Author working on second novel
NEWTON. Michael Lawrence’s first book is a psychological thriller set in Sussex County, Rockaway and Mendham.
| 18 Aug 2024 | 12:32
Michael Lawrence’s first book, ‘The Broken Light of a Different Sun,’ was published in 2022. (Photo provided)
After tasting success with his first novel, Michael Lawrence of Newton has plans to release a new book in the coming months.
The Sussex County native’s first book, “The Broken Light of a Different Sun,” was published through Moonshine Cove Publishing in 2022.
The psychological thriller takes place in Sussex County, Rockaway and Mendham.
“The Broken Light of a Different Sun” has been described as a mixture of the television show “Breaking Bad” and the novel and film “The Talented Mr. Ripley.”
“I have written all of my life and I wanted to write about where I grew up,” said Lawrence. “I was interested in the people in the area and I wanted it to reflect some of the drama of what was going on when I was a kid growing up in White Meadow Lake in Rockaway.”
He chose Sussex County as the location to add more realism.
As a writer, Lawrence was inspired by Philip Roth, a novelist and short story writer who was born in Newark. His books included “Portnoy’s Complaint,” “Goodbye Columbus” and “American Pastoral.”
“The Broken Light of a Different Sun” tells the story of Rupert, who flees New Jersey fearing retribution from the drug dealer partners he has betrayed.
Lawrence said he made the novel very visual so readers feel like they are in a movie.
Upcoming book
He is finishing his second novel, which does not have a title or publisher yet. He is hoping it will be out this fall.
“This book will be a psychological thriller, and it has literary qualities similar to ‘The Broken Light of a Different Sun,’ “ he said. “It’s inside the minds of my characters, and I think it is very interesting the way events and trauma affect people’s consciousness and behavior.”
The story is set in Mendham, where Lawrence worked for many years. It focuses on a Syrian family who has moved to America.
The father deals with trauma from the civil war in Syria, and the main character, his son, is a first-generation immigrant living in upper middle class suburbs.
The book has some political overtones and was inspired by Lawrence’s life. His father escaped from Nazi Germany and moved to America for a better life.