Grayson Author Jason Brooks Releases New Book on Parenting

In a city quickly becoming known for its entrepreneurial spirit, one author has taken up the do-it-yourself mantle for his writing career. Jason Brooks, best known for his community-focused website Grayson Local, released his latest book last week. Just Pretend You’re Dead (And Other Parenting Insights) is the fourth book from Brooks, but is his first on the challenges of parenting.

With essays on pregnancy, potty training, and the heartbreaking reality of his daughter’s first day of school, Brooks writes with humor and thoughtfulness. The unorthodox title actually comes from the book’s longest essay.

“My wife, Rachel, went out of town for a week to help her family,” Brooks said. “Being naïve, I assured her I could handle the kids – who were five and two at the time – by myself. Three days in, I was so exhausted that one morning when the kids came in and tried to wake me up, I just pretended like I couldn’t hear them. After ten minutes, they left me alone and I thought, What a great parenting strategy: just pretend you’re dead.”

Just Pretend You’re Dead was a labor of love inspired by another local author, Carole Townsend, who challenged Brooks to create a manuscript for consideration by her agent. Drawing from nearly six year’s worth of blog posts and unpublished ideas, Brooks put together the manuscript for the book in six weeks and submitted it for consideration.

It was politely turned down.

“That was a bummer,” Brooks said. “But then I thought, why not publish it myself?”

Brooks trimmed the manuscript to 45,000 words and formatted the book for publication through Amazon’s CreateSpace website, a free service that allows authors to publish both physical and digital works.

“We have such incredible talent and commitment in our community,” said Gail Lane, Manager of Grayson’s DDA and Main Street Program. “Jason exemplifies the tenacity of the entrepreneurial spirit that we encourage in Grayson.”

“In the end, I feel really great about the book and its chance for success,” Brooks said. “When you have a community as supportive as Grayson, it makes all the sense in the world to publish it myself and bring it to the people who believe in me.”

Formerly a pastor, Brooks now works full time as a freelance writer. His next project, a novel, is 50% complete and he continues to work on an existing collection of detective stories.

If you would like more information, please contact Gail Lane at (678) 395-4959 or at Gail@GraysonDDA.org.

— Submitted press release

(Photo: Grayson author Jason Brooks)