Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons is a heartwarming and heartbreaking story told with humor and grace, revealing the generational struggles and triumphs of being a dad, and the beautiful but imperfect ties that connect all of us.
Recipient of a Book of the Year Award from the Chicago Writers Association, Any Road Will Take You There is honest, unflinching, and tender.
In the tradition of the Great American Memoir, a middle-age father takes the reader on a five-thousand-mile road trip--the one he always wished he'd taken as a young man. Recently divorced and uncertain of the future, he rereads the iconic road story--Jack Kerouac's On the Road--and along with his two sons and his best friend, heads for the highway to rekindle his spirit.
However, a family secret turns the cross-country journey into an unexpected examination of his role as a father, and compels him to look to the past and the fathers who came before him to find contentment and clarity, and celebrate the struggles and triumphs of being a dad.
Paperback: 242 Pages
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Dream of Things (September 17, 2014)
ASIN: B00NVBMDZ0
ISBN-10: 0988439093
ISBN-13: 978-0988439092
Twitter hashtag: #AnyRoadBook
Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons is available as an e-book and paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.
Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons please enter using the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway contest closes this Friday, November 21st at 12:00 AM EST. We will announce the winner the same day in the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!
About the Author:
David can be found online at:
Website: www.davidwberner.com
Twitter: @davidwberner
Twitter: @anyroadbook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-W-Berner-Writer/190345939480
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/david.w.berner
-----Interview by Crystal J. Otto
WOW: David, thank you for choosing WOW! for your tour. This has been such a pleasure for me! Who has been most influential in your writing career? And how so?
David: There have been many. Great authors have certainly spurred me on. Hemmingway, Kerouac, even the poets Billy Collins and W.B. Yeats. So have great songwriters: Dylan, McCartney, and some wonderful new songwriters with bands like Dawes and Iron & Wine. Music and wonderful lyrics have made an immense impact on my writing. It’s the lyrical aspect. There’s music in words even without musical notes. I love prose and poetry that moves like a song. It inspires me.
But more than anything, everyday people and the people closest to me have been very strong influences. Working as a journalist, I see incredible stories all the time, stories of humanity and triumph and tragedy. Those stories inspire me. But there’s also my mother, who was a voracious reader and encouraged me to both read and write. And of course, there are my sons. They continually motivate and encouragement me to keep telling stories one way or another.
WOW: Motivation and encouragement is so important in all areas of life. Speaking of life and lessons, what advice would your current self offer to your previous self?
David: Don’t be in such a hurry. I worked in daily journalism for so many years and I expected the publishing world to move as quickly as that industry does. I expected, even though I knew better, that drafts and edits would happen more quickly, that story ideas and narratives would come more easily. The truth is you need time, time to think, walk around, experience, breath. Time to savor the stories. Slow down.
WOW: Sounds like solid advice, and speaking of publishing, what prompted you to go there with your story? What made you want to publish Any Road Will Take You There?
David: I believed my first book–Accidental Lessons–the story of being a new teacher was truly universal in its deeper meanings. Although it is about a year teaching in a troubled school district, and clearly appeals to educators, the bigger idea is about renewal and the reinvention of the spirit. We all can relate to that. But my sons are the ones who got me to see that. They are the ones who encouraged to write the book and see that so many people would find the story relevant to their lives, teachers or not.
WOW: Lessons taught to us by our children--what a gift! Thanks for sharing your story and helping teach others. What’s next for you?
David: All kind of stuff, I guess. I like doing different things. I’m involved in a songwriting competition. We’ll see where that goes. I play guitar and I occasionally write music. The songs are just my way of expressing something in another way. It’s mostly for fun.
My publisher, Dream of Things, is releasing a book of my essays in the spring of 2015. It’s a collection about the connection between our lives and our pets. These are not necessarily sentimentalized stories of cute cats or loyal puppies, but rather the deeper tales about how our souls can be shaped by the animals in our lives.
I also have a novel I’m hoping to get out there soon. Looking for a publisher. It’s entitled Night Radio and it’s the story of a young man in the early 1970s, during that wonderful period when music truly was the soundtrack of a generation, and his dreams of being a radio sage. The character makes a mistake that changes his life and compels him to broadcast a unique and unforgettable New Year’s Eve show that forces him to face his past. It was fun writing about an industry I grew up in and still work in today. I still do broadcast work for CBS and occasionally for public radio.
WOW: No dull moments at the Berner house I guess, wow! Since we are sharing, what is something readers may not know about you?
David: I cry when I hear Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.”
I am a rabid Steelers fan, even though I live in Chicago.
I want to visit Cuba someday.
WOW: David, I am a firm believer in networking and support. Have you been in any writing or reading group and what are your thoughts on writers groups or book clubs?
David: I am a member of the Chicago Writers Association and they are wonderful, truly a good group for networking and support. I’ve been involved with a couple others from time to time. Honestly though, I’m not extremely active. I love CWA, but I’m not that big of a joiner.
On book clubs, well, I’ve never been in one. But I have spoken at a few, clubs that have read one of my books. That’s a hoot. Would love to do more of that.
WOW: When did you know you were an author?
David: I like to think of myself as a writer, more than an author. An author implies a level of marketing and sales. So, when did I know I was a writer? When I was a little kid and wrote my first book in 2nd grade. It was this little story I wrote about a Cyclops and deep-sea explorers that was turned into a little paper Mache book as part of a class project. I loved that book. Still have it. But a professional writer? Probably when I held the first copy of my memoir Accidental Lessons in my hands.
WOW: I hope you know you’ve graduated to writer and author status – you’re a big deal David! How do you celebrate your writing victories?
David: Quietly, with a glass of wine and a smile.
WOW: Be looking for that next email from me – you’ll have to let us know what wine you’ll be drinking this evening as your blog tour launches!
If your book were a movie, what song would be included? And why?
David: If we’re talking about Any Road Will Take You There, we could easily fall into clichés, right? “On the Road Again” and so many other road songs come to mind. But there’s one Bob Dylan song that I truly believe says it all. The chorus, or refrain in “My Back Pages” is “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” That’s a statement about rebirth, transformation, and renewal of the spirit. I like that a lot.
WOW: Now those songs will be going through my head all day – you won’t hear me complaining! Thank you for sharing and for choosing WOW! David, this tour has been such a pleasure!
----------Blog Tour Dates
Monday, November 17 @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
Tuesday, November 18 @ Choices
Join David Berner as he offers insight into writing about your life and choosing what to write about. David shares his thoughts with Madeline Sharples and readers of Choices. Learn more about Berner and his memoir, Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons.
http://madelinesharples.com/
Wednesday, November 19 @ Jerry Waxler
Join memoirist Jerry Waxler as he reviews David W. Berner's memoir, Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons.
http://www.jerrywaxler.com/
Thursday, November 20 @ All Things Audry
Today is the day to catch up with David W Berner and his WOW! tour as he stops by All Things Audry with the guest post topic of "The Allure and Redemptive Nature of Road Trips". Read this post and find out more about Berner's memoir Any Road Will Take You There.
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/
Friday, November 21 @ National Association of Memoir Writers
David W Berner shares his thoughts in a guest post at National Association of Memoir Writers and shares "How to balance the story with what can be the sometimes intrusive nature of writing about family". Hear from David W. Berner about this and find out more about his memoir Any Road Will Take You There: A Journey of Fathers and Sons.
http://namw.org/blog/
Tuesday, November 25 @ Create Write Now
David W Berner stops at Create Write Now as he shares a guest post with Mari McCarthy and her readers. Learn more about Berner's book Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons and read his insightful post about "How to incorporate reflective moments in memoir or creative nonfiction."
http://www.createwritenow.com/journal-writing-blog
Wednesday, November 26 @ Lauren Scharhag
David W. Berner and his memoir, Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons make a stop to share thoughts about being a writer in residence with Lauren Scharhag and her readers. This is a blog stop you won't want to miss!
http://www.laurenscharhag.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, November 26 @ Lisa Haselton
Join Lisa Haselton as she interviews David W. Berner about Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons. David has also offered an ebook copy of his book for a giveaway; so don't miss this great blog stop!
http://lisahaseltonsreviewsandinterviews.blogspot.com/
Friday, November 28 @ Words by Webb
Jodi Webb interviews David W. Berner about his memoir Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons.
http://jodiwebb.com/
Monday, December 1 @ Renee’s Pages
David W. Berner writes today's guest post at Renee's Pages where h talks about "What Broadcast Journalism Taught Me About Parenting". Learn more about David W. Berner and his memoir Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons.
http://reneespages.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, December 2 @ Chynna Laird
David W. Berner shares his thoughts as he writes today's guest post at Chynna Laird Author Blog. Hear about "How Accidental Lessons Changed My Life" and learn more about David W. Berner and his popular memoir Any Road Will Take You There: A journey of fathers and sons.
http://www.chynnalairdauthor.ca
Thursday, December 4 @ Romance Junkies
David W Berner is interviewed by Romance Junkies. Find out more about Berner and his memoir Any Road Will Take You There.
http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/
Monday, December 8 @ CMash Reads
David W. Berner writes today's post at CMash Reads as he writes about how to be disciplined with writing - - writing like you workout. Don't miss this guest post as you find out more about his memoir Any Road Will Take You There and register for a giveaway so you can read your own copy David's book!
http://cmashlovestoread.com/
Tuesday, December 9 @Sioux’s Page
David W. Berner stops by Sioux's Page to talk more about his memoir Any Road Will Take You There and also provide some insight into his experience publishing with Dream of Things and how he came to choose this publisher.
http://siouxspage.blogspot.com/
Friday, December 12 @ Sherrey Meyer
David W. Berner takes his WOW! blog tour to Sherrey Meyer's blog with a guest post topic "Writing about the living and writing about the dead. How to be true to both. " Hear what David has to say as you learn more about his memoir Any Road Will Take You There.
http://sherreymeyer.com/blog/
Monday, Dec ember 15 @ Kathleen Pooler
Stop by Kathleen Pooler's blog, Memoir Writer's Journey today to learn more about David W. Berner and his memoir and read David's guest post about "The unique connection between fathers and sons."
http://krpooler.com/
Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.
Get Involved! If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.
*****BOOK GIVEAWAY*****
Enter to win a copy of Any Road Will Take You There by David W Berner! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. We will announce the winner in the Rafflecopter widget this Friday, November 21st!
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2 comments:
Love the title of this book and the "vehicle" Mr. Berner chose to explore family relationships.The "road trip" itself makes for an evocative metaphor. Looking forward to reading this book.
This book sounds really interesting. I can't wait to read it! Karin Gall
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