The Seventeenth

Ray Clemens is a 46-year old single father and newspaper writer living in 1978 Atlanta. His nine year old daughter Ruby has battled leukemia for nearly half her life. On the day he receives bad news about Ruby's prognosis, Ray accidentally begins the adventure of a lifetime, challenging his preconceived ideas about the universe, life, and death.

Over the course of several days, Ray struggles to reunite with Ruby while continually questioning the reality he experiences. Along the way he learns the true reason for human existence, who set it in motion, and why.

Ray holds the key to saving the human race from itself but he will only participate in doing so if Ruby is given the life she was meant to live. Ray engages with some unlikely new friends in attempting to accomplish both tasks.

This novel is a follow-up to The Ballad of Kim & Gary. A few characters crossover between the two books and the stories intersect briefly, but this is not a series.The Seventeenth is an adventure story, accessible to a wide audience. The Ballad of Kim & Gary is a romance story with a narrow target audience. It is not necessary to read both books to understand the story in either one, nor is it necessary to read them in order.

All net royalty income from the sale of this book (including free promotional copies) will be donated to children's charities. Please consider making an additional donation to the children's charity of your choice, or visit sarahmbeers.com for some suggestions and direct links to charitable organizations.