The day fourteen-year-old Asher receives a Minolta camera from his aunt Sharon, he buys the last roll of black-and-white film and takes his first photograph—a picture of a twisted pine tree. He’s so preoccupied with his new hobby he fails to notice his dad’s plan to move out, his increasing alienation from his testosterone-ridden best friend, Levi, and his own budding sexuality. When his little brother drowns at the same moment Asher experiences his first same-sex kiss, he can no longer hide behind the lens of his camera. Asher thinks it’s his fault, but after his brother dies, his father resurfaces along with clues challenging Asher’s black-and-white view of the world. The truth is as twisted as the pine tree in his first photograph.

BIO:

Elizabeth Wheeler’s passion for writing, directing, and teaching is driven by a quest to unleash the authentic human experience in literature, on the stage, and in life. As a teacher, she is touched and inspired by the real-world examples of how students, facing adversity, assimilate the lessons learned from those experiences to persevere and transform into triumphant adults. A former Chicago model and actor, Elizabeth now teaches English in rural Illinois. She is a graduate of the University of Florida and the inaugural novel writing program at the University of Chicago’s Graham School. As an advocate for student storytelling in the print and digital world, she has spoken internationally as well as at educational conferences in Illinois. Elizabeth is co-founder of a professional theater company, Heart and Soul Productions, and director of her school’s drama program. A fifth generation Floridian, Elizabeth now lives in Illinois with her husband, two sons, and nephew. Asher’s Fault is her first novel.