Books In Sync Recognizes Author Stephen Cheek

Featuring: Cane and Able by Stephen Cheek

Raleigh/Durham, NC (prHWY.com) May 20, 2010 - About The Author:

Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, in 1950, Stephen Cheek finished high school in 1968, later attended Mississippi State University and graduated in 1972 with a degree in landscape architecture. For sixteen years he was in private practice designing commercial and residential projects throughout Mississippi. In 1988, he joined his father's highway construction firm.

He lives with his wife Sherrie in their turn of the century colonial style home in the downtown historic district of Kosciusko. His handiwork is seen in the home's beautiful New Orleans style courtyard surrounded by an eight-foot brick wall. They have three grown children, Corey, Megan and Logan, all of whom live in Mississippi.

Stephen Cheek began writing when he was in a rock band during his high school years. He discretely kept a detailed diary of the band's performances and years later when the band reunited; he picked up his pen again and resumed writing. In 2000 he astonished all of the band members with a copy of the journal. With their encouragement that he should write a REAL book, he decided to try his hand at it. At that time, he had already written one children's book, a compilation of stories he had made up for his own children. That early book was Catfish Cowboy and Mr. Turtle.

"Cane and Able was easy to write. The cleaning up was what was so difficult; it took forever. I was told by someone to just write the story and not worry about the grammar. I did just that. When my wife finished editing it with her red ink pen (English teacher trait), I could hardly read the manuscript. I really thought I had done a good job. Now I know how terrible it was."

Stephen Cheek has been a storyteller for the four and five year olds at First Baptist Church in Kosciusko for over twenty-five years. He loves working with children and plans to continue as long as he is able. With the Sunday school, he is carrying on a tradition begun by his mother when he was a youngster.

He states that his next novel, The Hunt, which will be out in late 2010, will be a true thriller.

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Featuring: Cane and Able by Stephen Cheek

Do you remember how you felt when you were learning to drive? You were nervous. You were scared. Your heart was racing and your mouth was dry. You were so frightened by failure that you wanted to call it quits . . . except that you were more thrilled by the chance to experience something that could lead to freedom.

Justin Cane, a Mississippi farmer's young boy in the summer of 1959, feels the same way as he learns about driving and about life. Justin's mentor is his father's trusted black farmhand, Able. Able comes across as an incredibly strong man, both physical and spiritually.

As Justin and Able take a road trip together through the low lands of the Mississippi Delta, the boy learns not only to drive on the open road but, more importantly, about the wonder and cruelty of life.

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Cane and Able intentionally begins as a simple and innocent read, pulling the reader deeper with every page turned. By page 13 the voices of the characters have begun to speak from the past and by page 24 the book is in a trot and about to RUN!

"The innocence of the characters had to be drawn first to lay the groundwork of who they are and the lifestyle they were acquainted with," Cheek says. "The South is slow paced and laid back. To rush into a complicated and furious story would be a total mistake. The reader has to be pulled in..., and they are!"

Cane and Able, by Southern writer Stephen Cheek captures the era of the late 1950's in Mississippi. He explores a time when to be black was to be "colored" and to be white was supreme, a time when the color of a person's skin could mean the difference between life and death, wrongness and fairness, or poverty and wealth.

Cheek's book shares the story of how for one family in rural Mississippi the color of a man's skin didn't matter. In his 396-page novel, he depicts the true love and devotion that existed between many white and black families in a time that was particularly difficult. Cheek narrates his story through a farmer's twelve-year-old son named Justin Cane.

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Cane and Able Book Reviews

"A read that will leave readers thinking!

The urge to embrace the road inevitably trumps nervousness and fear. "Cane and Able" follows young Justin Cane as he tries to gain his wheels in the late 1950s. His teacher is one of his father's farmhands, and through their travels, Justin Cane learns more than just how to maneuver a vehicle; he learns about life and the harsh side of reality. "Cane and Able" is a read that will leave readers thinking."

June 10, 2009
by Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)

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"Reading This Book Was So Much Fun!

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was a delightful trip by two interesting characters. I laughed out loud each time the creative names for the books of the Bible were mentioned. I was a child in Louisiana in the 50's, and I remember that things were not good in many ways. However, I appreciate how this book portrays the deep love and relationships of individuals, black and white. That is what I remember most about that time. I highly recommend this read for its entertainment quality!"

March 10, 2009
by Laura A. Burton (Long Beach, MS United States)

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"Great Read! - Couldn't Put it Down!

I just finished Cane and Able over the holidays and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I laughed out loud more than once and loved how the pace built to a fever pitch toward the end. A great look into what life was like in the Deep South in the 50s, but through the eyes of a young boy, learning some valuable life lessons. For those of you who grew up south of the Mason Dixon line, this book is for you!

January 16, 2009
by Jeff Simmons (Pass Christian, MS)

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Book Details:
Publisher: lulu.com (December 15, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0-557-44892-0
Language: English
Second Edition
Paperback: 300 Pages
Genre: Fiction/Suspense

Print Price: $23.07

Amazon Purchase Link

http://www.amazon.com/Cane-Able-Stephen-Cheek/dp/0557000203/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238007456&sr=8-2

LuLu Book Print Price: $18.75
LuLu Download Price: $6.95

LuLu Purchase Link
http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/cane-and-able/10807702

Stephen Cheek's Website
http://www.cheekbooks.com/

Stephen Cheek's Email
stephen@cheekbooks.com

Date Joined Books In Sync: May 3, 2010

Submitted by Books In Sync
Author/Book Promotions
Website: http://www.booksinsync.com
Submission Date: May 2010

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Tag Words: author book promotions

Categories: Books

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