For His Heartbeat, a Drumline

In the wake of a schizophrenia diagnosis, 24-year-old Reese Findley loses everything-his job, apartment, friends, and independence. His new life revolves around intense parental supervision, therapy, and the gut-wrenching reality that no one seems to understand or tolerate his illness.

Tensions explode when his neighbor is mysteriously found dead and Reese lacks an alibi. He gains unlikely allies in the investigation, but struggles to rise above the fear that he may be the monster everyone believes him to be.

What ensues is a sobering and jaw-dropping testament to finding beauty in the face of prejudice.

For His Heartbeat, a Drumline will appeal to readers from all backgrounds. It is told from a deeply human perspective - albeit, a perspective of someone with a unique set of challenges. Different narratives dance around each other, with each character describing their own way through the story they unwillingly found themselves attached to. The result is a testament to our shared humanity, the stubborn triumph of the human spirit, and the impact of societal prejudice against the mentally ill.

About the Author:

I wrote this book during a near-constant state of turmoil. I had this sneaking suspicion that my brain didn't work the way I thought it should, but I didn't know what it was. I now know that disease as OCD, but in typical OCD fashion, my mind became obsessed that with the idea that I had something much worse. My anxiety went wild, conjuring up scenarios where I'd be institutionalized within years because there was something deeply wrong with me.

At the time, my mind went to the most egregious illness I could conjure: schizophrenia. I viewed schizophrenia as an inevitable pathway to sociopathy, murderous tendencies, and a life confined to a straight-jacket and icepick lobotomies to keep me sedated. I thought of schizophrenia as a promise that I'd never be able to live a normal life and that I'd inevitably lose all sanity.

I researched endlessly on the topic, and what I discovered angered me. I realized how common the illness is, how treatable it is if caught early, and how so many people with the illness do end up living normal lives. Furthermore, I realized that the societal perception of the disease only serves to damage those who have it. Countless movies, shows, and pieces of literature demonize people with schizophrenia. I wanted to present an alternative; a story where the illness is humanized and the afflicted character is the hero, not the villian.