Johnny McCarthy (Paperback)

Johnny McCarthy is a third generation coal miner whose father and grandfather died in the coal mines of Ireland. Johnny digs coal for the Stone Mountain Coal Company in Matewan, West Virginia in the early 1920s. He is staunchly devoted to his family and the coal company based on the loyalties his father has taught him. But in W.Va, he faces the challenge of union organizing, workplace violence, and the difficulty of providing enough food and clothing for his family. In addition, he deals on a daily basis with the dangers of the mine, including explosion, cave-ins, darkness, and rats. And don't forget the low pay in scrip along with the company store, the company preacher, the company school, and the company doctor. The coal miner's son is caught up in the historic choices he must make between hopeless servitude and the life-threatening dangers of joining the union. "Johnny McCarthy, A Coal Miner's Son" is the story of one miner's adventure that takes him beyond the Matewan Massacre to finding out who he really is. No dull passages here. This book is raw, gritty, and filled with suspense. Truly hard to put down.

I love to write fiction, both novels and short stories. My father was born and raised in West Virginia. My grandfather, Willie Norris, worked as a blacksmith for the B&O Railroad, first in Grafton, W.Va, then in Clarksburg. All of my family on my father's side are from West Virginia and I lived there for a short time as a child. I guess therein lies my interest in the coal mining history of the state. My mother was born and raised in New York City, which makes me a cross between a hillbilly and a city slicker, an interesting combination to be sure. I have a Master's Degree in Communications from Pepperdine University. I have an avid interest in travel, literature, communication, reading, animals, and of course, writing. "Johnny McCarthy: A Coal Miner's Son" is my third novel, and many say, my best. My first is titled "The Gentleman Host," about a serial killer who throws middle-aged women off cruise ships at midnight. Yikes! How did I get such an idea? My second novel, "My Name is Inferno," is a sequel to the first, a story about a Caribbean cruise ship overtaken by Somali pirates. In addition to my novels and short stories, I have written two screenplays, numerous works of poetry, and lots of nonfiction. I currently serve as president of the California Writers Club, High Desert Branch. We have about a hundred members and do lots of teaching, workshops, and outreach in the community in fulfillment of our mission statement to promote excellence in writing. We have taught inmates at the Federal Correctional Facility in Victorville, high school students in Apple Valley, and members of the community. I guess most of my friends are readers and writers. Interesting and good people, and I always have room for more. I live in southern California near my grown son and daughter. Check out my website at DwightNorris.com.