National Fisherman Calls F/V Black Sheep 'Electrifying'

Gloucester Lobsterman's memoir sparks interest from Hollywood.

Gloucester, MA (PRWeb) January 18, 2007 -- When Gloucester lobsterman Mark S. Williams published his memoir of nearly twenty years fishing the North Atlantic he knew getting recognition from major publications was difficult for independently published books. The book, "F/V Black Sheep" (http://www.fvblacksheep.com), was published by his own Silver Perch Press in July 2006. He immediately set about promoting his book both locally and on the internet.

"It was just me and my editor/designer that had to do everything," Williams said. "My budget was small so we had to be creative."

Early in its release the book gained popularity in the fishing community of Gloucester, Massachusetts, America's oldest seaport, where Williams was born and grew up. Within weeks "F/V Black Sheep" was selling out at local bookstores. Williams kept busy promoting the book, giving interviews for the local newspaper, appearing at events to sign books, and taping a local cable access television program... and mailing out books to potential reviewers. It was three days before Christmas when his first break came.

"My editor called me from a Christmas party she was at and said, 'have you seen this month's National Fisherman magazine?'" he said. "I immediately went out looking for a copy."

National Fisherman is the most widely read and respected trade publication for the commercial fishing industry. Their January 2007 issue printed the following:

New England Fisherman's Close Call Inspires Memoir of Life on the Coast

Gloucester, Massachusetts fisherman Mark Williams was setting back lobster traps alone aboard his boat, the Black Sheep, on a quiet September afternoon. when is leg became entangled in a trawl line, the weight of his traps threatened to drag him underwater. For 20 minutes, he hung onto the back of his boat , recalling vivid scenes many years past. From those crisp recollections and from Williams' appreciation for a second chance at life, came this memoir.

Williams has crafted a gut-wrenching, life-affirming and frankly amusing collection of fishing tales and stories of growing up on the New England seacoast. The 31 chapters of vivid narratives are presented from the perspective in the moments he spent clinging to the stern of his boat, beginning with the circumstances that led to the near-tragedy and coming full circle to end with his miraculous recovery. The chain of events that unfolds to reveal the unlikely survival of one man on the open sea is well worth the wait.

Stories of fishermen lost at sea are nothing new or novel to the people of Gloucester. The town's local monument to the 5000 citizens taken by the deep while working the waters is also commemoration of Gloucester's rich seafaring heritage. It was the voices of those thousands of fishermen that urged Williams to survive that September day.

"F/V Black Sheep" is at once electrifying, soothing and startling. At just under 20 bucks, this wild ride is the bargain of the year.

"It's especially great," Williams said, "because it's a peer review. It's guys in my business saying I did a good job."

Immediately Williams noticed an increase in online sales. It sparked a discussion on the popular internet boating forum, The Hull Truth (http://www.thehulltruth.com) where one reader wrote: "I got the book in the early fall, and read it in just over a day- it was windy, we didn't fish, and I had a lot of time. It is one of the top books I'd recommend about fishing in the northeast." The book has also gained a following among dolphin lovers who appreciate Williams' extraordinary chapters about his remarkable encounter with dolphins.

Though his book is available at bookstores around Cape Ann, he still sells many books out of his truck. In Gloucester he gets a lot of attention.

"I can't drive across town anymore without someone stopping me to say they loved the book or to ask to buy one," he said.

His favorite compliment came one day when he bought lunch from a street vendor known as Joe Hot Dog just yards from Gloucester's famous Man at the Wheel statue.

"I was crossing the street back to my truck with a chili dog in one hand and a hot dog with sauerkraut in the other when a truck slammed on its brakes and a girl leaned out the window and yelled, 'Hey, Mark, great (expletive deleted) book!" he said with a laugh and added, "she had to be a Gloucester girl."

But his best surprise came when he returned a call on his voice mail last Friday (Jan. 12). The caller was the owner of a production company in Hollywood who had a copy of "F/V Black Sheep". He loved the book and wanted to be the first to ask about its dramatization availability. He said that he anticipates there will be considerable interest from other producers and he wanted to obtain a first-refusal option. Williams told him he wanted to think about it for awhile. They agreed to stay in contact.

"He said he liked the way I write," Williams said, "and that's some praise because he once wrote for The Sopranos!"

You can read exerpts from the book at the author's web site (http://www.parlezmoipress.com/Samples.htm) and his blog (http://www.parlezmoipress.com/MarkBlog/blacksheepblog.html). Additional commentary can be found on Parlez-Moi Blog (http://www.parlezmoiblog.com).

"F/V Black Sheep" by Mark S. Williams (ISBN: 0-9785940-0-2, $19.95) is available for purchase through most online booksellers including Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com, Parlez-Moi Press (http://www.parlezmoipress.com), or can be ordered through independent booksellers in your town.

Read Mark S. Williams tribute to Andre Dubus III at LiteraryGloucester.com (http://www.literarygloucester.com). Mark S. Williams is a member of GloucesterWrites.com (http://www.gloucesterwrites.com) and the Independent Publishers of New England (http://www.ipne.org)

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