When Patti Sheehy was approached by her colleague, looking for someone to write her father’s story as part of her family’s history, she volunteered. Little did she know what she had gotten herself into. What started out as a favor for a coworker turned into an award-winning and best-selling book, “The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom,” and its sequel, “Stalked: The Boy Who Said No.”
Sheehy, a best-selling author, and the protagonist of her books, Frank Mederos, will be speaking at the Moorestown Library on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. The books are based on the true story of Mederos, who grew up in Communist Cuba, was drafted into the army and defected to join the love of his life who left Cuba for America.
“The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom” won the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Fiction and was a finalist for the 2013 USA Best Book Award and the ForeWord 2013 Best Book of the Year Award. It was also the Amazon №1 Best Seller in Historical Biographical Fiction, Action and Adventure and Cultural Heritage Fiction.
“It was really exciting. We went to the Kimmel Center in New York to get the award,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy has a background in professional writing, having worked in public relations and marketing, but she hadn’t done much with creative writing prior to these books. When the protagonist’s daughter approached her about writing about her father’s life, she volunteered. However, soon after speaking to Mederos, she felt his story had to be published.
“I thought at the time it would be something small, like a four- or five-page document. It wasn’t until I interviewed her father that I realized it was material for a book,” Sheehy said.
From there, Sheehy and Mederos met about once a week to get Mederos’ story told. The books were published by Oceanview Publishing in Florida, the first in June 2013 and the second last September.
“The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom” is full of action, romance and friendship as it chronicles the life of Mederos from 12 to 18 years old, who grows up under the Castro regime, is drafted into the army, is promoted to special forces and defects to join his girlfriend who has left with her family for America. The book is told from 1959, from when Fidel Castro took power of Cuba, until 1967, when Mederos escapes and is picked up by the U.S. Coast Guard on his way to Florida.
“It’s a very exciting story,” Sheehy said.
“Stalked: The Boy Who Said No” continues Mederos’ story of romance and suspense. After making a harrowing escape from Cuba, he sets out to achieve the American dream with the love of his life, Magda. But sinister forces in Cuba plan to avenge Mederos’ escape. The book starts from when Mederos gets picked up until 1980.
According to Sheehy, the book appeals to many demographics, both men and women with the books full of action, romance and suspense as well as young adults, as the book is told starting from his youth. The book also gives people a look into Cuban citizens’ everyday life at the time of Castro’s regime.
Sheehy and Mederos go to many speaking engagements with book clubs, schools, libraries, colleges and other organizations. Some schools have even adopted Sheehy’s book into the curriculum.
“This book has totally changed my life, in a great way. It was wonderful to write it. It was a journey of self-discovery. I had no idea I would write a book, that people would read it. It’s been a wonderful journey,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy would like readers to take away three important things: the value of freedom, the importance and value of friendship and family, and how valuable it is to have good character, good judgment and a sense of integrity.
At the Moorestown Library event on Jan. 29, Sheehy and Mederos will both be there with books available for sale. “The Boy Who Said No: An Escape to Freedom” will be $15 in paperback and “Stalked: The Boy Who Said No” will be $20 in hardcover. They will be available to sign books and answer questions as well as give a little talk on the books. Sheehy will talk about the writing and publishing while Mederos will speak about his life.
If any book clubs, groups, schools or other organizations would like Sheehy or Mederos to speak to them, they may contact Sheehy at [email protected] or (609) 707–7626. For more information, go to pattisheehy.com.
