Christmas, 1958. Chuck Parker is a twelve-year-old paperboy haunted by a shameful family secret -- and now his mom has slipped off and married a man he neither likes nor respects. 

This is a story about the bonds -- and limits -- of family and friendship.

Based on actual events. By turns hilarious and heart-breaking -- Chuck's struggle to get along with his new step-dad goes from bad to ridiculous. But when a black kid in his neighborhood is killed, Chuck will decide to go looking for a lost family member, and eventually he'll have to confront his feckless father.

The Merry Life of Charles Parker is available on Amazon Kindle.