There's Something In A Name

Owen Taylor lives a nihilistic life in Key West, FL. Days are spent on his boat plundering treasure from a seventeenth century shipwreck. Nights are spent enjoying the fruits of his labor. Without direction and strength associated with family, Owen meanders through life fueled by the memory of the one woman whose spirit continued to echo within his soul. Not until he befriends a beautiful lesbian does the young man realize humans can embrace an emotional connection sans copulation. When he is contacted by a great uncle once thought dead, Owen returns to Florence, Italy to make a connection with his grandmother's brother. It is his last-ditch effort to cling to anything resembling family. A surprise awaits when Julia, a woman he worshiped from afar, re-enters his life. Complete with a new perspective on life, Owen finally recognizes the goodness that emanates from Julia's soul.

About the Author :
Louis Berry was born on July 21st in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. His father was a football coach at the University of Southern Mississippi, and his mother a housewife. Vying for the attention of parents who were otherwise engaged helped Louis to develop his love of the English language. Many afternoons were spent in his room playing his older brother's Beatles records on a portable turntable they shared with their sister. Hearing the music was not what drove Louis. He was more interested in the lyrics and how they communicated the meaning of each song. At the age of seven, Louis moved with his family to Panama City Beach, FL. Most of his formative years were spent in the panhandle of Florida, and now provide the backdrop of his first novel, Erstwhile. Louis graduated from A. Crawford Mosley High School in 1983; after which he attended Florida State University where he played football for Bobby Bowden. As a four-year letterman at the position of Punter he accumulated several awards such as, Most Valuable Player - Special Teams in 1983, Associated Press All - American (Honorable Mention) 1984, 1985 and 1986, and was named the Captain of the Special Teams his Senior season (1986). Upon graduation from college with degrees in Accounting and Economics, Louis joined the workforce in the field of Public Accounting. There he began to hone his writing skills by drafting financial statements for clients whose books were being audited. Always eager to accept a new challenge Louis later entered Graduate School at Stetson University where he graduated with his M.B.A. in 2002. During that time Louis never lost sight of his goal of becoming a writer, and the desire grew with each passing year. In 2002 Louis was fortunate to make the acquaintance of Robert Taylor Scott, a retired Theology Professor at the University of Florida, who would soon be his wife's new Stepfather. Both men shared a passion for writing and talked endlessly of their art. In January of 2006 Taylor was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in May of that same year. For all of the love that Robert Taylor Scott showed Louis, his greatest gift was the realization that dreams are for chasing. That was when Louis dusted off an old manuscript and became passionate once again for the written word. The product of his labor is known as Erstwhile. Louis and his wife were married in Paris, and have two children; one son, from a previous marriage, and an adopted daughter from Guatemala.