Velvet Sky

About the Book

The novel is a coming of age story that follows a boy and a girl as they struggle to find their way emotionally and physically in a small southern town in middle 1970s.
Both ultimately confront their worst fears and learn to trust each other and a close group of friends. The book is a search for love and understanding and shows the common fears we all share. The novel takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride that starts in a little girl's bedroom and ends savagely on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
The book is about the triumph of the spirit and the constant unseen war between evil and good.

REVIEWS

This novel is a fantastic cross between J.D.Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" and John Grisham's "The Client" and it'll keep you wondering about the multi-story outcome to the very end! Great book! Kudo's to Mr. Reeves! I'm ready for more. -Will

A Fantastic Read!!! A Fantastic Ride!!!, September 5, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from New Orleans, LA USA

VELVET SKY is a fast, deeply felt emotional ride set in central Mississippi in the 60s. The writer pulls you in from the first page and carries you on a journey that you won't soon forget. It is an amazing effort for a first novel. Bravo!

A Modern Southern Masterpiece, June 24, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from South Carolina ,USA

Rusty Van Reeves is 10 days younger than I am. He describes the childhood and coming of age of young people in a small Mississippi town in the early 1970's. This town could be anywhere in the south, the children anyone of a group of forty-something people. I felt so many of his descriptions in my heart, and deep in my memories. He could have been describing any number of days and summer nights from my growing up.

The main characters are all very different, yet linked in many ways. Patrick is a young man who is being pushed by his father to become a prize athlete. Chase has been his best friend since grade school and is struggling with a secret he feels he must keep or risk losing everything he holds precious; Chelsea has a secret of her own that is so horrible it could slowly destroy her. Kelley is a beautiful, yet kindhearted girl who cares deeply about everyone.

These characters are slowly drawn together when Chelsea's secret comes to light when a horrible murder is discovered. The characters in this book are very believable. The reader grows to understand and care about each and every one.

The book progresses from the early ages of 9 or 10 until the characters are graduating high school. The mystery of the two young people's secrets and the growing love between the other two keep the book interesting and rapidly moving forward. All in all, Velvet Sky is a wonderful read and I would gladly recommend it. ~Susan Johnson /reviewer

Great summer read!, June 13, 2003
Reviewer: A reader from Houston, TX USA

During the summer I like reading books that remind me of my childhood and growing up in the south. VELVET SKY is the perfect book to transport you back in time (1960's/1970's) to that magical era. The novel shows you the frustrations of first love and does a wonderful bit of storytelling that keeps you flipping the pages. I loved it!

Must Read - Trip Back in Time to the 70s!, November 12, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Austin, TX USA

This novel, VELVET SKY by Rusty Van Reeves, is a multi-story effort. This guy knows how to cook on all cylinders. Once this book sets up the main characters it thrusts them into the fire and you find yourself (the reader) being pulled in from every direction.

The book has a few minor grammar errors and a typo here and there but it takes NOTHING away from this multi-harmony storyline! Four stars outta five! ~Bengi

Storyteller with a true gift!, November 7, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Canada

Rusty Van Reeves is a storyteller with a true gift for sustaining suspense. His novel "Velvet Sky" benefits from this skill plus a reliable sense of pacing. The story builds almost perfectly, balancing a leisurely beginning with well-paced final chapters; the outcome is always in doubt as the story races toward its conclusion. "Velvet Sky," in fact, reads so much like a movie scenario that it's easy to imagine it adapted to the screen.

The book centers on the story of four young people growing up in rural Mississippi in the 1970s. Strong family bonds are counterpoised to the brutal schemes of dangerous and malevolent human predators with the potential to bring ruin to all the young folk's dreams.

The main narrative tells the story of a young woman named Chelsea, her eventual escape from an abusive father, and her struggle to build a normal life. She's an engaging character that the reader can't help rooting for. Some of the other characters are equally well-drawn. While it teeters on the edge of sentimentality, "Velvet Sky" avoids crossing the boundary. In any event the novel is redeemed by the author's careful plotting and deft use of suspense. "Velvet Sky" is a book that is well worth reading.
Review of Velvet Sky / Reviewed for Gotta Write Network (GWN)
Reviewed September 2002 by,
--Bill Stephens, Online Reviewer / Canada

GREAT READ!!! Velvet Sky, October 18, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Pensacola, FL

I found this book (VELVET SKY by Rusty Van Reeves) by accident while searching Amazon and I'm glad I stumbled upon it. This novel is all about secrets, love, and suspense. The story centers around four young kids growing up in a little Mississippi town in the 60s and 70s. It is FULL of surprises and I love the way the writer (Reeves) flips from one character to the next building suspense.

There will be one out of the four characters you will be able to relate to. I'm not sure if that was calculated or just luck but it widens the appeal and the audience. As I said, the style is unique and the way Mr. Reeves describes the places and sets up the story is so real. I loved it, from start to finish! Very nice read indeed!

Wonderful Use of Language....., August 19, 2002
Reviewer: Carrie Hampton (see more about me) from Columbus, Ohio USA

"Velvet Sky" by Rusty Van Reeves is a powerful and complex book that leads from one emotional crisis to another. I found the characters intriguing and really rounded but, I had a little trouble with the plot lines. It seems to be a bit confused at time, but all in all.... a very nice read. Reeves' use of language is exceptional and his imagery is very well done. Lots of talent in this new writer - perhaps more editorial help could have woven the plot a little more clearly. I would be interested in more from this author in the future - especially as he continues to work on his craft. A powerful debut!

A novel with a soul!, August 5, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Hueytown, AL USA

Rusty Van Reeves recounts the interconnected stories of four youths as they come of age during the 1970s in a tiny Mississippi town, their lives shadowed by incest, discrimination, violence and -- finally -- murder.

Young Patrick feels helpless to aid his friend Chelsea, barricaded within her dark tower of isolation because of her father McCormick's abuse. He and his best friend and fellow athlete, Chase, indulge youthful high spirits together. All the while Patrick pines for pretty Kelly from afar for years, then finally musters the courage to ask her out after she breaks up with Thad.

These lives intertwine as the storyline ebbs and flows, from dead-calm to tidal wave climaxes. As P

About the Author

Born April 14, 1960, in a small southern town in (Newton) Mississippi, Rusty Van Reeves was the first child of Charles and Sandra. Rusty excelled in music (piano, trumpet, French Horn) and sports (football, baseball, basketball, track, tennis, swimming) before a tragic High School football accident in 1975 left him paralyzed from the neck down (C4 Quad) at the age of 15.
A former Eagle Scout and gifted athlete he was forced to look inward for any creative talent that might make his future bearable. He attended Mississippi State University in 1978 and began writing aggressively as a way to pass the time and cope with his newfound physical limitations.
VELVET SKY is his first novel and depicts life in a small southern town as seen through the eyes of a true observer. His words are those of a genuine poet as he paints truly memorable characters that live with the reader long after the final page is turned.
In 1996, at the age of 36, Rusty started a small software company called Preservation Software. The company develops and markets reference CD-ROMs.
The author currently resides in the small town of Madison, MS (with Tim, his younger brother and only sibling). Rusty recently completed a second novel (COVENANT) which has not yet been published.
VELVET SKY is a novel about hope, perseverance and love. It highlights the constant struggle of good and evil in all of us.

Visit the author's web site at www.rustyreeves.com