The Reading Addict: Lucky Chance by RC Welch (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

It is my pleasure to share a guest post from author R.C. Welch, who tells us...

ELF: What do you think is the strongest attraction about the genre(s) you like to write in?

RCW: I would define my preferred genre as southern fiction. I have been influenced by writers such as Flannery O’Connor, Pat Conroy and Ferrol Sams to name a few whose activity spans a reasonable period of time. I find my place in the southern United States, as I was born in Georgia. In addition, my experience in life attaches its formative origins within that particular geography and about and around the lives that populate that land. I would say, at least for myself, that I find a similarity with many of the Native Americans with whom I have become acquainted over my lifetime. Regarding our discussions, the land upon which they were born and within which they have known their heritage is regarded as a spiritual force in their lives. I find this same feeling to be present in me, as well. Although I have lived the last thirty years in North Carolina, each and every time I return to my homeland in the state of Georgia I feel the enveloping warmth of a sense that I would call, home. To be more precise, when I cross the bridge that spans Lake Hartwell on Interstate 85 headed south, I feel the embrace of familiarity and welcome. I suppose that in my case, and perhaps, my recognized and secret colleagues, of this particular writing genre, must feel this same attachment to the land upon which we were born and raised. Out of that foundation I can write my stories.

I also like to think that I am a fairly well-read and well-traveled gentleman. I try to incorporate my extended experience with the world with my knowledge and imagination of a local color. I blend trauma and tragedy with happiness and joy. I can speak the language of the city and the dialect of the country. I can find a clever story through the tending of my mother’s garden. I can develop compelling scenery from a Saturday float upon one of our southern rivers. I can devise struggles and suffering around a holiday dinner. I can pose questions about faith in the midst of a Sunday sermon. And, in all those scenarios and many others, I can develop characters that are engaging, and inspiring in whatever emotional capacity that flows within the scene. All those notions compose my tool bag for writing in the genre and flair of my secret mentors. However, in answer to the question posed above, the strongest attraction to this preferred genre is the southern human character, with whom I am familiar, to whom I am loyal and dedicated, and about whom my audience may relate with compassion, excitement, misery, praise, disgust, or any other emotional component that is interesting, fascinating and compelling.

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Lucky Chance

by RC Welch

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GENRE: Fiction

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BLURB:

Golf, love, life—Jack Weatherlow is more than familiar with all three. Is life a series of coincidences or is it linked by a greater thread? Returning from the brink of destruction, Jack lets his participation in recovery, his work at the hotel, and his close relationship with his wife, Samantha, guide him through some of life's most important questions and lessons. What do we do when opportunity knocks at our door? Is it fate that brings us together with those we love most? What constitutes a family and what obligations do we have to those around us? Through his relationships and experiences on and off the green, Jack discovers many of life's lucky chances.

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EXCERPT

I believe that my mother saw me as an offensive predator. That depiction is also a product of natural, but highly convoluted, logic. Inside my childhood home, typically accepted roles tended to become wildly skewed from commonly accepted norms. Such a thing seems to follow, when the rules of engagement are based on upon illusion, rather than truth and honesty. I had a legitimate mother, who was an adult, but she was, in equal measure, an unpredictable and unmerciful tyrant and fiend. I thought I saw my mom enter my bedroom at night, but I always engaged with a monster, instead.

Reconciling this sinister conundrum installed a type of internal courtroom scene in my heart, mind and soul. I visit that court of inquisition quite regularly, and I have done so, throughout all remembered life. I stand trial for crimes relating to common actions and simple decisions. The charges I face are modest. I am accused of being less than I might have been. The verdict is, always, guilty. The sentence is humble. I don’t think very highly of myself. That courtroom is the second distinction which hails from childhood days with my alcoholic mother.

Nevertheless, I learned to defend myself inside my home. I developed a dependable set of tactical engagement routines. Most of the time, they are stored away like cleaned guns, quiet and harmless, but they are also ready for loading, and aiming, and firing when needed. Sam is attempting to discourage the practice of opening my arsenal. I actually love her for that, and quite fittingly, I feel the scorch of shame whenever I begin to jingle the keys to my heirloom gun cabinet.

Amazon link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Summer is in full swing - folks are hitting the golf course by day, and reflecting on life as the sunsets go later into the evening. In the spirit of golf and life, Charlotte-based Warren Publishing has released Lucky Chance, a thoughtful and moving novel by businessman, golfer and public speaker, R.C. Welch.

Lucky Chance is a 346-page soft cover book that addresses some of life’s most thought-provoking and insightful dilemmas and lessons through the lens of Jack Weatherlow. A golfer, husband, and alcoholic in recovery, Jack returns from the brink of destruction, and through his recovery, work, and relationship with his wife, Samantha, he attempts to find the answers to some of life’s most important questions. What do we do when opportunity knocks at our door? Is it fate that brings us together with those we love most? What constitutes a family and what obligations do we have to those around us? Through his relationships and experiences on and off the green, Jack discovers many of life’s lucky chances.

Inspired by his love of golf, business, and storytelling, Welch wrote Lucky Chance to give readers insight into a character he loves, and connect certain apparent similarities in life between obviously different circumstances.

“Lucky Chance is a wonderfully crafted novel, rich with narrative originality, and emotional and philosophical depth,” added Mindy Kuhn, President of Warren Publishing. “It’s a fantastic, unique read for anyone who enjoys reading about sports or love, but also for those looking to delve into the truly intricate and complicated questions of life.”

R.C. Welch holds graduate and post graduate degrees from two universities, and is honorably recognized in various circles of the business world. He is also an accomplished golfer, storyteller and public speaker. Lucky Chance is an expression of his innate and unique gifts. He currently resides in Winston Salem, NC.