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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Cursed or blessed - Short Bus Hero by Shannon Giglio

"SHORT BUS HERO is a well-written story with a strong plot and ton of lovable character. The overarching themes of tolerance, compassion, and heart of a hero are woven throughout. As engaging as it is touching, I can say at least twice I had to put the book down. I couldn’t see the words anymore. For a beautiful snapshot of a little girl’s heart and a chance to recharge my own, SHORT BUS HERO is a solid five-star, must read." - Goodreads

Description:

Twenty-three year-old Ally Forman, a $350 million dollar lottery winner with Down syndrome, is either cursed or blessed, depending on how you look at things. When professional wrestler Stryker Nash loses his job, Ally, his biggest fan, wants nothing more than to put him back in the ring. And she will spare no expense. Her mother, however, has other plans for Ally’s winnings and her life. SHORT BUS HERO is a darkly humorous look at life with Down syndrome, the rise of a wrestling empire... and angels. Yes, angels.

GUEST POST
What it’s Like to Live with Another Writer
by Shannon Giglio
Pretty much all my life, I felt out of place and misunderstood. My constant need to scribble down intricately imagined scenarios was mocked or criticized or met with some degree of impatience. I grew up, went to college, and traded in my journals and sketchpads for math books and accounting ledgers, abandoning my creative self in favor of a more responsible adult self. And do you know what that led to? Misery. I worked a soul-crushing job—a string of them, actually—that turned me into a zombie. Only after I made the decision to enroll in graduate school did I start to feel better. I had found…other creative people! I could get my journal back out and write all the crazy stories I wanted, and actually share them with others! A light went on somewhere in my dark soul.

Things got tricky again, however, when it came to romance. Guys with traditional careers just didn’t get me, but they were more accessible than artistic types, so I settled. And I found myself out of place and misunderstood again. (Cue sad trombone.)

Then, like a ray of sunshine breaking through a massive bank of the angriest storm clouds, I found…another writer! One who wrote in the same genre, even. And, just like that, I knew that I belonged somewhere.

My husband, Peter Giglio, is the person I spent my entire life looking for. He not only understands my need to churn out stories, but he whole-heartedly supports it. Not only that, but he participates in it! And the angels sing and all is right with the world. We share our ideas with each other all the time. We talk about story structure, and characterization, and world building. We have debates about the publishing industry and contemplate the paths we’ll take. Every day is a workshop in fiction. Do we ever disagree? Of course. Do we ever collaborate? Of course. Sometimes it’s tough to let each other slip away into our respective imaginations for hours at a time (especially when there are chores to be done, pets to be attended to, and kids to spend time with), but we always come back to each other, and it is so amazing to have someone there waiting for me in the real world, after I’ve disemboweled someone or sent them into a tough wrestling match.

My weird writerly ways are finally understood and accepted, and, for that, I am so grateful. Living with another writer is wonderful.
About the author:
Shannon Giglio, originally from Milwaukee, WI, graduated from Drexel University and Emerson College before going to work for Dick Clark, CBS, and Ridley Scott. She lives in Savannah, GA, with her husband, author Peter Giglio, and her two daughters. She is currently finishing her fourth and fifth novels.

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