American Roulette | A Novel Addressing America's Gun Violence Crisis

Download the FREE Audiobook version TODAY!

THE BOOK

Authors: Pat LaMarche, Sherry Knowlton, J.M. West, Matthew Best, Phyllis Orenyo, Robert Bradshaw, Andrew Carey, James Dodds

Introduction: Cheryl Woodruff Brooks

Creative consultant: Cheryl Dunn Bychek

One unremarkable Friday in April, a stream of ordinary people make their way to Liberty Mall in Anywhere, USA, to shop, work, keep appointments, or catch a movie. A typical day in an average town. American Roulette tells the story of eight of those people.

Emma Franz is a store security guard with a secret. Earl Bricker, a retired factory worker, loves his country, his wife, and his good-old-boy network. Roger Elliot, mid-twenties and miserable, has more than a few axes to grind. High school senior Caitlin Browning, having triumphed over personal challenges, hopes for a quiet evening with her boyfriend. Reverend Chris Deitrich has a special surprise for his weekly Bible study group. Leah McCall, TV personality and teacher, drops by the food court to visit with her best friend. Will Humphreys’ part-time job at the mall offers him little relief from the relentless bullying that plagues his existence.

At 5:17 PM, one of these characters’ actions will change the lives of all the others. Later that night, professional crisis consultant Steven Bradley arrives to help the community deal with the aftermath.

An eclectic group of authors spent six months collaborating on American Roulette, a blockbuster novel full of tension, dread, and anguish. Each author created one of the eight key characters—complete with a supporting cast—who find themselves sharing a common destiny. Readers have but a single day to get to know each of the protagonists before time and circumstances seal their fate.

Print Length: 254 pages

Publisher: Milford House Press, an imprint of Sunbury Press, Inc.

Retail Price: Hard Cover $44.95 | Paperback $22.95 | Ebook $ 9.99

Distributor: Ingram

Release Date: October 24, 2023

Available at Sunbury Press, in stores, and online wherever books are sold!

THE AUDIOBOOK

Read the Reviews

Listener Chris Kapp says,

"From the very first sentences of American Roulette, my heart was in my throat. This is not just a book; it is a disturbingly reflective and terrifyingly accurate snapshot of life in America right now. The stories and characters crafted by the authors are so hauntingly realistic that they feel less like fiction and more like the lived experiences of our neighbors, our friends, and ourselves..."

NOW AVAILABLE - Free Audiobook!

Listening Length: 9 hours, 6 minutes, 55 seconds

Availability: Free here and on YouTube.

Publisher: The Charles Bruce Foundation

Narrators: John Greenman, Katie Greenman, Alan Grover

It's free because it's important for you to hear it.

This new, free audiobook version of American Roulette has been made available through the generosity of the authors, its voice artists, John Greenman, Katie Greenman, and Alan Grover; the book’s print publisher Milford House, an imprint of Sunbury Press; and the Charles Bruce Foundation

Meet the Voices

John Greenman

Katie Greenman

Alan Grover

The audiobook of American Roulette was brought to life by John Greenman, a veteran broadcaster who spent more than three decades in television news and public affairs with NBC affiliates and Maine Public Television; Katie Greenman, an educator and longtime children’s librarian with a passion for storytelling; and Alan Grover, a career journalist, broadcaster, documentarian and musician.

The Audiobook

THE REVIEWS

"My daughter Jaime was murdered in the Parkland school shooting. Over the course of the
past five years, I have been on a mission to help people truly understand the reality of gun
violence. This book, American Roulette, does just that."

"American Roulette is filled with believable characters; I loved some of them and loathed others, but they all jumped off the page. The characters' tangible humanity is exactly what makes American Roulette as difficult to read as it is necessary. My hope is that, like art so often does, American Roulette will pierce through the rhetoric and preconceived notions
surrounding guns and gun violence, to speak directly to your heart and inspire change."

“As a writer, I’m intrigued by the intricacies of the project, an anthology of linked stories
about the effects of a typical American mass shooting. As a citizen, I was grateful that
someone had the courage to speak out on this issue, particularly since we live in a time where
violence is becoming an accepted solution to any disagreement. The contributors of American
Roulette have attempted to do something morally courageous and artistically remarkable.”

FRED GUTTENBURG,

FATHER, AMERICAN ACTIVIST

KRIS BROWN, PRESIDENT,

BRADY UNITED, INC.

E.A. AYMAR,

MULTIPLE ANTHONY-AWARD NOMINATED AUTHOR

The Reviews

THE AUTHORS

Ten Authors. One Book.

A concern for the increasing scourge of gun violence in America brought together ten collaborators to write American Roulette. Most are award winners. All are standouts in their field. They write for every genre—novels, nonfiction, kids lit, academic publications, journalism—one wrote for broadcast, and several have blogs. When this varied group isn’t writing, they are teaching, leading congregations, troubleshooting, reporting the news, running businesses, traveling, and inspiring others to believe in themselves.

Together, Pat LaMarche, Sherry Knowlton, J.M. West, Matthew Best, Robert Bradshaw, Phyllis Orenyo, Andy Carey, and James Dodds (with an introduction by Cheryl Woodruff Brooks and Cheryl Dunn Bychek serving as creative consultant) agreed to create a narrative and donate their time. The author earnings from the book sales, regardless of form—electronic, audio, or paper—will be donated to nonprofit organizations that address gun violence in the United States via The Charles Bruce Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization that supports the arts and those who make them.

The Authors

Learn more about the American Roulette authors here.