Signs of Struggle (35 page)

I would like to thank the following people for their help in my writing life in general, and/or this novel in particular: Carol (Cook) Kaufman, who inspires; Joe Badal; Brad Steiger who encouraged me as a fledgling writer; the late Vance Bourjaily, who helped get me into the Iowa Writers Workshop (where I learned it's okay to be a writer); Charles Poteet of the
Morganton
(N.C.)
News-Herald
who gave me my first job as a newspaper columnist; Larry Franklin of the
Clinton
(S.C.)
Chronicle
for freedom to write whatever I wanted in that fine newspaper; the "novelistas" critique group (Melinda Walker, Melissa Lovin, Sarah "Mustang" Cureton, and Kevin Coyle, fine novelists in their own right) for all their careful reading and feedback on this novel; Nancy Koesy Parker for encouragement; Dr. Jodi Peeler for her network that was key; and my old friend Doug Brown of Maquoketa, Iowa whose expertise was critical in the building of my story; Joe and Donna at Neverland Publishing, who guided me through this entire process with patience, professionalism, and a sense of humor; Author Ron Rash for his thoughtful review.

The greater acknowledgements go to my daughters: to Rowe Carenen Copeland for cheering and editing support; and Dr. Caitlin Carenen for showing the way to publishing a book with her own, and her enthusiasm for this project.

And maybe my dog…

John Carenen
, a native of Clinton, Iowa, graduated with an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the prestigious University of Iowa Writers Workshop and has been writing ever since. His work has appeared numerous times in Reader’s Digest (including a First Person Award), McCall’s, Dynamic Years, and other periodicals. He has been a featured columnist in newspapers in Morganton, North Carolina and Clinton, South Carolina. His fiction has appeared in regional literary magazines. A novel,
Son-up, Son-down
, was published by the National Institute of Mental Health.

He is happily married to (long-suffering) Elisabeth, and they have two grown daughters, Caitlin and Rowe. When he isn’t writing, he thinks about getting in shape, cheers for the Iowa Hawkeyes and Boston Red Sox, and takes frequent naps. He has traveled extensively, having visited 43 states and 23 countries. He is a USAF veteran, having served in the Philippines and Massachusetts.