Steeltown Chronicles

In this third instalment of the Steeltown Chronicles, Johnny Pappas is in crisis. He has never truly recovered from the unexpected breakdown of his marriage, seventeen years earlier. The usually reliable John even goes AWOL from the family restaurant. He's bitterly obsessed with his ex Sophia, holing up in his house and getting hammered.His friends Donny, Tony, and Norb are alarmed by his state of mind. Determined to help him, they present him with hopeful new possibilities: a dance studio of his own and a potential new girlfriend. Donny introduces John to Barry Supinder, who gives him a sweet deal on a commercial unit in the Village, and John soon rediscovers his dream of a dance career, leading to an exciting and bizarre collaboration. Drinking at the Blue Ball, he's introduced to Donny's newly-immigrated Scottish cousin, Sheena Stirling, whose wild hair and fashion sense never left the 80's. Despite his snobbery, John is smitten, but his sick preoccupation with his ex-wife stands in his way.Norb confides the startling way that he has coped with his own grief, and Tony's dinner invitation gives John some unexpected insight into the secret pain of others. Yet, despite the love of his friends, John spirals downward toward the end of the road.Jammed with crazy plot twists, colourful characters, and absurd comedy, the third story of this addictive series will grab your heart and blow your mind! Length: 68,000 words Dave lives with his writer wife, Anne L. Darling, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The author may be reached at: davewalkerauthor@yahoo.com

In the fourth and final installment of the Steeltown Chronicles, Tony Valentini's past as a Micro Sprint race phenom comes back to haunt him. At his daughter's big go kart race, the sinister Doughboy throws sand in her gas tank, and his dad's mob cronies Beppe Santucci and Uncle Toto call in Frank Valentini's old gambling debt. They'll let Frank off the hook if Tony helps Beppe's son Giorgio, a sweet-natured man-child, win The Special. Despite his long-standing bitterness toward his father, Tony knows he has no choice. He has to step up, for his mother's sake.Things get even worse when he's forced to work with Randy Rocket, the legendary Nascar mechanic who's now "two fries short of a Happy Meal". And on top of that, a crazy figure from his past is spying on him! Even with the support of John, Norb, and Donny, Tony is starting to lose his marbles.At the gripping climax, Tony's faced with a real shocker. And, for the first time in twenty years, he can't fight it anymore--Tony has a serious need for speed!Full of plot twists, insane characters, and madcap humour, Tony Needs Speed will pull your heartstrings. The engines are running, so buckle up! Length: 61,000 words Dave lives with his writer wife, Anne L. Darling, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The author may be reached at: davewalkerauthor@yahoo.com