Home Again Blog Tour – Maurice M. Gray Jr.
Tell us about yourself.
I am an author, an editor and sometimes a comedian as well. I’ve been published for over ten years now: my novels are To Whom Much Is Given and All Things Work Together, and I’m a contributor to two other anthologies besides Home Again. Blessed Assurance came out in 2003, and The Soul Of A Man came out in 2009. In my day job, I am an HIV Prevention Counselor for Beautiful Gate Outreach Center. Through my company Write The Vision, Inc., I publish my novels and serve as editor for various literary projects.
This anthology is about restoration. Define the importance of restoration in terms of relationships.
It’s inevitable that in the course of a relationship, there will be disagreement. If that disagreement leads to separation, it is imperative that both parties try their best to restore that relationship. That usually means putting one’s pride aside to apologize, which is difficult to do. However, the bond between spouses, siblings, parents and children or between friends is too important to throw away. Restoration can be difficult in any broken relationship, but it is absolutely critical. Most times, a broken relationship hurts the one holding hard feelings more so than it does the person those hard feelings are directed against.
Tell us about your story.
Erik is a twenty-something year old young man who is estranged from his mother. Over the years, she and his father acted as mentors to many young adults, which gives Erik play brothers and sisters in double figures. Deep down, Erik resents all the time his mother in particular put (and still puts) into his play siblings; there were times when he needed her attention and could not get it. They’ve barely spoken in almost a year when Erik is involved in a horrendous accident. Suddenly, their estrangement isn’t as important as learning whether or not Erik will live or die. Both Erik (as he drifts in and out of consciousness) and his mother realize how silly their disagreement is, and wonder if it’s too late to make amends.
Where did the ideas come for this story?
This story actually leads into my upcoming novel, Female Problems. Erik is one of three men featured in this novel about Christian men bonding over issues surrounding church, love, work and where to get a decent haircut. When I learned about Home Again and agreed to do my story about a mother and a son, I realized that I hadn’t delved much into Erik’s family situation in Female Problems and that I didn’t really have room to do so. I’ve known a few people who open their hearts to children and young adults the way Erik’s mother CC does, and thought that this would be a good family history for him.
Where can readers find out more about your writing projects?
My web site is www.mauricemgrayjr.com. I’m also on Facebook and MySpace (although I use Facebook far more often). My e-mail address is writevision2000@yahoo.com.
