Summertime Blues

by B.R. Fleming

"Summertime Blues" follows the coming-of-age story of Peter Bennings during the '60's from an optimistic, dream-driven thirteen-year-old to a floundering, anger-driven seventeen-year-old. A typical teenage boy, he's curious about life, about girls, about sex, about how he fits in. He daydreams about playing drums in a rock band, playing the "new" music of the British invasion and psychedelic rock, and looks forward to his life as a Microbiologist. But, as Peter encounters disappointment and the shattering of his dreams, he escapes into music, booze, and sexual adventures. As a faithful archetype of the coming of age story, the question, then, follows, What does Peter learn from this journey? Without much help from his family, he must discover the answers to his questions on his own. In the process, he loses his once naive approach to life and stumbles through his teenage years. The '60's are sometimes referred to as a "simpler time," but that simplicity rests only in technological terms. As J. D. Salinger infamously created a complex and tragic character in Holden Caulfield, so too does Peter's voyage reveal a complex character searching for himself and for the answers to his life questions. And this excursion will surely evoke memories for those who recall the shift in music and for many teens today who can relate to Peter's conflict with the absurdities of dealing with adults.

218 pages, Paperback

First published June 20, 2012

About the author

B. R. Fleming grew up in the '60's reading sci-fi novels and watching sci-fi movies and was a musician in rock bands that played psychedelic rock and the music of the British invasion. After serving in the US Air Force as a Technical Instructor during the Vietnam War, he returned to civilian life and began a career in teaching, which he has followed since. He lives in Southern California and still plays music and teaches classes in English Lit and Creative Writing in high school, as well as college classes in Teaching the Gifted and Talented and Drama. He studied Screenwriting at the University of California, Irvine, and has completed five feature-length film scripts. His screenplays have been marketed to Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Pictures Marketing.

His novel, Summertime Blues, recounts life in the '60's through the eyes of teen Peter Bennings and focuses on the struggles that all teens must face in "growing up." His next novel, The Secret People, to be released Summer 2014, follows Lesley Whitney as she enters the realm of Native American Spiritualism and encounters the Inorganic Beings on her search for her missing father in the Four corners region of the US. Mr. Fleming's next project will be The Colony Trilogy: Torus I; The Colony; and The Coming, a fact-based sci-fi series revolving around colonization of the solar system.

Reviews

[B R · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Summertime Blues" gives an honest and realistic view of growing up in the '60's in the south and of being an adolescent boy in any time period. Peter Bennings goes through all of the same social struggles that most teenage boys go through and must learn on his own about relationships with girls and sex. The music of the era plays an integral role in Peter's life and reflects his emotions and actions. Seeing him evolve from the idealistic early teen who has goals to the out-of-whack older teen who relies on alcohol to get by and lives for the next gig or sexual adventure really shows the stressors that can accompany the teen years.Summertime Blues