“Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella is now available for purchase
“He died of leukemia before Brian started high school, and Brian missed seeing him in the stands. Oddly, he often thought of his own father during games. He never knew him, but he’d seen pictures of him. The pictures were from a Park High annual his mother kept and a few snapshots. He looked no older than Brian now. He left town before Brian was born.”
– an excerpt from the book
Author Reputation Press is honored to publish “Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella. The fear and insecurity of growing up in a small town that offers little opportunity and few role models, exacerbated by an uncertain future and pressure from emotions difficult to control, inspired the author to write this masterpiece. The book is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the ARP website.
Life’s struggle can be lonely and painful. The author grew up in a small town, experiencing firsthand the insecurities of living in a broken home. Those insecurities still haunt him to this day.
Gerald L. Nardella was born and raised in Livingston, Montana, and he served in the U.S. Army. He married Peggy, his high school sweetheart, in 1962. They have two children: Michael and Terri. Gerald received a degree in accounting from Montana State University, Bozeman, in 1968. He worked for a national CPA firm before starting his own CPA practice in Billings in 1974. Gerald enjoys golfing, reading, and working on the family cabin in the Crazy Mountains.
“Playing Hurt” chronicles the story of Brian, who is playing his last high school football game. When he gets hurt, the coach tells him he must stay in the game since there isn’t anyone to replace him. Brian is worried about his future and his love for Deanie, a beautiful cheerleader.
After the game, trouble develops when Bill, Deanie’s old boyfriend, returns to town. Brian is distracted by a beer party and mischief with the rival school. Deanie is with her girlfriends when Bill appears. Deanie is coerced into his car and forced to have sex. Deanie doesn’t tell Brian.
Bill leaves town, promising to return in the spring. In February, Deanie tells Brian that she is four months pregnant. Brian counts the months and suspects that Bill might be the father. Deanie confesses, and Brian is devastated.
When Bill returns, Brian lures him out of town. Bill is severely beaten, but when Brian’s back is turned, Bill manages to get into his car and grab his pistol. Brian is shot in the arm. With the barrel pressed against Brian’s head, Bill blurts out that he had sex with Deanie many times. Suddenly there is another shot, but this time a bullet slams into Bill’s chest. Deanie is holding Brian’s rifle. Bill dies at the hospital.
In the summer, Deanie gives birth to a baby with dark hair and eyes like Bill’s. Heartbroken, Brian enlists in the army. Aboard the bus, he agonizes over leaving Deanie. Alone and afraid, he slumps back in the seat. Then he remembers what his coach said about playing hurt, and he realizes that he must go on, even if it does hurt.
“Playing Hurt” by Gerald L. Nardella is now available for purchase via ARP Bookstore: https://authorreputationpress.com/products/playing-hurt.