The Joy in Life Series
The Joy in Life Series
This fictional romantic comedy takes place in 1967.
The five books that make up the series are:
Joy in Life, Looking at the Rainbow, Sweeter than Candy, I Never Loved Cheryl, and A Taste of Brandy.
In the first three books we see the events which shape the lives of several young couples as seen from three different peoples' viewpoints. The first three books follow a group of high school teens as they cope with promiscuity,alcohol, peer pressure and falling in love, while trying to figure out their relationship with God.
To complicate their lives they all attend a Christian high school where the teachers range from kind and caring to totally out of touch with reality. In book four we go back to the beginning to find out about the hero's first "girlfriend", Cheryl and how she made him into the guy we've come to know.
We also see how our hero first meets the Decker Brothers. The last book takes a in hard close look at Brandy Bear and her relationships. All the books have strong language, sexual situations and are laced with Christian theology.
The Joy in Life
Looking at the Rainbow
Released December 2017
In book two of the Joy In Life series we focus on Milo Franklin and how his life is changed after he is drawn into Doc's little family of reprobates. Milo starts out as an unsuspecting bystander in the game of life. His life is so average that it’s commented that even he doesn’t know that he exists. Through a thoughtless act of Doc's best friend, Milo is drawn into the insanity of the events unfolding at Christian High School North. At first, he is terrified to be around guys like Decker, Jimmy and Doc. But the lure of popularity and pretty girls is irresistible. Once part of the group, he finds that he fits in quite well, much to the surprise of everyone. Oddly enough it changes his formerly uneventful boring life for the better. He becomes a minor folk hero and lands one of the school’s hottest girls.
AbeBooks rating: 5 star
Sweeter Than Candy
I Never Loved Cheryl
I Never Loved Cheryl
Released March 2018
Not a love story!
In this book we meet Hank, a shy guy that knows nothing about girls, or much of anything else. After moving into a new neighborhood eight year old Hank takes-up with the girl of his dreams, only to find out that the dream is a nightmare. The oversexed eight year old "southern bell" worms her way into every aspect of his life and controls him in every way she can. For the next ten years she dominates his world. On one hand she drives him crazy, but on the other hand he enjoys her romantic skills too much to call it quits. As time goes on she announces to everyone that she will someday marry our poor hero. She then turns her efforts to convincing all his classmates and friends that they are sleeping together, which is a good reason for our hero to stick it out until the day comes when they actually do the dirty deed. Once they finally are intimate our hero has a "really good" reason to keep putting up with her craziness. Eventually they enter into an "open relationship" each sleeping with as many other people as they can; yet always coming back to each other.
Throughout the story our hero shares a string of outrageous experiences with some of the oddest people you could ever meet, including the Decker brothers. Eventually he turns into the self confident, commanding and womanizing Doc. This book ends at the point when Doc sets out to win Candy Miller, the love of his life.
This is not my autobiography!
AbeBooks rating: 5 stars
A Taste of Brandy
Released July 2020
This is the final book of the Joy in Life Series.
In this book we take a close look at Brandy Bear, from birth, on to her days at Christian High School North.
Her choices and relationships are made clear. Nearly all of the material covered is new, although it dovetails with the other books.