Author to hold booksigning Sept. 3 locally

Novel by Ken Schafer

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

August 21, 2023 (San Diego)-- Ken Schafer, a San Diego resident, started his professional writing career as a screenwriter, working for companies as diverse as Disney, Paramount and ABC, and on projects ranging from a prequel to "Sleeping Beauty" to "Star Trek: The Next Generation," and “ABC Night at the Movies.”

 An Otherwise Perfect Plan, has a main character, Gwen Pendergrass, who is precocious, sometimes fanciful, and always funny. Life isn't easy for her. Her mother works two jobs and takes extra shifts whenever they are offered to her. Gwen is often alone in their tiny one-bedroom apartment with a dangerously malfunctioning stove. Another kid from school also lives in Gwen’s building. They form a bond and care deeply for one another.

To give you a sense of the main character’s voice, here is a quote from the book’s first page:

I don’t know how long ago it was, but way back before it was even a “thing,” my best friend—formerly known as Peter—started baking. Well, perhaps that’s not exactly the right verb, because what comes out of his oven bears about as much resemblance to bread as it does to, say, reinforced concrete. Now, why a teenage boy who’s built like a refrigerator is baking bread in the first place is a whole other story. The short version is that it’s my fault, because I was the one who gave him the book The Hunger Games for his birthday. If you’ve been living in a cave for the past couple of decades or are reading this in some far distant future where no one knows who Katnis Everdeen is, well, it kind of sucks to be you because it’s a really great book. The long version would probably require a panel of psychologists, years of intensive therapy, and a whole lot of dark chocolate to get through, but suffice it to say while the rest of the world was kind of fixated on the whole kids-killing-kids part of the book, what does Peter take from it? That boys can bake.

Knowing her mother is brilliant, Gwen fills out an application for her mother to attend Yale with a scholarship. To Gwen’s amazement, her mother is accepted but the stipend she earns is not enough for the two of them to live on. Also, her mother would need to live on campus where minors are not allowed. Her mother nixes Gwen’s dreams for her mom. Gwen holds onto to her mother’s rejection of Yale’s offer in hopes that something will come along and change her mom’s mind.

An unreasonable teacher insists that her students write about their relationships with their dads. Since Gwen has never met her dad, the assignment is impossible. Gwen’s mother went gambling with a girlfriend and had a weekend fling. She told the man a false name and false livelihood. Also, her birth control failed her so she had Gwen without trying to find her baby’s dad. 

The impossible writing assignment starts Gwen on a search for her father. Since the task is against her mother’s wishes, Gwen hides her activities and the number of lies she tells get out of control. 

Will Gwen find her missing dad? Will Gwen find a way for her mother to go to Yale? Most important, will Peter and Gwen confess their love for one another?

Gwen and Peter have adventures as they search for Gwen’s dad. I found the main character to be sweet and so neurotic, I laughed all the way through the book. 

The author, Ken Schafer, has passion for all kinds of writing, and the enthusiasm of his daughter for all things word-related, inspired him to branch out to children's books, including his forthcoming "A... is for Ahhhhhhh!" A Halloween Alphabeastiary," and "The Cow who Conquered the Moon"─along with both adult historical/fantasy novels, and his first YA Novel: "An Otherwise Perfect Plan: A Novel of Mystery, Love, and Chocolate that Defies Description."

When he is not writing novels, children’s books, musicals, or screenplays, he can be found writing Emmy Award winning software (FrameForge Studio) for the film/TV/Commercial industries.

 He is represented by Anne McDermott at AM Management, and can usually be found in San Diego along with his wife, and a Schrödinger's number of cats. Follow him at his imprint: www.MoonJumperPress.com

Be sure to visit Warwick’s at 7812 Girard Ave, La Jolla, CA 92037 on Sept 3^rd where the author will be signing his books 2:30-4:30 p.m.