THE BACKSTORY:
Scenes and Stories from My Unscripted Life
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Available July 1, 2026
THE SHAGGIN' WAGON
"After moving to North Carolina in 1980, we would routinely take trips back to Indiana to visit with my grandparents and cousins. Mom and Dad would pile all of us kids into a 1970s cargo van that Dad had bought used. The van was your stereotypical ‘shaggin’ wagon’, with a large bed in the back and dirty brown shag carpeting throughout the entire interior to muffle noise. Every summer and holiday season our family would pile into that van to make the long 12-hour trip up north."
CHANNEL BLACK
"Meeting Chuck and reconnecting with Ryan, at just the right time, seemed to me like the universe was encouraging me to follow my creative dreams. The three of us started playing music and jamming together during my sophomore year at App State and continued playing together for several years after college. Playing music helped me keep my sanity through college, giving me the creative outlet I needed. Chuck, Ryan and I would play together for about 6 years, including writing our own original music, recording a couple of EPs and playing shows all over the Charlotte region.
The Bar Fight
"The only come to Jesus moment that Rebekah and I have ever had was on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2009 when Rebekah told me that she wanted to get engaged, just two months after we first met. She’s gonna kill me for writing about this. Don’t bother looking for my body. You’ll never find it. I’m not going to go into the details about that fight because Rebekah and I buried those bones a long time ago and there’s no need to go digging into that grave. But that’s the way I remember the fight starting, and if she doesn’t agree, she can write her own damn book."
From Fat Boy to Meathead
"I was a chubby kid growing up. Mom always kept candy and sweets hidden around the kitchen and I was an expert at uncovering her hidden stashes. I had a nose for sniffing out Little Debbie fudge rounds, oatmeal cookies and Swiss cake rolls.
By the fall of 2008 though, at the age of 33, I looked like a completely different person. People who hadn’t seen me in a while almost didn’t recognize me. Between my carefully monitored diet and daily workout regimen, the extra fat I was carrying melted off me, and I began to put on significant muscle mass. I felt better than I had ever felt in my life. I started thinking more clearly and my attitude improved as I felt balanced and in control of my life. "
SIBLING RIVALRY
"It’s been difficult for me to write about the relationship I have with my brother. I’ve started and stopped this section of the book several times because I don’t really know what to say. Or perhaps I don’t know how to say what I want to say. I think a lot of people feel that way when talking about their family. Like most siblings, my relationship with Carey took many twists and turns through the years. We had periods of close friendship and communication along with a few periods where we wouldn’t speak to one another for one stupid reason or another. This has been the case with me and my brother throughout our adult lives."