By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Not all is as safe as it seems. That's the theme of Gage Sears' debut novel "The Watcher." The southcentral Kansas writer will be making a pair of stops in Great Bend to chat with readers and sell copies of his book on Saturday, Jan. 20. The story is set in a small Kansas town.
"It's about a stalker in a small town that takes the phrase, 'It's so safe you can leave your door unlocked,' exposes every flaw in it, and uses it to his advantage on two unsuspecting teenagers who don't realize he's there," Sears said.
Now 25, Sears said he has been telling stories since the age of five. That translated into written stories a few years later. Something he remembered as a kid was originally planned as a short story but turned into a 92,000-word novel.
"I grew up in a small town here in Kansas they said was so safe you could leave your door unlocked at night," said Sears. "That always scared me as a kid. It stuck with me into adulthood."
Sears will be at Great Bend Coffee, 2015 Lakin Ave. in Great Bend. He will be at the Great Bend Public Library from 2-4 p.m. Books will be available for purchase, and Sears will donate a copy to the library. He will also be handing out free bookmarks.