Gainesville native pens debut fiction novel
Bringing awareness to social issues while giving readers an opportunity to see how compassion and understanding can help them overcome challenges was the goal of a local author’s debut novel.
“Reporting For Duty: A Son’s Revenge,” a novel by Gainesville resident Jody Franklin, tells a story that follows the journey of father Malcolm Freeman and son Toby Freeman, whose fictional lives were changed forever after an encounter with two corrupt police officers.
The incident was a turning point as the son vowed to avenge his father’s death one day.
“The beating changed the trajectory of the son’s life,” said Franklin, who has five sons. “He was an aspiring entrepreneur and decided to go to the police force to change the face of the station and to change the stigma.”
The novel shows how men are the light of their children and takes a journey with a father and his son, said Franklin, a 1993 Gainesville Eastside High School graduate who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a concentration in communications from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia.
“I’ve always been interested in the arts,” said Franklin, a faithful member of Open Door Ministries in northeast Gainesville. “I’ve been in the choir since grade school. I find liberation and freedom in writing.”
The book inspires people to follow their dreams to influence others to accomplish their goals, she said, adding the book shares a story all people can relate to and speaks to what is going on in society today.
“There’s still hope,” Franklin said. “You can always find forgiveness and move past tragedy … You can always determine your outcome in life. If you choose happiness, you will be happy. If you choose unforgiveness, you won’t be able to forgive. You can find peace in challenging situations.”
Book club: Book club to host first male author
The book can be purchased on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The price for the paperback is $10.99 and the hardcover is $15.99. It is also available on Kindle and Audible.
“Everything will be taken care of and justice will prevail,” Franklin said. “This book is about compassion and love for one another. Even with tragedy, we have life and we can change. It’s about humanity.
The book is educational and entertaining, said Linda Means, of Gainesville.
“It’s a book you can’t put down,” Means said, adding she would love for Franklin to create a book series and movie or short film. “It was like a motion picture in my mind as I read it. The words were vibrant. I enjoyed reading the book.”
Erica Jackson said she read the book in one day and admires how Franklin shares wisdom with readers through the characters.
“I loved the way throughout the story the author allows the character to impart godly knowledge into the reader as the story is told,” Jackson said. “I can see her book becoming the storyline for a movie one day and I think it is a great read for both the young and old.”
Amy Wilson, who also read the book, said it was a page-turner and loved how Franklin showed the power of doing the right thing through hardship.
“She (Franklin) is big on her faith,” Wilson said. “Even though things happen to us, there’s a way to handle them.”
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Novel by G'ville native deals with overcoming police corruption
