Two boys compete over a girl, athletics, and take it to the ultimate competition to cheat death. When Christian and Brenton climb an old lighthouse and dare each other to jump over a gaping hole, they begin a game of chicken that leads to disastrous consequences. This is the classic story of friendship coming against the realities of life in the summer at the beach.

This compelling YA novel could resonate strongly with male readers who have never read a novel before. The book hooks the reader in the first sentence and might be very well received by readers in the eighth grade and up. A modern Lord of the Flies, Ripples was published by a very small press then bought by Bantam Dell but never released.

Ripples is Hazelgrove's debut YA novel. His second novel Tobacco Sticks, a courtroom drama published by Bantam Dell set in the 1940's hit the national best-seller list for one week when it was featured in People Magazine. The novel was optioned with Televest. Mr. Hazelgrove's (www.billhazelgrove.com) third novel Mica Highways, a murdery mystery also published by Bantam Hardcover received rave reviews. His next two novels Rocket Man and The Pitcher will be published by Koehler Books in 2013.