It's a Wonderful Life

[Editor's note: this post was written by guest blogger, Frank Anthony Polito]

I can't guarantee a ton of posts as I've got 400+ pages of DRAMA QUEERS! corrections to get thru... I honestly don't know how our boy KW keeps us informed and entertained on a daily basis. Rest assured, he will be back ASAP.

But while I've got you... I want to send out a warm congratulations to my friend and fellow writer, Drew Ferguson, whose debut novel The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second hits bookstores near you next week, Tuesday, August 26th.

If you enjoy side-splitting tales of teenaged angst, especially with a twisted gay twist, you'll love Charlie. I had the honor of reading the book while it was still in manuscript form, and provided the following (my first) blurb:

"Look out Napoleon Dynamite, here comes Charlie the Second! In this page-turning laugh riot, Drew Ferguson captures the voice of today’s teen conquering the daily drudge that is life in the Midwest. Colorfully candid, unapologetically explicit, yet touchingly tender, The Screwed Up Life of Charlie the Second serves as a reminder to those who’ve escaped from small town USA as to the reasons why!"

About the book:

"Tall, gangly and big-eared, he could be the poster boy for teenage geeks. An embarrassment to his parents (he's not to crazy about them, either), Charlie is a virtual untouchable at his school, where humiliation is practically an extra curricular activity. Charlie has tried to fit in, but all of his efforts fall on a glorious, monumental scale. He plays soccer--mainly to escape his home life--but isn't accepted by his teammates who basically ignore him on the field.

"He still confuses the accelerator with the brake pedal and has failed his driving exam six times. He can't work on his college application essay without writing a searing tell-all. But what's freaking Charlie out the most is that while his hormones are raging and his peers are pairing off, he remains alone with his fantasies.

"But all of this is about to change when a new guy at school begins to liven things up on the soccer team--and in Charlie's life. For the first time in his seventeen years, Charlie will learn how it feels to be a star, at least off the field. But Charlie discovers that even cool guys have problems as he embarks on an unforgettable, risk-filled journey from which there is no turning back.... "

I hope you'll check it out!