Doc's Choice
by
Book Details
About the Book
Shane Williams is a young high school teacher and coach, living and working in
James Ferguson is a middle aged retired surgeon, who wants simply to be left alone in the peaceful surroundings of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near
The two men strike up a conversation one morning at a charity run in Albuquerque, and find immediate comradeship in their love for the mountains, and their enjoyment of running the sparsely traveled roads and trails throughout “The Enchanted Circle.” They begin meeting weekly to train together, stretching their horizons physically and developing a strong friendship. Doc is the seasoned veteran serving as the coach, and Shane assumes the athlete's role, striving for higher levels of achievement while soaking up the wisdom that his mentor bestows upon him. As mutual trust grows, walls come down and an almost father-son relationship is fostered, with both men healing wounds and finding solace.
This novella focuses on two complicated men of supreme character, their inner thoughts and trials of both the heart and mind, and the evolution of their unique friendship. There is a severe accident that takes place along the trail, followed by a heroic run to save a life, and then a tragically courageous decision that completes the circle of events.
Doc's Choice will most likely build you up, and quite possibly bring you down, but it will surely complete your circle of emotion.
About the Author
Mark Troth was born in
A passion for reading and writing captivated Mark in his early childhood. He has spent a great deal of his leisure time throughout the years attempting to satisfy that unquenchable thirst. He enjoys looking back at his own youth and drawing from his experiences and influences to inspire his fiction. He writes about people he admires - the challenges they face and the trials they endure, and the relationships that shape their character. His settings are the deserts, plains and mountains of the great southwest including
Doc's Choice is Mark's second work of fiction. It is a rather long short story, or perhaps just a short novel, but the themes are consistent with what has inspired him for over half a century. His characters are powerful yet flawed, hopeful but destructive, and the story provides enough suspense and uncertainty to keep the reader highly engaged. Most importantly though, Doc's Choice is a simple testament to devotion and friendship.
Mark and his wife Mary live in