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Introducing Surf Mules!, by G. Neri

Tue, 05/26/2009

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The folks at Penguin were kind enough to invite me to blog with y'all over the next five days about my new teen novel SURF MULES. So here's Part One, where you may be asking yourself: what exactly is a Surf Mule? Is this a book about Billabong wearing donkeys surfing the Pipeline??

Nope. Surf Mules is my gonzo buddy road trip tale about two California surfers on the verge of graduation who become embroiled in a world of disorganized crime. Yeah, on the surface, it's my sex, drugs and rock n roll story. But underneath, it's really about the journey from adolescence to adulthood. A coming of age story set in the world of drug trafficking surfers.

This is Logan Tom, a 17-year-old surf rat growing up in Hermosa Beach, California. He's supposed to go off to college but is having doubts about leaving the only life he's ever known behind.

This is his lifelong bud, Z-boy. Surfer and soon to be homeless dropout with no future.

They lose the third Musketeer, surfing hot shot, Fin Hamilton, in a freak surfing accident days before graduation. But they soon find out Fin lead a secret life as a surf mule for local pot dealer, Broza.

And here's where you find out what a surf mule is. A transporter. No, not like Jason Statham. More like a delivery boy. But Fin wasn't delivering newspapers. More like marijuana. And lots of it. Across country too.

At Fin's funeral, Logan and Z-boy find out the truth about Fin. But they also get a surprising offer for a summer job-to replace Fin by coming to work for Broza. Z-boy's all over it: easy money with lots of time to surf in between. He's got nothing else going his way. The problem is, Broza doesn't want a screw-up like Z without the steady hand of Logan at the wheel.

Okay, a few more things you should know. Logan's dad ran the family's finances into the ground and is now a deadbeat dad who's left Logan's mom to deal with bankruptcy. Logan's mom is at her wits end-they may lose the house and the ability to pay for Logan's college.

Throw in a surfer girl (Emmie) and a broken ankle (Logan's) and you have someone who isn't thinking clearly. Z-boy convinces Logan that the money will help his mom save the house and get Z-boy in with Broza... until Logan's ready to go away to college. Or maybe they'll stay Surf Mules, make a million dollars and retire to Mexico to surf their days away, just like they used to dream about.

Can you say road trip? How about Texas surf Nazis looking to score? Or a mysterious man who follows them across the country? Or the constant threat of the highway patrol looking for two young punks carting 100 pounds of pot from LA to Orlando in 2 and half days? Mix in caffeine and sugar, paranoia and fear, and you'll have the gist of what this story is all about...

Surf Mules is about surfing and drugs, friendship and loyalty. But underneath, Logan and Z-boy must confront the cold hard reality of adulthood. What starts off as a summer job in disorganized crime quickly turns into an Easy Rider nightmare. Now Logan just hopes to make it home alive.

That's the story and I'm sticking to it.