Rusty Reeves
New Member
Please read my synopsis and suggest books that are similar. I'm trying to compare my novel to those already in print. Genre: Coming of age, set in the south in the 1970s. I'm doing this to target an agent who has dealt with a novel like mine. Thank you!
Synopsis
BENEATH THE VELVET SKIES by Rusty Van Reeves is a story about four beleaguered children coming of age in a small Mississippi town in the early 1970's. On the surface the town of Good Hope seems like any other rural town but within its city limits it has its fair share of resident evil present. Life is all about overcoming the deficits of your birth.
We follow the four on their trials and tribulations as they learn to trust each other in the face of murder, abuse and self-discovery. The main characters are all very different, yet linked in many ways. Tucker is a young man who is being pushed by his father to become a prize athlete. Dooley his best friend since grade school is struggling with a secret he feels he must keep or risk losing everything he holds precious; Twila has a secret of her own that is so horrible it could slowly destroy her. Rosa, a beautiful, kindhearted girl who cares deeply about everyone is being stalked by her drug-crazed ex-boyfriend. These characters are slowly drawn together as Twila's secret comes to light when a ghastly murder is discovered. The book progresses from the early ages of 9 or 10 until the characters are graduating high school in the late 1970's.
Young Twila McCormick has endured years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her sadistic father. Her attempts to escape his torture finally culminates when the town makes a shocking discovery, one that puts her father briefly behind bars.
Tucker Williams grew up next door to Twila. His friendship with her never faltered, but as he grows older and she slides into depression his eye invariably wanders to another girl in the neighborhood, Rosa Dawson. As they enter high school, Tucker and Rosa finally find their friendship becoming serious.
Dooley Morton knows the hardship his mother faced raising him alone, but he is certain they were much better off without his derelict father. As he enters his teen years, Dooley must hide the secret that he is gay. When his father (an ex-con) decides to reenter their lives, he learns the truth about his boy, and would rather kill than have an "imperfect" child bearing his name.
As adolescence changes them, they each seek to find themselves and their place in the world. The book explodes as everything once seemingly quiet and normal is spun into a tornado of events.
Rosa and Tucker are now a couple dealing with the issues of sex and intimacy. Dooley's homophobic father realizes the truth about his son and in a fit of rage murders his partner. For Twila, even darker secrets about her past, about her father, abound. The recently unearthed bones of her mother and brother spark nightmares. Her willingness to assist the police puts her life in jeopardy as her deranged father stalks her to the Gulf of Mexico. In the end, Twila finds the inner strength to stop her fanatical father from killing her. Despite the consequences, Dooley finds the courage to reveal his sexuality to his closest friends. Each character ultimately rises to meet and exceed their own dreams and expectations. This story underscores the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.
This manuscript is an emotional voyage into a time not so far ago. Sandwiched between the death of John F. Kennedy and the Reagan 80's this slice of Southern Americana is the perfect setting for four innocent children to emerge from their seemingly sheltered worlds. BENEATH THE VELVET SKIES is approximately 100,000 words.
Synopsis
BENEATH THE VELVET SKIES by Rusty Van Reeves is a story about four beleaguered children coming of age in a small Mississippi town in the early 1970's. On the surface the town of Good Hope seems like any other rural town but within its city limits it has its fair share of resident evil present. Life is all about overcoming the deficits of your birth.
We follow the four on their trials and tribulations as they learn to trust each other in the face of murder, abuse and self-discovery. The main characters are all very different, yet linked in many ways. Tucker is a young man who is being pushed by his father to become a prize athlete. Dooley his best friend since grade school is struggling with a secret he feels he must keep or risk losing everything he holds precious; Twila has a secret of her own that is so horrible it could slowly destroy her. Rosa, a beautiful, kindhearted girl who cares deeply about everyone is being stalked by her drug-crazed ex-boyfriend. These characters are slowly drawn together as Twila's secret comes to light when a ghastly murder is discovered. The book progresses from the early ages of 9 or 10 until the characters are graduating high school in the late 1970's.
Young Twila McCormick has endured years of sexual and physical abuse at the hands of her sadistic father. Her attempts to escape his torture finally culminates when the town makes a shocking discovery, one that puts her father briefly behind bars.
Tucker Williams grew up next door to Twila. His friendship with her never faltered, but as he grows older and she slides into depression his eye invariably wanders to another girl in the neighborhood, Rosa Dawson. As they enter high school, Tucker and Rosa finally find their friendship becoming serious.
Dooley Morton knows the hardship his mother faced raising him alone, but he is certain they were much better off without his derelict father. As he enters his teen years, Dooley must hide the secret that he is gay. When his father (an ex-con) decides to reenter their lives, he learns the truth about his boy, and would rather kill than have an "imperfect" child bearing his name.
As adolescence changes them, they each seek to find themselves and their place in the world. The book explodes as everything once seemingly quiet and normal is spun into a tornado of events.
Rosa and Tucker are now a couple dealing with the issues of sex and intimacy. Dooley's homophobic father realizes the truth about his son and in a fit of rage murders his partner. For Twila, even darker secrets about her past, about her father, abound. The recently unearthed bones of her mother and brother spark nightmares. Her willingness to assist the police puts her life in jeopardy as her deranged father stalks her to the Gulf of Mexico. In the end, Twila finds the inner strength to stop her fanatical father from killing her. Despite the consequences, Dooley finds the courage to reveal his sexuality to his closest friends. Each character ultimately rises to meet and exceed their own dreams and expectations. This story underscores the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.
This manuscript is an emotional voyage into a time not so far ago. Sandwiched between the death of John F. Kennedy and the Reagan 80's this slice of Southern Americana is the perfect setting for four innocent children to emerge from their seemingly sheltered worlds. BENEATH THE VELVET SKIES is approximately 100,000 words.
