Darren Hogarth's Blog

An excerpt from, "Whatever Sticks Most":

"Slow down and understand the power of prayer. Learn the power you have to control and balance your life. Whenever God gives us a reason to slow down, it's typically a sign to focus our energy on the things that bring the most meaning out of life. Heart attacks, strokes—pretty much any injury that forces us to slow down for a bit allows us to stop for a moment and see what really matters."

A recent interview on a radio talk show discussing "Whatever Sticks Most", with the Jamaican Diaspora media group.

Click on the link to listen.

http://InstantTeleseminar.com/?eventi...

Have you got your copy of "Whatever Sticks Most"?

Visit Amazon to download the ebook or order the paperback for delivery directly to your doorstep.

Would love to hear your feedback!

Feel free to contact me at darren@darrenhogarth.com or through my facebook page: www.facebook.com/DarrenHogarth

Moderation is a virtue constantly espoused, but harder to attain than man know. "Whatever Sticks Most" follows workaholic Myles as he faces years of endless drive and the toll it has taken on him, as he tries to attain the elusive balance in his life and something of enlightenment. With a touch of humor, romance, and the life's pursuit of it, "Whatever Sticks Most" is a strong pick for those seeking a novel of mid-life crisis.

John Taylor
Midwest Book Review

As of July 19th, the e-book version of, "Whatever Sticks Most", will be available for downloading on all e-readers, including the Kindle (Nook, Sony, Kobo, BeBook).

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From a far, the shape in the centre of the cover resembles the continent of Africa. This represents a common dwelling place, for man and woman.
Up close, the viewer can see that it's actually a human heart. The lake and rivers were added to help provide a dual symbol as a land mass also.
This represents the common rhythm, that beats inside both men and women.

The yoke with the male and female symbols, balanced across the dual meaning symbol, and pointing away from each other, is intended to symbolize overall, that although man and woman share a common dwelling place (earth) and share a common internal rhythm (the heart beat), once our worlds intertwine we are presented with the difficulty of balance and understanding.

It was roughly sketched by yours truly, then presented to the artist, Joanne Wilson, who created the art work on canvas, using the modern betik method.

For those whose only experience with Jamaica is a cruise ship stop at Ocho Rios and an
excursion to swim with dolphins or zip line in the jungle, Darren Hogarth’s Whatever Sticks
Most will fill in many of the missing details. His is a story about the real Jamaica, and the truth
makes for a most pleasant surprise. Hogarth clearly knows the country, and his familiarity allows
him to reveal much more of the island’s true culture than most tourists will ever be lucky enough
to encounter.

Hogarth introduces his main character, Myles, as a workaholic long focused on financial
success and little else. Proud owner of a Mercedes-Benz and a home on the south side of
Lakeshore Boulevard in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, he is young and successful but ultimately
unfulfilled. Suffering physically from a herniated disc and emotionally from the demise of a
long-term relationship, Myles is a man in serious pain. When the stresses of his life find him
refusing to take time off on Valentine’s Day to be with his live-in girlfriend, he screams at her:
“I can’t delegate what needs to be done. I’m in this position for a reason. If anyone else could do
my job, I wouldn’t have it.” Everyone can see the handwriting on the wall: Myles is about to
break.

When a friend packs Myles off to the magical island of Jamaica—almost against his will
—for a six-week recuperation from what ails him, Myles is in for some very unanticipated
healing. Only once he settles in Jamaica does the young man discover that it is his soul, above
all, that needs to mend. What he experiences in Jamaica, from sun and warmth to friendship,love,
and spiritual enlightenment, allows Myles to “stop for a moment and see what really matters.” Doing so
helps him get nearer to the inner balance and happiness that will slowly bring him back to life.

Whatever Sticks Most is more complex than it initially appears. Dealing with the concept
of achieving balance in life, Hogarth contrasts upper-middle-class Canada and its shortcomings
with Jamaica’s “doing without” lifestyle in order to emphasize what matters most. The locals
Myles comes to know on the island may not have as much material wealth as he does, but theirs
is “life with a pace that [keeps] them healthy and roots that [make] them whole.” Myles observes
a religion that is a far cry from his Anglican upbringing, one that actually makes sense to him.
His eyes are opened to both the fun side of the island—the friendly people, the beaches, the food,
the ever-present alcohol and ganja—and the serious side, including crime-ridden Kingston and
severe poverty. Everything he sees and learns in Jamaica involves some kind of balance.

Hogarth develops his characters splendidly. Myles has an entire complement of friends
and teachers to help him learn the Jamaican way. These are truly memorable characters to be
cherished.

While Myles may be the one who actually travels to Jamaica, it is Hogarth’s readers who
will learn the most from his journey. Hogarth knows Jamaica, and he graciously shares his
knowledge here, subtly blending information and instruction into the storyline. Whatever Sticks
Most is an entertaining book, for certain, but it also contains messages that will reverberate for a
long time after its covers are closed.

Cheryl M. Hibbard
Foreword Clarion Reviews

Nothing heals the body and soul like moving with the rhythm of life.

Myles is a heavy-duty workaholic. Years of drive and dedication have helped him become a partner in an engineering firm and buy pretty much anything he wants. But it has come at a price. The unrelenting stress on his body has manifested in a herniated disc that has turned a successful thirty-seven year-old man into an old man seemingly overnight—and caused his girlfriend to leave him. It’s clear to all who know Myles that there’s one thing he’s missing, and it is that one thing that can help ease his pain in every facet of his life: balance. To help him find it, his friend Roy convinces him to visit Jamaica and use his home there for a vacation.

Suddenly immersed in the vibe and rhythm of the island nation where “No problem” should be the national phrase, the cares, worries, and pains of Myles’ life in Toronto slowly but surely melt away. Surrounded by the unshakeable kindness and generosity of Miss Pearl and the soulful Rastafarian Moses, Myles experiences a shift in life focus when his vacation for the purpose of healing becomes so much more: a journey of spiritual enlightenment, culture shock, and the humbling confusion of love.

A profoundly moving and deeply spiritual experience, Whatever Sticks Most takes you on a journey that will forever change the way you look at work, life, and love.

I'm truly curious to read the feedback and reviews that I will receive from the fraternity of "GoodReads" members.

So far I've received some very good reviews on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, but I'm certainly aware that when you write a book, you can't please everyone.

My debut novel, "Whatever Sticks Most", is a story that addresses several challenges which we all experience in life. The confusion of love, failed relationships, physical ailments and the struggle of balance.

I've made a point of cross-pollinating the cultures of the first and third worlds to weave a web of diversity and enthocentricity throughout the story. It is based partly in Canada and mostly in Jamaica.

It was written from the heart, with some personal experiences mixed with my imagination at work.

Looking forward to see, what will stick with you most.