The Sands of Tybee Island, though written as a novel, is based on a true story. The story is about the year that I was going through the transition from being a little boy into being a teenager. It's about how my daddy balanced out my mother's parental alienation through her hostile, aggressive style of parenting. The story tells how Daddy and Mr. Andrew's treatment of me prevented serious damage to my mental and emotional well-being. During these years of conflicting treatment by my parents, I became vulnerable to mental manipulation and bulling by Mother during my early years as a child. I often felt that I was the problem. I saw Mother as my enemy, to be feared, hated, and avoided. My years as a child were disturbing, confusing, and often very frightening to me. I was robbed of a sense of security and safety. As it turned out, in 1957 I was also moving from boyhood into the beginnings of becoming a man. This is not just my story but in many ways it's every young boy's story. It's the story of the men who had a tremendous influence on my early development and the men in the lives of other young boys and the role they play in helping maturity come about. So you men who may read this book, be aware of the shadow you cast in the young lives around you.