THE STINGER IS IN THE TAIL, BOOK I OF A TRILOGY This novel deals with the sensitive subject of child molestation and its effects on Mikey O'Farrell, an intelligent and sensitive seven-year-old boy who is molested by his mother's lover, then violently assaulted, first by a stranger, and then by his priest. Almost daily in the media we hear another grown man weeping as he discloses his story of being molested as a boy. We observe him suddenly becoming the terrified child he once was, when his innocence was stolen. The heart-rending revelations spilling from such a damaged man does little to lift the fog of misapprehension and ignorance of the public of how molestation might affect a child during the years that follow. The descriptions of the sexual assaults are very graphic and may require a sturdy constitution to read. Hopefully, explicit descriptions of child molestation, and certain homosexual sex acts will not be viewed as pornographic, but as enlightening. But that would be up to the interpretations of the reader, since definitions of pornography vary among individuals. After Mikey is molested, he becomes very sexualized, even into his teen years, and introduces other children, including his siblings, to mutual sexual activity. He is inducted into a brief stint as a child prostitute by two pedophile brothers. He begins a conflicted, primarily homosexual lifestyle characterized by guilt-ridden, obsessive sexual behavior. Throughout everything, Mikey continues with his troubled lifestyle into his teens, convinced in time he will "convert" to the heterosexual lifestyle for which he yearns, and be freed of his driven behavior. In the Epilogue, the story comes full circle, returning to the original molester, with a new victim. The man is killed by a passerby who happens on the assault. Book II picks up MIkey's life as a young soldier. Michael Ward Born in Washington State, a long time ago Currently live in Woodland Hills, California, with my three dogs (who accept no blame for this novel) Lived in England, France, The Netherlands, and Spain at various times Wrote TV sitcoms in Hollywood briefly, left to pursue a career painting and teaching art. I still paint when I am not writing, I wrote my first novel at the age of eleven, and two unpublished novels as an adult. "Stinger" is my fourth novel, the first published. It is Book I of a trilogy. I anticipate publication of Book II, "The Shadow Side of the Moon," and Book III, "In The Land of Tinsel and Honey," within the next year, with the further chronicles of Mikey O'Farrell. You may contact me and my dogs by email at mward2@socal.rr.com. I have a thick skin, if you wish to complain about this novel. I am also open to appraisals of genius.