FOREWORD
By Michael LaRocca
I've never been asked to write a
foreword before, so I can only hope I don't turn readers
away from WANDERER. It's certainly not my intention.
I won't tell you my entire writing
history, because it'd bore you. I won't tell you how I
"met" Jeff Gaines, because I can't remember. Either he
wandered over to my website or I wandered over to
his. I've never worked with him, or met him in person,
even though we grew up about 30 miles away from each
other.
I live in Shaoxing, China, where I teach
English at a Shaoxing University. I also live in a
perpetual state of burnout. But Jeff's writing compelled
me to stay up late reading it, even though I had no time
to do this. It reminded me of why I became a writer,
editor, reviewer, and self-styled writing guru in the
first place.
Prior to becoming a teacher, I spent two
years as a full-time author and editor. I published four
books, edited maybe 70 more, and reviewed or simply read
hundreds. Reading has been my lifelong addiction, and
writing my most powerful dream. Jeff's writing voice is
one that I wish I saw more often.
My best writing isn't fiction at
all. It's called RISING FROM THE ASHES, and it tells how
Mom raised two sons alone. It ends with her death, when
I was 26. So what's my book about? Life. Instead of
making up a story, I simply wrote what I
remembered. It's a story worth telling, so I told it.
WANDERER is fiction. And yet, it shares
the same qualities as my tale. It's not so much a
"story" as it is life. I am extremely jealous of both
Jeff's imagination and his realism.
"Write what you know," says the old
adage, so I did. But I look at Jeff's ability to write
about someone who is not him, and his unflinching
realism and perceptiveness, and I'm tempted to dub him a
"master."
I don't want this Foreword to turn into
a book review. I don't want to tell you what happens in
WANDERER. I don't want to heap loads of well-deserved
praise on a book that you already hold in your
hands. And I don't want to delay you reading it any
longer than I already have.
Great writing isn't just about a
gripping story, or description that takes you where the
author envisions, or flawless technique that makes you
forget you're reading a book, or characters so real that
you know them and remember them after you've turned the
last page.
Great writing has all this, but it's
also a journey to another place. A place you enjoy
visiting. You hold such a book in your hands. Turn the
page and let your journey begin.
Michael LaRocca
October 10, 2004
Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
Michael LaRocca is an author, teacher,
editor and all-around great guy from Tampa, Florida. He
his wife Jan, who is a talented Artist and Teacher in
her own right, have recently relocated to Thailand from
China. You can learn more about them and their amazing
talents, adventures, services (and cat) here:
www.Chinarice.org
His free monthly on-line newsletter,
"Who Moved My Rice?" is absolutely phenomenal. Besides
book and current event reviews, Michael gives a blog-style
insight to his fascinating life abroad. His wit is
sharp, his reviews are honest and his outlook is quite
often downright zany.