Mark Ristau's Blog - Posts Tagged "dreams"

Based in part on actual events, A Hero Dreams is a deeply personal narrative that explores, through the eyes of a child, the age-old problem of violence. In some ways, it’s a disturbing, even harrowing, tale—one that delves into the very darkest realms of the human psyche. Yet there’s a spark of hope, a ray of sunlight—albeit razor thin—shining from deep within the troubled soul of our protagonist, ten-year-old Ricky Williamson. Ultimately, A Hero Dreams joins forces with the second two books in the Hero’s Path series to paint a far-reaching arc that tells a story of possibility and the power of forgiveness to heal society’s most ancient wounds...
A Hero Dreams
Foreword Clarion Review
Mark's Website

The origins for A Hero Dreams have been with me for almost as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is of nearly drowning in a swimming pool at the age of four. But somewhere along the way, I buried the memory. Then one day I remembered. I remembered the incident. And I remembered who I was—a storyteller. I had a story to tell...

While working as in-house counsel for a manufacturing company in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, I liberated myself each day at noon from the confines of my ten-by-ten office for a run. My hour-long reprieve would lead me along winding trails, past ponds and lakes, and through the natural wooded beauty surrounding our suburban corporate campus.

One summer afternoon, as the temperature soared past 100 degrees, I was sprinting past a small lake when my oxygen-deprived brain conjured up a ghostly image—the body of a small boy floating along the lake’s grassy shore. I stopped short. Magically, the scene came to life. Lost in reverie now, I found myself crouching in the grass and holding this phantom boy in my arms. I gazed into his face...

Thus, my protagonist was born—a young boy named Ricky who refuses to allow the circumstances of his life prevent him from pursuing his dreams. After losing his father, he embarks on a journey fraught with one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after another. Yet he continues on...

Ultimately, Ricky's story teaches us that we are not defined by the past, nor do our fears have control over us.

If a scared little boy can find the courage to leave the past behind and embrace the future with an open heart, so can we. It just requires a little faith...

A Hero Dreams
Mark Ristau

Visit my Website

When I was just 4 years old, I came within seconds of drowning in a gulf-side swimming pool in Naples, Florida. I would have died that day but for the heroic efforts of a young woman named Cindy...

Many years later, I returned to Naples to write a novel that would begin with a young boy's brush with death and an encounter with an angel who would deliver a powerful message of hope...

At age 10, with his angel's words still echoing in his head, the boy embarks on a journey that leads to the edge of a threshold, where everything he's ever dreamed of finally seems to be within his reach. All he has to do is take a step forward—a single step forward. But something is holding him back...

In 2 weeks, I'll be in Naples again—this time, to introduce Part 1 of my story, A Hero Dreams, to Southwest Florida. See you then!

Book Signing at Naples Barnes & Noble