Finding Max by Darren M. Jorgensen
Publish Date: May 22, 2018
Pages: 353
Published by: Creators Publishing
Five-year-old Max is abducted from a playground on a hot summer day while his brother, Gary, has his back turned. Seventeen years later, Max returns to Gary’s life in a serendipitous twist with a disturbing tale to tell. As they learn to love and trust each other, they must outwit and outrun the nefarious Quinn, who seeks to re-abduct Max for his own evil purposes. Killing Gary and his new girlfriend, Jean, to get them out of his way is just part of his plan. Will they escape? And when all is said and done, will Max and Gary ever truly be freed from the shackles of guilt and pain from the past?
Amid the gritty, harsh landscape of New York City, Finding Max explores those areas of society we seldom like to look at—homelessness, hunger and sexual abuse—with profound delicacy, brutal honesty and compassion. This thrilling novel with keep you reading long into the night.
Excerpt:
Chapter One
And then Maximilian was out of his view, having disappeared behind the bleachers just as a silver-grey car tore down the length of the road toward him. Terror gripped Gary’s heart like a fist.
This was it: This was the day Maximilian would die. And it would be all his fault for not watching him. Playing on the monkey bars . . . how could he have been so stupid?
The cat ran right into the road and under the car’s tires. Gary heard a short screech and then saw the car speed out from the other side of the bleachers. Phew, it didn’t hit him, Gary thought. He relaxed slightly, but it was hard for him to breathe. He slowed his pace a little so he could catch his breath, but it wasn’t enough. He stopped, leaned over, put his hands on his knees and hung his head down until he could see between his legs. The fear and adrenaline was making him dizzy.
From this vantage point, he saw something very strange. The same car had turned right and ambled down the road in his direction, appearing upside down just in his right periphery. At the stop sign, it turned right again, crossing behind him. He straightened up and turned around to his left. He watched the car turn right yet again, and then right once more, past the alley. Its pace slowed to a crawl, and then it disappeared behind the bleachers.
Gary felt some kind of realization, some kind of understanding struggling to rise to the surface of his thoughts. But try as he might, he couldn't quite grasp it, couldn't quite read the signs around him. Out of his view, the car stopped, and its window rolled down. Maximilian was there, not here beside him. Gary knew not to talk to strangers, and Maximilian knew it, too. But Maximilian also knew not to leave his brother's side when they went to the playground, and he hadn't much followed that rule today. But what could really happen from talking to a stranger on a sunny afternoon at the park? Surely they weren't going to do anything bad to his little brother . . . the brother he was supposed to be watching; the brother he was supposed to protect; the brother who looked up to him. Fear buzzed in his ears, and he began to run. By the time he reached the bleachers, the car was speeding away.
Maximilian was gone.
What others are saying:
Darren Jorgensen is unafraid to plumb the darkness of the human heart where most others fear to tread. — Greg M.
Jorgensen captures the tenderest of moments within his characters’ relationships where you feel the struggles amongst them. A thrill ride of a book. — Katie A.
Jorgensen uses human tragedies as a catalyst for looking deeply into the human heart. The book is mesmerizing, captivating and brilliant! He had me at the first page. — Ginette L.
ABSOLUTELY RIVETING!!! Clear your day cause you won't want to put it down. — Karen T.
Meet the Author:
Darren M. Jorgensen grew up among the fields and forests of Alberta, Canada. At seventeen, he left home for greener pastures. He settled in various cities, including Toronto, Montreal, Stratford, Sault Ste. Marie and New York City. While in New York, Jorgensen worked at the United Nations in various capacities, even spending a year in Baghdad to help dismantle Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs. After returning to the States, he matriculated at Brown University at 30 years old, one of only six adults older than traditional college age granted admission that year.
While at Brown, Jorgensen garnered several awards, all in the area of video and film production. Later, at the University of Michigan School of Art & Design, he directed, produced and shot the film At the Hands of Another: When Someone You Love Is Murdered, a documentary that incorporated personal interviews with family members of murder victims.
Jorgensen has studied law, society, art, theatre and professional photography. But it became too clear during his years of higher education that his first love was writing. He has always fed his passions through involvement in book clubs and writing groups. Writing has served as the best vehicle for Jorgensen to explore the trauma of homelessness, hunger, extreme poverty and illness, issues he’s faced throughout his adult life. He wrote his debut novel, Finding Max, in just 12 days.
Jorgensen now lives back in his native province, on a farm east of Edmonton, with his wonderful wife, Ginette, and two extraordinary dogs, Dobby and Molly, who march to the beat of their own drum. He loves to walk with his dogs through the fields while watching the sun rise on the eastern horizon.
Connect with Darren:
Creators Publishing:
Anyone who would like to interview Darren or find out more information about Creators Publishing can contact Alissa Stevens at
astevens@creators.com or 424-217-1434.
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