In 1957, a young Irish-American boy stumbles on the site of a commercial shoot in rural Ireland, watching, transfixed, as five hang-gliders dressed in white drift down off an Irish mountain. He thinks they are angels, and runs to meet them, the cameras turn to catch him....and his life is forever changed. Set in the turbulent 60s, The Hapless Life of Samuel Joseph is the story of a young man who is gifted with the ability to make others laugh, but whose heart wants only one thing: to fly. In 1966, back in the United States where he was born, Samuel has become a successful stand-up comedian, and receives an offer to be cast in a television series that satirizes the hippie movement. The decision he makes that day brings into his life Whip Charles, a young man who has for all his life been singing with his parent's gospel group, but who has left that group to find his own way. Sam and Whip, together with their cast-mate, Chace Whitley, (who is a hippie) take on the production of a comedy that dominates and forever changes all their lives, as they struggle with the demands of filming, of friendship, of betrayal, and of their individual fights with their own demons. From the Author: As I developed this manuscript, I recruited eight people from various walks of life to serve as first and second readers, and as proofreaders. After taking their feedback and revising and editing (several times), I asked if any of them were willing to post reviews here. Three of them asked me if I would take their comments and post them myself, so I've taken their comments from and posted them here, as follows: "While I normally don't care for period pieces, the strength of this main character's voice and personality kept me going through the entire story....His life is a study in contrasts, with the rich and deep emotional life of his family, as compared to the harsh realities of the entertainment industry he gets drawn into. A very good read." "There is an emotional depth here that is unusual for a story written about characters who are this young... Moments of real sweetness, and very raw moments of reality." "These characters jump off the page - the dialogue is fantastic. This is something really special." "Written with real authority - as you read, you believe in the times that Sam is occupying. One of the main things I liked about the story is that it did not romanticize the 60s. This story is real." As the author, I will add to this by saying that my original intention in writing this was to tell a story that showed what happens to very talented young people when they are connected with the wrong mentor. That story is here, but, as the three main characters, and especially Sammy, began to develop, the story changed and became its own message. That's a rare experience for a writer, and I hope it becomes a worthwhile one for readers.