August 9th

Imagine it's August 9th, 1969. You're Dan Brewster, an 18 year old UCLA student, with your girlfriend Maggie, in Anaheim, CA, about to witness a rock concert for the ages as Jethro Tull opens for Led Zeppelin. Near the end of Zeppelin's encore something remarkably unexpected occurs. Twice, for a few seconds each time, a girl in the row in front of you turns around and your eyes magically connect with an intense attraction and breathtaking feeling you've never felt before. No words are exchanged and you leave the arena with only her hypnotic image, firmly etched in your mind. Months pass and, despite being in love with Maggie, you're obsessed by the ever present image of the girl from the concert. You assume what is probably infatuation, elevated by the euphoria of the evening, will pass with time. Then in March, a series of clues unexpectedly unravel that fortuitously lead you to the girl's identity. "Have you ever locked eyes with someone and been overwhelmed by an instant attraction that takes your breath away?" "Do you have a "what if question" that haunts you?" August 9th breaks all preconceived ideas of how a love story should be told. Once you start reading you won't want to stop and after you finish the last page the story will continue to echo within you. You'll talk, debate and personalize August 9th because almost everyone can relate to the fundamental theme. A first time novelist, Stu Schreiber, reveals an understanding of life and love that is extraordinary and comparisons between Nicholas Sparks' first novel, The Notebook and August 9th are inevitable.