Books by David

 

My latest book, NATHANIEL’S GOT THE BLUES is available on Amazon, Barnes and Nobel or your favorite on-line bookseller.

“The prose – and poetry! – of this book is lyrical and airbourne, a style that creates a sense of flight for the reader.
David’s sensitivity to the animal world, and the manner in which he creates parables, bonds the messages with the mind, an experience too seldom encountered with contemporary literature.”

–Grady Harp, Top Contributor, Children’s Books, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 50 Reviewer

“Though Heaney’s novel calls to mind classic works of children’s literature, the story of a rat facing ennui and grappling with existential questions is refreshing, fun, and wholly original.”

–Booklife Prize Review

“This was easily the best of the Booktasters books I have read so far. Sophisticated writing, elegantly crafted characters and deeply affecting themes, I was entranced by this story.”

Booktaster Reviewer

In the winter of his life, Nathaniel, a fruit rat, is bored, angry and depressed. Even his long-suffering wife, Birgit is becoming impatient with his litany of complaints and ailments. Nathaniel has grown increasingly self-focused possessing little interest in his dull world. His wistful recollections of his younger years he routinely dismisses as idle fantasies that now seem mundane.

Life changes when he encounters an old acquaintance, the eccentric old possum, Mr. Leach who blames Nathaniel’s “wretched state” on his failure to do the work to discover the meaning of his experience. “To discover your own truth, you must engage and extract. Life’s lessons must be extracted, mined, extricated, yanked, torn, and even ripped from your experience” Leach admonishes.

Follow Nathaniel’s journey of discovery as he engages and extracts in this book for readers of all ages who enjoy fantasy, whimsy, and a dash of epistemology for a deep think. 

To buy this book, click here. NATHANIEL’S GOT THE BLUES

                                                                ***                   

 My book, THE BLACK FOX OF BECKHAM is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most other on-line booksellers.

“We can’t all have the same ideas and feel the same way. This book had me thinking about all this and I loved that! If someone wants a book that makes you think but also has a powerful message, then they should check this out. Very well done!”

“From the very beginning I was drawn into this story. I absolutely loved the book! What a great message to pass onto others as well. I don’t want to spoil it too much for those who haven’t read this book yet, but it reminded me to stay true to myself. I also thought the ending to the story was really well done.”

-Amazon Readers Comments

A black fox, a Roma gypsy widow, and a fourteen-year-old girl on the autism spectrum discover and befriend one another in the village of Beckham where fox hunting has been a way of life for centuries. The three improbable friends learn that being different doesn’t leave you powerless as they prepare to challenge a sport they believe is senseless and cruel. THE BLACK FOX OF BECKHAM is a tale for young adult readers about reckless superstitions fueled by prejudice, a desire to win at any cost, and how the bonds of friendship forged by this marginalized trio, together with a little help from a shapeshifting Badger called Benton, empower them to take a stand that puts them at odds with family and community.

                                                                           ***

…And, don’t forget to enjoy, A YORKIE’S TALE: LESSONS FROM A LIFE WELL LIVED.

“In this charming spiritual adventure, author and former pastor David L. Heaney uses the adventurous journey of a dog, a rat, and a parrot to impart important truths about the nature of life and the inevitability of death.”

Heaney offers wisdom, poetry, and humor in his narrative. His distinctive animal characters—pictured in Tatu’s expressive watercolors—will resonate with middle grade readers. 

A YORKIE’S TALE was a semi-finalist for the BookLife Prize Competition. The reviewer writes, “Heaney’s middle grade novel is a unique contemporary story that pays tribute to classic works of children’s literature through its poignant and sophisticated approach to dealing with questions about death, purpose, and grief.”

Niles, an aging Yorkie, has led a pampered life with his two loving owners and knows nothing of death. Everything begins to change when he has an after dinner encounter with an inquisitive fruit rat who shares the puzzling tale of a family burying a “sleeping cat”. Another neighborhood critter, the eccentric possum named Leach, explains to the two befuddled creatures that the cat was not sleeping at all. It was dead!

Stunned by the revelation that all life is finite, Niles and Nathaniel decide they must do something meaningful with their lives. But what? They resolve to venture outside Niles’ backyard, and with the help of Poppy, a friendly parrot, and guided by the cryptic guidance from a mysterious cat Niles encounters in both dreams and visions, they begin to search for answers.

They begin a journey from the familiar neighborhood to the city, to the ocean, and a strange place where all animals are caged. Along the way, they encounter and benefit from the wisdom shared by others; the seagulls, dolphins, and a visionary gorilla about the mysteries of life, and the grace that comes from living well unafraid of their own mortality.

Buy here