Hero's Tribute

Hero's Tribute by Graham Garrison

From the Back Cover

Two men. One front-page story. A small town forever changed.

Michael Gavin was a local hero, admired for his prowess in sports, his service in the military, and his work in the community. But there is more to Michael Gavin-including a past that has long been hidden.

Wes Watkins is a local newspaper reporter whose job it is to find a story, even if it means digging through court reports, interviewing the most unlikely people, and following leads that make him unpopular.

When Wes finds himself charged with writing Gavin's eulogy--though the two had never met--he sets out to find the truth. What happens next is something the little town of Talking Creek never expected. Secrets come to light, confidences are broken, and lives are redefined. But in the end, everyone will know what truly makes a man a legend.

"A powerful and moving book about what truly defines a hero. Garrison perfectly captures the notion of officership and why a man is called to accept the challenge of military leadership. This is a good read."--Colonel Kevin Benson, US Army, ret., former Director, School of Advanced Military Studies, analyst, McNeil Technologies
"Hero's Tribute has enough clever twists and hidden hooks that you'll find yourself totally engrossed, and thoroughly engaged. This is one you'll be telling your friends about."--Scott Kelby, the world's #1 bestselling computer and technology author

Press Release:

What is a hero? Is it defined by your actions at one particular point in time or is it defined

by who you are?

First time novelist Graham Garrison explores the idea of what defines a hero and when a person crosses a nebulous line to become a bona-fide legend in his debut novel Hero’s Tribute.

The small town of Talking Creek, Georgia, has a hero—Michael Gavin. As a teenager, Michael

made a name for himself as Quarterback of the local High School football team, the Eagles. As

a young man, he earned a regional following when he played for the University of Georgia. Post

-college, Captain Michael Gavin earned the Medal of Honor for distinguished service in Iraq further cementing his position at Talking Creek’s resident hero.

So when he was diagnosed with cancer, the town immediately rallied behind the Gavin’s. On his

deathbed, Michael makes a radical decision and asks a complete stranger, local sports reporter

Wes Watkins to deliver his eulogy. With absolutely no idea why the famed Michael Gavin would

ask a complete stranger to delve into the intimate details of his life, Wes digs into this project as

he would any other story. Who knows, perhaps it would generate some decent bylines and get

picked up by the AP. In fact, this could be his ticket out of the small town life.

But what Wes discovers catches him totally off guard. His typical reporting tactics aren’t going to

work in this situation and as he uncovers some secrets in Michael’s past, Wes begins to see him

as he really was rather than the larger-than-life legend the town has created. The closer he gets

to the truth, however, the town begins to close ranks. Struggling to find the words to accurately

and completely describe Michael, Wes must examine his own life and decide what will define

him. Finding the whole truth could cost Wes everything. Who was this man that Talking Creek

revered?

About Graham Garrison:

Graham Garrison is a writer and editor who lives in suburban Atlanta. He has covered high

school and college football games as a newspaper reporter, completed an internship with the

U.S. Army at its National Training Center in the Mojave Desert and tested WaveRunners and

Runabouts as the managing editor of a national boating magazine. He’s written about battlefields

for America’s Civil War, interviewed medical innovators for Georgia Physician and

even penned an editorial for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. When he’s not writing, he’s

chasing his two-year old son Nicholas and their Beagle, Baxter around the backyard with his

wife, Katie. Visit his website at www.grahamgarrisonwords.com

Pattie's Remarks:

Hero's Tribute is quite a bit different from what I have been reading lately. Graham Garrison's style is reminiscent of John Grisham. He reveals a little at a time, so that Wes finally gets the whole story about Michael Gavin. If you like mysteries and character studies, this will be the book for you.

Thanks to Kregel Publications and Danielle Douglas of Douglas Public Relations
for a review copy of this novel.