Motorcycle Stories
Finding forgiveness on the open road
I’m excited to announce that my book Motorcycle Stories - Finding forgiveness on the open road is now available on Amazon.
It’s the story of a young boy, Scott, growing up in a suburban neighborhood who is forced to move to a rural town with his father, younger brother and drug addicted mother who is both loving and abusive. He spots a motorcycle for sale and saves up his own money to purchase it, never dreaming it will be his ride to self-confidence, happiness, and, ultimately, forgiveness. Join him and his best friend, Ross, as they travel the northeastern U. S., sometimes facing danger, but always finding excitement and new friends around the next bend. Will Scott have the courage to face his fears and learn to forgive his mother before it’s too late?
The Kindle version sells for $2.99. It’s also available via Kindle Unlimited. If you subscribe to this service, it’s available for free. A direct link to the Kindle version is here.
The paperback version is priced at $12.99 and is available here.
Some excerpts are published below.
Emergency Room - This is the opening scene to the book.
Play Army - This scene takes place early before I noticed anything wrong and I was still living in an ideal world.
The Farmhouse - we begin to fix up a dilapidated farm house and I accept we will need to move.
The Chicken Coop - I begin to see some issues with my mother and share her backstory.
We Get Lost - My brother and I get lost in the woods.
I See My First Motorcycle - I see a motorcycle for sale when I am twelve and it starts something big in my life.
Dead Animal in the Road - Before my mother became addicted, she was a very good Mom.
I Have the Money - After years of work I have the cash to buy my first motorcycle.
The Minibike Fire - Soon after I purchased my motorcycle, my little brother needed my help.
I Get my Permit - After a long wait, I get my permit on a cold March day.
The Chicken - This is the last scene in Act One of my book, I purchase my new street bike, deal with my parents fighting. I also encounter Randy’s new baby chick.
Bowling with Dad - This takes place in June of 1974, soon after my parents split up. I was seventeen when these events occurred, and my brother Randy was thirteen. We were reeling from our mother’s attempted suicide and what would become a very messy divorce. It was Dad’s idea to go bowling in an attempt at some normalcy in our lives.
Brian and Billy - My two best friends help take my mind off of my parents’ troubled marriage.
The Drive In - I visit a Drive In with my friend Ross on our motorcycles.
PRAISE FOR MOTORCYCLE STORIES
Fall, 1971
“I was up in a tree ... looking down at Cheryl. “Do you want to ride on my new motorcycle?”
She smiled. “Sure!”
I jumped down ... handed her the helmet. “Hop on.” Once she settled in, I took off down the road. I liked how she held on tight to me.
“Should we be riding on the road?” she yelled above the sound of the engine and the wind.
“It’ll be fine.” After about a quarter of a mile we stopped at an intersection, ready to head back. Then I heard the whoop whoop sound of a state trooper. He walked up and said, “Turn off your motorcycle, son.”
“Yes, sir.”
Looking at me, he said, “Your bike doesn’t have a plate.” He looked a little closer at Cheryl and me and said, “How old are you?”
“Fourteen.”
So begins Scott Ocamb’s long love affair with motorcycles – getting caught illegally riding his unlicensed, dirt- bike, on the county road.
Flash forward a few years to another kind of ride.
“I had the urge to get back on a smooth winding road again. I put on my helmet and roared off, leaving Ross and Bill behind. Cruising at about 60 miles per hour, I came upon a tight curve. The smooth road felt wonderful after hours riding on the rough and dusty dirt roads. I downshifted into the turn. I felt a harsh jolt and the bike slid sideways, the rear wheel locked up, skidding across the road. I attempted to steer into the skid, turning the handle bars to the left as far as they would go, then right, then left again, and came to a screeching stop. I was still upright. My heart was pounding as a rush of adrenaline rocketed through my system. I turned and looked behind me and saw a long, winding black skid mark. I was in the middle of the road just beyond the curve where I almost crashed. I was shaking and got off of my bike so that I could push it on to the shoulder. Because the rear wheel was locked, it wouldn’t budge. I felt panic set in.”
From his very first brief encounter on the road to his very last, Ocamb puts you squarely behind him in the pillion seat, allowing you to share the road and the scenery along the way. I recommend you read this fine memoir of the open road by Scott Ocamb! Sharron at 🍁Leaves
Looking forward to the next adventure!