I am proud to announce the debut of my novella, “Waiting for Ten.” Third-place winner, Fiction - Literary - Coming of Age category, The BookFest Competition.
Jason W Park, PhD
Grief doesn’t knock. It breaks in.
After losing his entire family in a sudden, senseless accident, Skyler is left alone with his music, his memories, and a voice that won’t let him rest. Diagnosed with a severe mental illness and numbed by medication, he struggles to hold onto reality while the world around him quietly slips away.
Los Angeles promises reinvention—but for Skyler, it becomes a maze of fractured relationships, chemical escapes, and dangerous choices. As his grip on stability loosens, the line between survival and self-destruction grows perilously thin.
Yet despite the hostile terrain, Skyler gains a precious ally in Josie Heller, the only one in the party group who views him with compassion. In an explosive confrontation with his dealer, Skyler fights off the chokehold he is in, struggles for closeness with Josie, honors his family’s memory, and returns to his treatment team. But is it too little, too late? Or is there room for a fresh start, a new beginning, and hope for the future?
Waiting for Ten is a raw, unflinching exploration of mental illness, grief, and the seductive pull of escape. Written with haunting intimacy, this novella captures the moments we hide, the voices we fear, and the hope we’re not sure we deserve.
Some trials change everything. They decide who we become.
Available now on Amazon.com.