A Matter of Respect

When I wrote HIDING BEHIND THUNDER, I wanted to blend fact and fiction into an entertaining coming-of-age story. To do so, I felt it important to not only the flow of the story, but to the readers with even a half of a brain to not muddle the action with a host of "drivers" and "teams" that were simply made-up names and car numbers.

I wanted stories within the story, fleshing out historic moments with many of NASCAR's greatest drivers of that Golden Age. So, instead of tossing names like "Billy Mack Smith," or "Jimmy Joe Speedo," I decided to feature real events and real drivers, some still living and some passed on, such as Fred Lorenzen, Richard Petty, Ned Jarrett, David Pearson, Wendell Scott, Joe Weatherly, and, of course, Fireball Roberts.

One concern has been that the living drivers I have engaged in HIDING BEHIND THUNDER might take umbrage with their inclusion in the story. My response: Why? One of the most important attributes in my novel is that every driver mentioned in the course of the story, living or dead, is treated with respect. Respect to them personally, and respectful in the manner in which I portray them.

I feel I accomplished this. If there are still any doubters, then I suggest they purchase a copy of the book and prove me otherwise. I'm putting my money where my mouth is, too... a copy of HIDING BEHIND THUNDER is on its way to one of the greatest drivers of NASCAR's Golden Age.

I'll save that little tidbit for another blog post. Until then...