Guillebeau brings “Josh Forever” to Madison Murder, Ink.
Michael Guillebeau’s book signing for “Josh Whoever” with the Madison Murder Ink. Book Club will be held on May 9. (CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – Local author Michael Guillebeau will discuss the plight of “Josh Whoever” with the Madison Murder Ink. Book Club.
Madison Public Library will host Guillebeau’s book signing May 9 at 6:30 p.m.
“Library Journal” magazine gave “Josh Forever” a starred review and named it “Mystery Debut of the Month.”
In its review, “Library Journal” stated army veteran Josh is thrown ” into a hero’s harsh spotlight in a maneuver-turned-massacre cover-up.” Josh resorts to scams to live and “takes refuge in the bottle and tries to stay invisible.” He encounters a Russian mob family who insists that he find their missing daughter.
Guillebeau described his anti-hero as “a little guy who just wants to stay drunk in the back of a bar. I guess the message is, ‘Never give up.'” Guillebeau has written three more books.
The book idea originated while he was listening to Steely Dan’s “Here at the Western World” about “a guy who hangs out at a bar. I wondered what it would be like. Maybe the guy runs scams to pay for the booze. What if … robbers come in and mess up his scam?'”
His imagination resulted in a 70,000-word book.
Life for a writer involves “spending a year hunched over a computer because characters inside your head are more interesting than people in the real world. Then, you send out 100 pathetic, begging letters to agents,” Guillebeau said.
Unfortunately, most agents don’t even reply. Few send rejections. Eventually, an editor buys the book but for much less “than you could have made working at 7-11,” Guillebeau said.
In about five months, he will retire a software developer at The Boeing Company. His wife Pat Leary Guillebeau works as a software developer for CSC and NASA.
Their son Chris Guillebeau’s second book, “The $100 Startup,” is on the “New York Times” Best Seller list. Their daughter Mary is a student at the University of Montevallo and owns a recording studio.
For more information, visit michaelguillebeau.com.
