A quadriplegic author is returning to his hometown of Maple Ridge this weekend to do a public signing event for his first book.
Randy Wagner, who now lives in Blind Bay, recently completed his book which contains the details of his life since a tragic car accident back in 1990 turned him into a C5-C6 quadriplegic.
The new book is called 4 1/2 Steps, which is a reference to the five steps outlined in the universal trauma recovery process.
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Wagner explained that the fifth step, acceptance, isn’t something that he thinks works equally well for everyone overcome with significant trauma.
“Acceptance is like surrender, like this is as good as it gets,” Wagner told Black Press. “It’s like saying it won’t ever get better, but I still think it will.”
Instead of moving on to the acceptance phase, Wagner said that he has found other ways of moving through the depression, including writing his first book.
“I never did do anything with my creative writing degree, so this felt like something I had to do,” he said. “When you write a book, you empty the jar. This is me, take it or leave it.”
Wagner will be signing copies of his book at Bean Around Books and Tea on Saturday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
4 1/2 Steps is offered through FriesenPress and is available as an eBook, paperback, or hardcover.
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