The Class President- The Early Days (Paperback)

What is the book about? David Bourbon faces challenges as a kid growing up amidst the upheavals of the 1950s and 1960s. He learns about life and death at age 5, and again as a teenager. David grows up like other baby boomers in an era of change-the Mickey Mouse Club, Sputnik, the Pill, the Twist, the Cuban Missile Crisis, school integration, President John F. Kennedy's assassination, the Beatles, and an emerging war in Vietnam. At sixteen, David's life changes when his dad drives home in a new 1963 Ambassador Rambler. His romances include a few fumbles along the way as he tries to reconcile love, sex, and luck. David meets these challenges, sometimes with success, and builds his foundation for life's future renewals. Why the Poem? Over the years, I threw Class President novel material including this poem in a box, and when I began to write my first novel, this poem seemed more relevant. I expect this poem to be in the frontmatter of all of my books in The Class President Series. He dedicates this book and poem to US baby boomers and all 1965 high school graduating classes. "If you meet a jolly fellow with a twinkle in his eye, Do not think he's always happy and he has no cause to cry. He has faced some grief and sorrows just as you and I have done, But he's learned life has its problems and he's fought them one by one. He has met a disappointment as he went along his way, And like us, he too has witnessed a dark night as well as day. So if you should meet a fellow, who is cheerful all the while, Be assured there could be teardrops he could shed instead of a smile." What are the book's target markets? The primary markets are baby boom generation readers along with their teenage sons and daughters who are curious about the coming of age events and experiences of their parents. Describe one scene from your novel? On the first day of football practice in August 1962, a line of black football player's faces stare at a row of white faces. David and his teammates are standing in the line of white faces. An all-black Dunbar High School is integrating with an all-white Hopewell High School. We wonder how this experiment will work out. Who will start and who will quit? Are we stronger as one team or separate? Can we win the state high school football championship? And, how will we get along off the football field? Why did you initially choose to independently publish? I read statistics like ninety-nine percent plus of the manuscripts are rejected by traditional publishers and think I'd be in that group. As a textbook author, I see the traditional markets and supply chains being ripped apart and reinvented by companies such as Amazon. In fact, Bloomberg Business Week (January 30-February 5, 2012, p. 58) sums up their bookonomics by stating the following: "It was a choice between publishers embracing technology and a world-class technology company embracing publishing." My bricks and mortar textbook publishers are declaring bankruptcy and trying to reinvent themselves. Meanwhile, technology companies such as Amazon.com are defining the new e-supply chains. I wanted to be a part of the digital book publishing industry. Why did you choose CreateSpace and KDP? I did my research and decided to go with a division of Amazon-CreateSpace. I also think the KDP royalty system is a good way to "see" what's happening. My past experience with textbook publishers is their sales reporting systems are so cryptic, the author(s) can't understand it. Clarity and traceability of book sales and author royalties are important. Space for One Book Excerpt The smell of flour and sliced apples permeated our small duplex. Mom's dress and kitchen spoke of strength and order. Heavy iron or steel pots and pans all had their places. She knew exactly how to cook an apple pie. There was no uncertainty. As the conductor of our kitchen, Mom reassured me that all was well: and whatever awaited me outside would not dare venture into our ki