A local Cheney resident and Eastern Washington University alumnus officially has a novel, “Joyride,” published for all to read. The author, Travis Laurence Naught, moved to Cheney in 2001 and has lived here ever since. He completed graduate work in sports psychology in 2007 at EWU and was also involved with the university’s men’s basketball team for 10 years.
Naught has been through some obstacles along the way, being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy as an infant, which has led him to be a quadriplegic wheelchair user. Writing has helped Naught with maintaining a sense of purpose for himself with his life conditions. It helps him get lost completely on his boat or in local coffee shops.
The plot of “Joyride” takes place in northwestern New Mexico and in north San Francisco, with a pair of interwoven storylines. One of the storylines includes a couple whose marriage is failing and they are trying to find their spark again. The other includes an 18-year-old that wants to get out of the small town he has grown up in, bringing his mother along for the ride.
“I knew that if I was ever going to write a novel it would have to be a focused effort,” Naught said. “Too many times I had tried to write a different, more autobiographical piece, only to watch my enthusiasm fizzle out over the course of a week.“
“This one was started during the hot days of August and finished by the time the cool nights of September took over,” he added.
The editing process proved to be the longest role, taking about two years to complete.
“Joyride” is Naught’s newest novel, but it is not his first. He is also the author of “Virgin Journals,” which was published in 2012. The “Virgins Journals” are a collection of poems that Naught has written about his struggles, mainly surrounding his troubles of feeling trapped in his wheelchair.
The novel is available for purchase through all major distributors such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It is also available on Black Rose Writing’s website and will be in e-book editions in the next coming weeks.
Naught will be holding a reading at Auntie’s Bookstore at 402 W. Main Ave, in downtown Spokane on July 28 from 7 – 8 p.m.
Grace Pohl can be reached at grace@cheneyfreepress.com
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