Are You Man Enough?
Published Novel
Summary: Are You Man Enough?
Written with Richard McKim.
This is a large-scale, mythological fantasy, social and political satire, and a hard-edged, blistering anti-war parable. Our story takes place in Embrey, a nation on the brink of collapse due to a centuries-old war with its eastern neighbor Branell, along with internal strife leading to revolution. As expected, the plot carries a good deal of swordplay, stone castles and majestic fortresses, intrigue, derring-do, and espionage. It was also influenced by the Italian cinema of Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Sergio Leone, along with the samurai epics of Akira Kurosawa and American period pieces of EL Doctorow.
Are You Man Enough? details combat’s devastating effects on several well-drawn characters and intertwining narratives. Among our more noted protagonists include a band of naïve school boys, an untested naval officer, a progressive statesman and publisher, a gay teenage assassin, and a shy, socially awkward refugee seeking asylum in a new land.
This graphically violent novel displays the harsh and terrifying consequences of revolution and warfare. The action is harsh, brutal, uncompromising, and extremely gruesome. It doesn’t portray war as a heroic adventure, but rather pathetic, pointless, unflinching, disgusting, and always tragic.
My brother Richard and I begin writing this book in response to the death of a family member who perished while serving this country in Afghanistan. Are You Man Enough? took more than five years to complete, and to be blunt the effort kicked my ass! This book weighs in at nearly a hundred-and-seventy-thousand words, and features about two dozen major characters. What began as an easy-going writing project evolved into a backbreaking, obsessive drive to finally reach these two important words:
THE END.
During the time-frame in which the book was written, we mourned the loss of an older sister and both parents. The project took a tremendous toll. However, I learned so very much about the craft of writing. This being my first novel, I was never so happy to finally see it in print. The rewards for our sweat equity and efforts have been nothing short of monumental.
About Are You Man Enough?
Originally published in December of 2010. The Second Edition, featuring new cover artwork by artist Mike Winer, was released July 25, 2016. Besides the artwork, the interior was reformatted and reset for easier reading compared to the first edition.
The Image shown here is the original first edition cover. Featuring art by Richard McKim.