

He took off leaving the confused and odd little group to await his return.

No one spoke for a minute then Guy piped up.

“Sorry about this I guess the boys thought we were fighting.”

“What were you doing?” asked Ms Ellie slyly.

“How did you find us?” asked Max

“Why isn’t anyone beating up Captain Silver?” pleaded Ford “Aren’t you scared of him Jack?”

“Listen kiddo, we were just fooling around.  Don’t tell anyone but, we’re actually friends” said Roger in a stage whisper.

“Friends?” the boys said in unison.

The men in the lake suddenly looked quite young wearing nothing but silly grins. It was obvious that they were little more than boys themselves. The “Captain’s” long hair and beard were real. He had a beautiful head of soft curly blonde hair and had let his own beard grow rather long but none of it was covered in the silver make-up now. Standing in the lake dripping water he lost all of his former, fearsome. look and in an instant the boys realized they had no reason to be terrified of this slender, harmless, hairy fellow.

Max senior stood fuming in silence.