William Roushey, Jr., of North Chili, has previously published two non-fiction works, but his latest book, The Race Against Time, is his first foray into fiction. Well, sort of. Though fictionalized, Roushey says approximately 90% of the story is true, and the remaining 10% has at least an element of truth to it.
“My wife (Patty) and I recently retired. I wanted to give her a gift to remember us by, so I chose the gift of a story,” Roushey said. “I quickly realized that I couldn’t tell the story of us without telling the story of my cross country running experience that year (1979). The two stories were so intertwined.”
In the novel, Carson, a college senior with a checkered past, returns to his Christian university in 1979, determined to make his final year count. When a quirky friend challenges him to join the cross-country team, Carson surprises himself—and everyone else—by saying yes. As the season unfolds Carson is introduced to Paige, a freshman nursing student. The two of them embark on a stormy relationship filled with twists and turns. Unexpected humor is injected into the story by the antics of Carson and his roommate, Mr. Trees, as they attempt to make the last year of their college experience memorable.
What begins as a last-ditch bid for a varsity letter becomes a life-changing journey of perseverance, purpose, and spiritual renewal.
Though the Christian university in the novel isn’t named, those familiar with Roberts Wesleyan may notice some similarities. As alumni, Bill said, “My wife and I have tremendous love for that institution.”
Most of the story takes place either on campus or at a cross country meet at one of the area colleges. “Anyone who is familiar with Roberts will recognize the buildings even though I renamed them,” he said.
“I did reference ‘the pit’ where varsity basketball games were played over a half century ago and the dorms students call the ‘quads.’”
Roushey used fictional names for all of the characters as the story happened 45 years ago and he wanted to be free from any social constraints. “My wife chose to name me ‘Carson’ in the story, probably because it is similar to her father’s name. I chose the name ‘Paige’ for her because I’ve always wanted to call her that,” he said.
Road names mentioned in the novel have also been altered, but Roushey says, “It doesn’t take much thinking to figure that Main Street is Buffalo Road, Vine Street is Orchard Street, or that Townline Drive is in fact Westside Drive.”
Some real places are named, like area colleges and a favorite hang-out: HoJo’s. “We called it that because those were the only four letters lit up on the Howard Johnson’s sign,” Bill said. “The establishment was on Buffalo Road in Gates at the 490 exit next to Abbott’s Ice Cream. Students went there a lot back in the day because it was open 24 hours. It was usually a good place to cram for an exam.”
Roushey’s first book, Junior’s Hope: A memoir of a Father’s Son, was written as a tribute to his deceased father. It was while chronicling his father’s battle with prostate cancer that Bill discovered his love for writing. His second book, When the Dogs Bark, explored the spiritual connection Roushey shared with the canines in his life.
“I’ve always wanted to try my hand at writing historical fiction,” Roushey said, noting his interest in genealogy and family history. “I guess you could say this book was an audition of sorts for that genre since it is set in 1979. I was quite surprised at how quickly the manuscript came together.”
He worked with his former cross country coach, Craig Hayward, on the running sequences. “In this case, writing fiction gave me the freedom to dramatize the events a little as they unfolded,” Roushey noted.
Bill says he loved writing this nostalgic and heartfelt story that explores friendship, faith, unexpected love, and the pressure to outrun regret. “Because of the editing and typesetting processes you have to go through, I’ve read it over a dozen times and I still get emotional reading the dialog between Carson and Paige,” he said.
As for his future writing plans, Roushey noted that there is a possibility for a sequel to The Race Against Time. “Only half of the story has been told. With the help of my editor, we reworded some of the last chapter to allow for that possibility.” He added, “Another possibility is a series of historical fiction novels chronicling the adventures of my ancestors from their Viking beginnings to their settlement in the Germanic states and their eventual immigration to America before the start of the Revolutionary War.”
The Race Against Time and When the Dogs Bark are both available locally at Lift Bridge Book Shop, 45 Main Street, Brockport. The author will be signing books at Lift Bridge on Sunday, September 7, from 10 a.m. to noon.
For more information on Bill Roushey, visit http://www.authorbillroushey.com.
