By Rose Hooper
Remember how summer camp was such an adventure? You got up close
and personal with nature's creatures, learned how to carve wood
critters, perfected your backstroke, tested your limits on the
ropes, made new friends you will never forget and discovered
life lessons that helped mold your character.
Readers can relive those adventures in Mark Melrose's new book
"Take A Chance." Or, if you've never been to summer
camp, Melrose will make you feel like you have.
Most folks in Jackson County recognize Melrose in his role as
an attorney, but long before that profession (well, not that
many years ago, he says) he worked at summer camps – the
same ones he attended as a youth. That gave him the basis for
his book, which centers around a summer world of adventure at
Camp Hampton.
In it 13-year-old Sam is swept into a fast-paced summer of terrifying
challenges and hilarious practical jokes. He soon makes a startling
discovery that he must keep secret from everyone but his closest
friend.
As the summer races along, the 10 boys of Camp 14 learn something
about becoming young men through their counselor, who is the
most remarkable man they will ever meet. Eventually, Sam and
his new friends find themselves in a gripping struggle for their
lives. In the midst of this unforgettable summer, Sam searches
for the meaning of life and an understanding of death.
"I wrote the book for my son, Adam, who is 13," said
Melrose, who recently returned from a wilderness canoe camping
trip with his son.
At the start of "Take A Chance," the father and son
are at odds with each other.
"It wasn't like he woke up planning to start a global conflict
with his father," Melrose writes. "Instead they had
both been positioning and fortifying their armies for months."
Sam, the father, hopes that son Russell might gain some of the
same life-enriching experiences he had while attending the same
summer camp in the mountains of Western North Carolina that
he attended as a boy.
On the ride to camp father and son get into a shouting match.
Sam parks the car and asks Russell to take a walk with him.
"Only within the last year or so had Russell gone from
living as a part of the world to believing he was the center
of creation," Sam thinks as they walk together.
He begins to tell his son about the first summer he spent at
Camp Hampton and how the experience changed his life forever.
Russell realizes that his dad is talking to him from the heart
and he starts to see his father in a different light.
"The story turned into more than I thought it would; it
kind of evolved. I had the idea for years but wasn't sure how
to write it; then I decided on the flashback," said Melrose,
who devoted one hour each evening to composing the book on his
laptop.
"There are very few G-rated books written for teenagers,
and I wanted to write a book they could enjoy and share with
their family. It's not a difficult, complex book; it's a fun
read, but it's more than a silly story. I hope people will remember
it long after they have read it," he said.
Melrose's book can be read on two levels – first, simply
as an exciting adventure story, and secondly, as a faith-based
message.
"There are messages in there for the readers. It just depends
on how carefully they read the book," said Melrose, who
added the spiritual component later.
Also included are messages on developing character. "When
you feel yourself starting to give up, you have an opportunity
to develop character. Overcome your fears or they will over
come you," Melrose writes.
Chance, the counselor, stresses he would rather be late for
a meal than late for a boy who needed help. "Don't wait
for tomorrow; there is no guarantee of tomorrow," Melrose
writes.
As Chance faced death, Sam asked the counselor why he didn't
seem afraid of dying. Chance replied, "The better question
is how we are going to live our lives. Can we use our time to
do some good or not?"
Melrose evens throws in traditional campy camp humor like "Why
was the frog so happy?" Answer: "Because he ate everything
that bugged him."
"Take A Chance" served as a creative outlet for this
author, who has written non-fiction for law magazines.
At Western Carolina University he minored in writing and journalism
and met his wife, Dawn. In addition to Adam, they have two other
children, Emily, 10, and Allison, 5. As a family they enjoy
outdoor sports.
"A couple of kids I know stayed up late to read my book;
I guess that's a good sign," said Melrose. "Already
Adam is asking for a sequel."
Melrose said he is thinking about his son's suggestion. "I
sort of have an idea for the sequel, but I haven't put fingers
to the keys yet."
Meanwhile, "Take A Chance" is available in both secular
and Christian book stores, or at the office of Melrose, Seago
and Lay. Copies can be ordered on-line at www.youthpublishing.com.
Melrose will read excerpts from the book during a book signing
at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26, at City Lights Bookstore.
