Local author Eddie Lennon’s longtime dream of writing a full-length book came true last fall when he published his debut book, “My Friend Gus,” to high sales and positive reviews.
The 156-page debut book is set in Port Washington and chronicles the unlikely friendship between a recent college graduate and a retired stuntman.
Lennon’s writing journey didn’t come out of nowhere.
As a high schooler in Manhasset, Lennon first published an article for the Manhasset Press in the fall of 2015. Since his initial spark for writing as a teenager, Lennon has published over 100 primarily sports-related articles for outlets including FanSided, Axcess Baseball and Sneakerreporter.com.
“I mainly do things 1,000 words or less, so a book has definitely been the longest project I’ve worked on,” Lennon said. “It was a long process for something that I had a great idea and story for… it took some time, but I was happy to get it finished and edited and work with the team and get it published.”
“My Friend Gus” tells the story of two unlikely friends who find each other at pivotal moments in their lives.
Pete McCarthy is a recent college graduate who feels depressed and looks for meaning as he prepares to begin a job as an analyst at a bank. He meets his neighbor across the street, Gus Sanford, a widower and retired stuntman who became famous for working on 1970s action movies.
Lennon said the inspiration for the book came to him after he moved to Port Washington in his senior year of college and imagined what he’d do if he ever ran into fellow Port Washington resident Burt Young, who played Paulie Pennino in the Rocky franchise.
After writing down the initial idea, Lennon said he fleshed out the story to create the characters Pete and Gus and the world they live in. Lennon wrote the book over two years but ramped up his pace last spring while taking classes at the Gotham Writers Workshop in Manhattan after work.
Writing is Lennon’s side gig, a passion he tries to squeeze into his busy week, whether on the train ride home after a long day or on a relaxing Saturday morning just as the sun rises.
By pushing forward with his final chapters throughout the spring, Lennon completed his book two days ahead of his deadline of July 8, his 26th birthday.
Lennon said he kept an open mind while writing each page and chapter. While he kept outlines and drafts, they acted more as a roadmap for his book than a definitive structure. While writing, Lennon would read the most recently drafted pages and let his creative juices flow.
Although Lennon had completed his draft ahead of schedule, he still needed to find a publisher who could share his story with the world. With the help of friend, author and motivational speaker Steve Rizzo, Lennon partnered with Pennsylvania-based publisher Pearhouse Press.
“The kid’s got so much enthusiasm, and he just keeps doing the right thing,” Rizzo said. “What I love about what he’s doing is he’s doing the step-by-step process.”
“A person sits down to write, and then all of a sudden, they start asking questions that are many steps ahead of what they’re doing now. And I said, ‘Don’t think about the publisher. Don’t think about what the next chapter is going to be.’ Don’t think about anything but sitting down and writing your thoughts. Every step takes care of itself.”
“That’s what he did.”
Since the book’s release in October, Lennon said sales have been high, and the public has been enthusiastic about reading it. Lennon also hosted numerous events at libraries, including the Port Washington Public Library, where he could meet curious readers and promote his story of friendship across generations.
Lennon said his followers are already asking for another book, and he’s tinkering with ideas for a prequel book about his character’s lives before they ever met.
“I’m handling the social media, marketing, event planning and PR for everything as of now,” Lennon said. “This is my second full-time job.”
Though he’s spent countless hours publishing and marketing the book, Lennon said that, as Rizzo described, staying patient while navigating each step is key to pursuing a dream.
“You got to be positive. You got to stay resilient,” Lennon said. “Anyone who wants to get something published, that means they care about it a lot. So you just got to keep the faith and believe that it’s going to work out.”
“My Friend Gus” is available in hardback or digital at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble. For more information about Eddie and his book, visit www.myfriendgus.com/#.
