In "Three Shoeboxes
Herald NewsJun 17, 2018
In "Three Shoeboxes," Somerset author
The main character,
Manchester takes the reader on a heart-wrenching roller coaster ride as Anderson tries to find the strength to go from tragedy to triumph, fighting to regain control of his life.
In writing the book, Manchester said he tried to find empathy for all the characters, despite the major life-altering situations Andersen encounters as his PTSD lays waste to the life he once knew. "The villain is the disease itself," said Manchester.
It's a subject Manchester knows only too well, he said. As a veteran of the Gulf War, Manchester said he dealt with the effects of PTSD for five years after returning from the war. "It took everything I had to reinvent/reclaim my life," he said.
In another interview for the book last week, Manchester said he talked about the unexpected suicide of
What propels the character Andersen to get help is his love for his children and the desire to have them back in his life, said Manchester.
The novel, released last Tuesday, drew positive praise from reviewers on Amazon as well as praise from authors who read the book in advance. "'Shoeboxes' is a glimpse into real life tragedies that families keep secret," said
Manchester originally wrote the story before he became a best-selling author of 17 books, two of which have been national best-sellers. At the time, the screenplay went "nowhere" he said. He took the screenplay to
The audience feedback was amazing and they urged him to rewrite it into a book to get the story out to a wider audience, he said.
"I think it's important for people to understand that PTSD is an invisible disease and people suffering from it suffer tremendously," said Manchester.
"Three Shoeboxes" is available through all major booksellers.
For more information about Manchester, visit his author's website: www.stevenmanchester.com.
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