GO! Bookshelf: Uniontown native pens first fiction novel after retirement
Submitted
Uniontown native John Fike recently penned the fiction novel 鈥淔inal Absolution,鈥� available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.
Submitted
Uniontown native John Fike recently penned the fiction novel 鈥淔inal Absolution,鈥� available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.
John Fike, a 1970 graduate of Uniontown High School and a resident of Eighty Four, was drafted into the Army after high school to fight in the Vietnam War.
After the war he got a job in respiratory care, where he stayed for more than 30 years before retiring a few years ago.
鈥淎bout 20 years after my tour of duty, I felt faint tremors in my left hand,鈥� Fike said. 鈥淚t progressed over time to my right hand, and I was finding it difficult to perform things at work that required fine motor skills.鈥�
He was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease due to Agent Orange exposure while serving in Vietnam and made the decision in 2012 to retire.
鈥淢entally, I was not ready to retire, so I found solace in writing,鈥� Fike said.
And not long after, the story that is now his first fiction novel, 鈥淔inal Absolution,鈥� was begun.
The synopsis for the book says:
鈥淕rowing up during the tumultuous 鈥�60s, John and Dave are your typical 17-year-olds: They鈥檙e focused on girls, senior year angst and money. To get a few bucks in their pockets they set pins at a bowling alley outside Detroit. When the bowling alley鈥檚 owner suddenly dies, their paths diverge.
鈥淛ohn learns that their late boss, Carmen, left funds in a trust for him to use for college. As Dave grows bitter about Carmen overlooking him in his will, he settles into a job of delivering drugs, in spite of his growing fear of being caught.
鈥淏ut what can he do? Drug dealing is bringing in big money for Dave 鈥� The kind of money he was deprived of for most of his life. And then, in an instant, it all changes. Dave鈥檚 sense of foreboding begins to become reality 鈥� but a much darker one than being arrested. He is forced to do the unthinkable, and with that there is no turning back for anyone.鈥�
Fike said that he drew from his own experiences when it comes to the setting and the job and some other details.
鈥淪ome of the ideas came from my childhood as at the age of 13 I set pins at a bowling alley for some extra money,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a fight scene in Chapter 12 that was inspired by a fist fight I had as a kid.鈥�
He added that a lot of the ideas came about as he was jogging or sitting in Mass.
鈥淭his book has religious undertones, romance and touches on psychological and social issues, including a discussion about a homeless veteran with PTSD,鈥� Fike said. 鈥淪omeone who reviewed my book classified it as an urban thriller.鈥�
It took him four years to complete 鈥淔inal Absolution,鈥� but since he鈥檚 gone through the learning process he鈥檚 hoping future books will be easier to write.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping more of my hidden memories will continue to manifest for future books,鈥� he said.
鈥淔inal Absolution,鈥� was recently published by Word Association Publishers. His daughter Katie Fike has participated in the editing process of the book and the primary editor was Pam Greer with Word Association Publishers.
The book is $19.95 and is currently available on both the Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.
To follow Fike, visit his website at www.thefikeprojects.com or on Facebook at The Projects.