A Cry from the Mountains

"A Cry from the Mountains" is a story about an adventurous, athletic 13 year-old Mark Sawyer. Author, John P. Taylor engages the reader in Mark's relationships with loving parents and a competitive relationship with Michael, a 16 year-old brother as they move from the city life of Charlotte, South Carolina, to a farm in the mountains of North Carolina. Through Taylor's wonderful descriptions of people, places and events we become observers of Mark and his friends as they make other questionable teen decisions. Mark, under peer influence, makes a stupid decision to trip and then of necessity fight Bradley, a class bully at his new school. A wise school principal helps Mark and Bradley become good friends. Mark also becomes best friends with a couple of other boys who are also new to his school. He learns about honesty and responsibility through an emerging love relationship with one of the girls in his class He also makes other dubious decisions such as a long swim to an island, getting trapped on a mountain in a snowstorm while skiing and canoeing the Nantahala River with minimum skills. We "watch" as he becomes open to growing and learning from his mistakes. Mark is in the process of becoming a multi-sensory person as he learns to use more than his five senses by trusting God and his intuition in life's decisions. He is also learns what it really means to love and be a friend. I found the story very engaging and remembering my teen years, very believable. I think any pre-teen or teen with a sense of adventure would find the book a very enjoyable read. Shelley P. Richardson, an avidy reader as well as illustrator of "Can a Rooster Drive A Tractor," a children's picture book written by his sister, Bonnie Richardson Murphy.

Author's Comments The book was released in January 2007. The response has been very gratifying. Sales have been excellent and response from readers has been favorable. Promotion on a national basis will begin in about 30 days. The author is working on another novel, but to create characters that will equal "A Cry from the Mountains" will be a difficult task.