Becky Lawrence lives in a small Indiana town where nothing much ever happens. Padding her college applications with good grades and volunteer work ― while also managing the boys’ basketball team and playing in the school band ― is her main focus, so when her guidance counsellor asks her to show a new student around, she agrees. It’ll be great fodder for a reference letter. But there’s something very different about the new student, Gene Newman. He’s been homeschooled his entire life and he’s as brilliant academically as he is socially awkward, uninformed, and unaware. Gene also proves to be a gifted saxophone player and makes the school band, and his rapidly developed basketball skills allow him to play for the school team. Embarrassingly, Becky suspected he’d never played the sax or basketball before, and just wanted to spend more time with her. But nobody could possibly learn new things that quickly … Right? With Becky’s help, Gene also quickly develops his social skills and learns to fit in. He’s certainly different from anybody Becky has ever known. In fact, Gene is like nobody else. As they become closer, Gene confides in Becky that he has a secret. More than that, he is a secret. And, apparently, it’s a secret worth killing for.
Author
Eric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people - the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives. Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories - picture books and novels - to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing. Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for STARS), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger By The Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped In Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa). "The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated. Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop. Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons - specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year. The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie The Poodle).
