The seed or inspiration for Belly of the Whale, came from a character in the book, his name is Willy Wu.
I have long had a fascination with heroes; the idea of heroism in the pure sense of the word, the selfless act of giving your life to save another without thought of anything else beyond that act.
Willy Wu is the person, often a young man we meet in the grocery store; who is mentally and physically challenged, perhaps autistic. Whatever the medical jargon for Willy he works among us, serves us in our community.
Could Willy be a hero? How do we know how much he processes, how much of his surroundings he takes in, what he hears, sees and experiences; where does it go? Is there a reserve of knowing in a person like Willy Wu where trust is unquestioned and pure heroism resides? I wondered this in my encounters with the Willy’s of the world over the years and with these questions in mind I created a story of lost hope which takes place in twenty-four hours that brings four people together including Willy Wu to face their fate and their fears.
Linda Merlino is the author of the literary fiction novel, BELLY OF THE WHALE. You can visit her website at www.lindamerlino.com.
ATTENTION: This book spotlight is being brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion. As a special promotion for Linda Merlino’s novel, BELLY OF THE WHALE, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour or $25 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky person who leaves a comment or asks a question. Leave your comment or question below to have a chance to win one of these prizes! For more stops on Linda’s blog trail, visit www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com.
The Story Behind the Book 
This book sounds amazing. Here is a woman who thinks she wants to die when she suddenly figures out she really wants to live. Awesome idea!
Best of luck with the tour.
Cheryl
I’m also fascinated by the idea of finding a hero in the ‘common’ person next door, the insignificant person nobody thinks much of. I think you have a winning premise for the book.
Cheryl,
The idea of lost hope is something we can all relate to. Those times in our life when we come to the crossroad. Do we go on or not? Do we give up?
Thanks for stopping by today for the Belly of the Whale Virtual Book Tour.
Best,
Linda