book details

Book: Shine Like The Sun by A.L. Means

categories: Book, Arizona, Fiction, England, Sedona, Novel, Rock Music

A.L. Means

about this book: Many a generation comes of age believing that there is some event or phenomenon that sets it apart from those preceding it. For a good number of those who grew up in the mid to late 20th century, the defining phenomenon was popular music. Rock 'n' roll and other contemporary genres would change the world, we were sure. But, as with every generation, the passage of time alters perspectives. Had we lived up to our expectations?

As the retired singer for a major rock group, Roy Huntley, the protagonist in my novel Shine Like The Sun, faces such a dilemma. The challenge is how to retain or adjust his view of the world as he ages. He questions his aspirations and assumptions, and wonders whether he still has a part to play.

Without hammering the point, I want to explore how a generation comes of age feeling it is capable of great things and then is overtaken by events and time. There is a transition, with each generation experiencing the visions of youth and then succumbing to age, perhaps to be swept aside by successors with different priorities. Whether it's media celebrities of the present or victorious generals of the past, such individuals tend to find their subsequent lives are defined by their time in the spotlight. Fame and status, once sought after, can become a tether.