Hurt: A Novel (Solitary Tales Series) (38 page)

Behind the Book: Say Anything

So there you have it. My teen series starring Chris Buckley as the wide-eyed new kid in school who ends up discovering an evil town while also discovering hope. If I could, I’d love to hear each and every reader’s thoughts about this series and its ending. Regardless of what you think—whether you loved it or hated it—I wouldn’t change a thing.

That’s the same thing I’d say about my high school experience.

I went to four different high schools. If you want to know their names, look at the dedication in each Solitary Tales book. At each school I attended I was a different character in a different tale. They say don’t judge a book by its cover, but every time I changed schools, that’s exactly what happened. I understand—people can’t help themselves, whether they’re sixteen or sixty. It’s human nature.

When I came up with this idea for “
Pretty in Pink
meets
The Exorcist
,” I knew the story I wanted to write. But what I didn’t realize was why I wanted to write it. Now that the series is finished, I can look back and see that what I wrote was my swan song to my high school years, a summing up of my own experiences as a teenager.

I could show all the similarities, but that’s not too terribly interesting. Why, for instance, does Chris have these love interests showing up in each book? Well, that’s just the story that came into my head. But looking at it now, it makes sense, because every time I ended up changing schools, my old friends would suddenly be gone. Whether it was a close relationship that suddenly died or a friend who suddenly disappeared, the end was always the same. Leaving, moving on, sometimes not even getting to say good-bye, sometimes saying good-bye because of a mistake of mine.

There were many times when I felt isolated and abandoned. Hmmmm. What’s a word to describe that feeling? Solitary. Of course, there were no tunnels or great-grandfathers who hissed or demon dogs, right? But sometimes the ordinary craziness of the high school experience seems to be full of things just like that. Things that are out of our control. Things that are stranger than fiction. Things that cannot be explained.

God was very real to me when I was a teen living on top of a mountain in North Carolina. When I moved, a part of that closeness and innocence left. I decided to change personalities to fit in, and in doing so I got a bit lost as well. At least for a while.

To say that I am Chris Buckley or that he is me is too simplistic. Chris is more like the brother I never had. In some ways, yes, we’re very much alike. But after four books with this likable kid, I can honestly say he’s a character that’s come to life. I’d like to hang out with him and talk about music for a while.

What will become of Chris Buckley? Well, I have some ideas. Anybody who knows me knows I have some ideas. So we’ll see. That’s all I’ll say. For now.

That’s the beauty of this white open space. It’s just waiting to be filled. It’s waiting for those words. And the thing I’ve come to love about The Solitary Tales and remembering what it was like to be sixteen is that you can truly say anything in the confines of this space.

Thank you for taking this journey with Chris and me. It’s been quite the ride.

Acknowledgments

Thank you …

Sharon, for asking me to be your partner in a high school play and never turning back.

Kylie, Mackenzie, and Brianna, for making every day shine brighter than the last.

Don Pape, for believing in me and in this series.

L. B. Norton, for being a wonderful editor and encourager.

Claudia Cross, for continuing to partner with me as we pursue writing dreams.

Amy Konyndyk, for producing four amazing covers.

Alex Field, Karen Stoller, Ginia Hairston, Caitlyn Carlson, and the rest of the fine folks at David C Cook.

Anne Goldsmith, who liked this idea enough to ask for a proposal years ago.

Jake Chism, Josh Olds, and Lori Twichell, for your enthusiastic support of this series from the very beginning.

My parents, Bill and Mary Thrasher, who moved my sister and me to the top of a mountain in North Carolina where an imagination could roam free.

My in-laws, Warren and Willamae Noorlag, for helping me continue to remain in this writing canoe of mine.

My family and friends, who continue to encourage and support me as I see which doors continue to open.

And last but definitely not least, thank you to my fans and readers, who continue to remind me all these hours of solitary confinement are worth it.

Without all of these people, The Solitary Tales would never have seen light of day. So thank you.

This twelfth grader knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to go. Little did he know he’d still have a long and a rocky road ahead of him in college. Maybe someday some of those stories will be reworked in another series.…

HURT

Published by David C Cook

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Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook Distribution Canada

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David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the
Holy Bibl
e, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Psalm 34:7–10 in chapter 4 and Psalm 27:1 in chapter 5 are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com.

Ezekiel 20:45–48 in chapter 40 are from the New Living Translation 1996.

LCCN 2012951903

ISBN 978-1-4347-6416-4

eISBN 978-1-4347-0551-8

© 2013 Travis Thrasher

The Team: Don Pape, LB Norton, Caitlyn Carlson, Karen Athen

Cover Design: Amy Konyndyk

Cover Photo: Veer

First Edition 2013

Also by Travis Thrasher

The Promise Remains

The Watermark

The Second Thief

Three Roads Home

Gun Lake

Admission

Blinded

Sky Blue

Out of the Devil’s Mouth

Isolation

Ghostwriter

Every Breath You Take

Broken

40

Letters from War

Paper Angels

101 Writing Tips

The Solitary Tales

Solitary

Gravestone

Temptation

Hurt

© studiosmith 2010

Critically acclaimed and creatively diverse novelist
Travis Thrasher
is the author of more than twenty novels, including the novelization of
Home Run: The Movie
, The Solitary Tales,
Isolation
,
and
Ghostwriter
. Writing stories that move, haunt, and provoke readers, Thrasher tells tales in a variety of genres. He lives with his wife and three daughters in a suburb of Chicago.

www.travisthrasher.com

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