skote1972

Posted 12 Years Ago

The Spirit of the Grand Ole Opry is an original novel I finished about a year ago. I had always wondered if I could write an extended work, and Spirit was what resulted.

It traces the main character Skitch Davis and his band the Bryson City Outlawz and their quest to make it in the music business. I grew to love the characters and was sad to finish the story. It is a coming of age story, featuring Skitch's first awkward steps at romance, with a musical background that takes the band on a roller coaster ride as they enter the country music scene. I love how awkward some of the characters are, but they are all pretty endearing... and the romance between Skitch and Miss Velma is pretty funny to watch.

I geared this mostly to a young adult audience, but I think anyone who reads it, regardless of age will enjoy it. I will warn everyone... there is a final twist, but it sets up a pretty touching final chapter.

I am pretty happy with how it turned out, it mixes my Native (Skitch is a Cherokee kid from the Qualla Boundary Reservation in NC) heritage, with my musical background, with semi-autobiographic scenes from my own courtship of my own wife (also named Velma) with another interest I will just say also exists, but not say what it is for sure, so I don't ruin the central twist.

I have been heavily influenced by guys like Rick Riordan, and titled the chapters as a result... and I also tried to keep everything pretty clean. I am amazed how much sex, violence and vulgar language makes its way into Young Adult literature, and tried to offer an alternative.

I hope you enjoy the book, and any help would be much appreciated, and will be more than happy to return the favor... but promise to be honest... I won't tell you it's great if it's not... but when I say it's good, you'll know I'll mean it.

Thanks!