HOME

by Billy Beasley

Trent Mullins holds the bottle of pills that failed to aid his climb out of the black hole that nearly killed him. Tossing the bottle over the Wrightsville Beach Drawbridge, he feels the first sliver of light in months.
He leaves family, friends, and the area that had served as his home for his entire life. With the help of his best friend, Jackson, he lands in the coastal area of Georgia. A new job, unlikely landlords, and the peaceful marshlands that serve as his front yard slowly bring a measure of stillness to his troubled mind.
But then an unwelcome phone call mandates his return home to bury the father he never knew and to face the son he left behind.

Billy Beasley’s heartwarming novels are
are starting to draw National Attention.

“ The Girl In The River allowed me to visit a place I love, that made me who I am, every time I opened its pages. The story is a testament to the human spirit and the true nature of the people of my home state. As Josie shows, there is no more loyal love than that from a dog.”

LARA TRUMP
FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR

Early Praise for Home, Billy Beasley’s Latest Work

“Navigating the gamut of human relationships is never easy, particularly in the South, where the undercurrent of racism simmers below the surface, but Billy Beasley has written a suspenseful story that keeps you enthralled and doesn't let go until the very last page.”— Kathryn Gauci , USA Today bestselling author

“If the first chapter doesn't give you a lot to think about then you weren't paying attention! It sets the stage for a homecoming that will surely be eventful. If the rest of the book is anything like the first chapter I won't get any sleep until I finish it.”— Herman Dickens, Avid Reader

“Beasley’s characters are as natural, intriguing, and as full of life as the Carolina coast they call home. Their conflicts play out in a low country Eden that is as stirring and primal as the passions of its people.”— Joseph McSpadden, Host of the Village Night Owl Podcast and Contributing Editor, Okra Magazine

“Billy does a brilliant job making his characters come to life. He is not afraid to tackle racial injustices, political corruption, while incorporating his faith. His writing style is reminiscent of my favorite southern author, Pat Conroy. Billy’s stories are gripping, raw and oh so believable.”— Helen Johnson Brumbaugh, Retired Interior Designer

“Billy Beasley has become my favorite author. His first novel, The River Hideaway, should be made into a movie. I read the opening chapter of Home and cried tears of joy with the characters I was introduced to. This southern author pulls his readers hearts and souls into his characters and the inviting marshlands he portrays so vividly that I felt I could see, smell, almost touch it.”— Wylene Booth McDonald, Retired Merck & Company

“Billy Beasley has done it once again! With his latest work 'Home,' Beasley has created characters that resonate within the soul and are relatable, despite their flaws.

195 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2022

About the author

Billy Beasley resides in Carolina Beach, NC with his wife Julie, and Teke, their Australian Cattle Dog.

He shares two simple beliefs with his favorite character in his first novel, The River Hideaway. Faith in God and a conviction that ‘hearts have no color'.

The Preacher's Letter released 1/18.

The Girl in the River released in 7/2020.

HOME released 4/2022.

All works are traditionally published.

Reviews

[Jeff Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things just don’t seem to go Trent Mullins way. Never able to please his father, he has stopped trying. Two different women have broken his heart (and one of them twice). Depression has set in. To break out of the depression, without pills, Trent finishes up his business in Wrightsville Beach and leaves everyone behind, including his high school age son, and heads to Brunswick, Georgia. Most people don’t even know where he’s at, except Jackson, one of his friends. In Brunswick, he manages a small marina and lives in a small, isolated house out by the water. His landlords are a black couple who run a restaurant in Dylan Town. Then the call comes. Trent learns his father is dying. He heads back to Wilmington where he’s forced to face and make peace with his past. But where is Trent’s home? Where is our home?

Billy Beasley weaves a good story. Like his other stories, this one is set mostly around Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, a place where I lived from age 9 to 24. The other setting, along the Georgia Coast, is a place I lived for six and a half years. And even though Dylan Town isn’t a real place, there are similar towns along the Georgia coastal plain. All one must do to find them is to gets off Interstate 95 and travel the backwoods roads lined with live oaks draped in Spanish moss.

This is Beasley’s fourth book and I’ve read them all. In addition to exploring family themes, like his other books, this one also explores friendships across racial lines. Without being preachy, Beasley also interjects his faith into the story. My only criticism of the book is that Beasley spends a little too much time telling us what is going on in Trent’s mind. Showing instead of telling us what he’s thinking would have strengthened parts of the book.

Two weeks ago, when I was in Wilmington for Williston’s 9th Grade Center 50th Anniversary project, I was also able to attend Beasley’s book release party at Noni Bacca winery the next afternoon. I was glad to go as I caught with another friend from high school that I haven’t seen since graduation. I have known Billy since the fourth grade and generally, when I’m in town, we’ll meet up for coffee or a beer.

[Kathy Stokley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another HOME run from Billy Beasley

I have been counting the days waiting for the release of "HOME" by Billy Beasley and once again, it was worth the wait. As always, Billy's characters are so well developed that they become friends and you never want to say Goodbye. Another excellent story and a great journey as the family dynamics and emotional undercurrents of their relationships are revealed. Yes, I know these Southern folks and the power of the words our families speak over us as we struggle to find our true selves on the way HOME. "There is nothing quite so chastening as coming to grips with your own hypocrisy." When I read this beautifully worded Truth I knew Billy Beasley was going to be leading me to a place I need to explore. What a great trip! Congratulations on another great read that leaves me wanting more.

[Evelyn Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Billy Beasley has once again written a book we won't soon forget. As the novel opens we meet Trent Mullins, a character we come to know a little more in depth than those in the other 3 books. Trent is returning home because of a very ill family member. Flashbacks reveal why he's left and why he is so broken. Billy brilliantly describes Trent's struggles but never lets these descriptions interfere with the story. I simply love everything about this book: the beautifully described settings of coastal North Carolina and Georgia, the richly developed characters, and some of the memorable lines from the book. "In death he became what he could not be in life, a good father." " Thoughts of Carmen and Alex still visited.....but they no longer took up residence in my heart." The book end on a positive note, but like the ending of his other 3 books, we are faced with a terrible dilemma. How long before the next book is published?

[Ranie best · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

Enjoyed this book so much. I enjoy reading books where I recognize the places and some events. It captured me from the beginning and loved the ending!