 | | 
|  |
| |  | | 
| | | Christopher Cleary’s new novel “Writing on the Wall.” | |
August 28, 2007
Local author Christopher Cleary will be meeting readers while signing his new novel, "Writing on the Wall."
He will be in Cumming Sept. 1 at Humpus Bumpus bookstore from noon to 2 p.m.
Cleary's own life inspired many parts of the new book, which will be released the same day as the book signing at Humpus Bumpus.
The novel is young adult fiction about two teenagers who use a mutual storage unit to escape the hardships of life. It evolved from a short story Cleary, who lived in Alpharetta at the time, penned while waiting at a storage facility.
The plot centers on a man eating alone at a diner and remembering his days in high school. From this, Cleary created the premise for his novel and its main characters, Donnie and Megan.
At one point in the novel, Donnie and Megan drive north to get a better view of the stars. "I know from searching for pumpkin patches that there's a lot of rural area north of Alpharetta," Cleary said. "It's easy to get lost."
The characters do get lost and arrive home early the next morning, way beyond their curfew. The drive around North Fulton reveals many settings in the novel that will be familiar to local readers..
"Pay attention to how many storage facilities you pass in a day," Cleary added. "There are a lot of them."
Cleary has had a love of art long before making his home in Alpharetta. In 10th grade he began taking acting classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse and writing scenes for the annual high school talent shows in his hometown of Beaver Falls, Pa.
After graduation Cleary moved to California to pursue a career in acting. He worked as an extra for the Los Angeles Opera and landed various stints on television shows and movies, including a sit-com pilot.
"More than any other, I was on Beverly Hills, 90210," said Cleary. "Around 10 times."
Extras are paid very little, so directors will keep them around all day until they are needed.
"The biggest show that I was ever on was ER," Cleary added. "I sat in a hospital gown for 16 hours and then was sent home without ever being in front of the camera."
Cleary spent almost four years in California before becoming disenchanted with the Hollywood scene, moving to Roswell in 2000 and settling in Alpharetta a year later.
"Hollywood frustrated me. Lots, and I mean lots, of people arrive in L.A. every day, and I mean every day, to pursue a career in acting. A very small percentage of them have any formal training, let alone seven years," he said. "But, it's not about acting ability. It's about nepotism and which boy looks best to play the boyfriend of the girl who was cast because her father is some Hollywood fella."
After earning his Master's degree, Cleary switched from writing plays and sit-coms to short stories and novels.
Cleary lives with his wife Brigette and works part-time as a firm administrator, but he said his true calling is still writing. He is already brainstorming a second book, but he said it probably won't be young adult fiction.
|
