TP_011719

tinleyjunction.com NEWS
the tinley junction | January 17, 2019 | 3
Tinley Park resident
publishes second novel
‘Starshot: A Rock
& Roll Fable’ is a
story decades in the
making
Will O’Brien
Freelance Reporter
For Tinley Park resident
Rick Buda, writing has been
a lifelong labor of love. His
newly published novel, in
fact, is a project he first started
in the ‘70s.
“Starshot: A Rock & Roll
Fable” tells the story of a
Chicago youth who hits it big
as a musician. The book was
inspired by Buda’s own upbringing
on the city’s Southwest
Side, during which he
palled around with bands and
developed a passion for the
era’s sound.
“I was always the guy who
would read all the album
liner notes,” said Buda, 68,
noting he regularly saw Styx
when the group was just getting
off the ground.
From an early age, Buda
excelled in English classes.
The skill followed him to St.
Lawrence High School in
Burbank, where he wrote for
the student newspaper, and
throughout his working years
as an electrician and instrumentation
specialist at Dow
Chemical, when he contributed
to company newsletters
and technical writing projects.
Writing remained a passion
outside of work, too. Buda
published a gaming magazine
during the ‘80s, wrote a
blog about American-made
rums in more recent years,
and has regularly contributed
articles to a variety of outlets.
“I’ve always enjoyed the
process and have never really
considered it work,” he said.
“It’s more like a hobby that
occasionally sends me money,”
he added with a laugh.
It was early in his professional
career, though, during
a layoff, when Buda first
dreamt up “Starshot,” writing
its concluding chapters
and developing a library of
characters. The responsibilities
of raising a family, however,
(Buda and his wife have
three children and six grandchildren),
meant the novel remained
unfinished for years.
Then, around 1990, Buda
finished the book — or so he
thought.
After shopping around
for a literary agent — “a
great way to wallpaper your
room,” Buda said of the correspondence
— and working
with several, Buda kept getting
the same message: The
book, at about 400 pages,
was simply too long for a debut
novel.
The feedback, though disappointing,
prompted Buda
to start the long process of
writing another book, “Wolf-
Pointe,” a supernatural thriller
featuring settings inspired
by Tinley Park, where Buda’s
family moved in the mid-
‘80s. Tennessee publisher
Twilight Times Books published
“WolfPointe” in 2004,
and it sold well.
Following its success and
retirement, Buda returned
his attention to “Starshot,”
eventually deciding to selfpublish
with Amazon.
He submitted the book for
final edits about a year ago
and spent recent months applying
finishing touches. The
book was available Nov. 15.
Described by a Buda as a
“pseudo rockumentary pageturner,”
the book follows fictional
rocker Deejay Gloss
along his path to stardom.
Pictured is the cover of
“Starshot: A Rock & Roll
Fable,” a new book by
Tinley Park author Rick
Buda. Photo submitted
Like any good rock-and-roll
tale, “Starshot” gets some of
its color by depicting a hardcharging,
fast-moving lifestyle
but is ultimately a love
story, Buda said. The Barbra
Streisand and Kris Kristofferson
version of “A Star is
Born” — a remake of the film
recently hit movie theaters —
was definitely an inspiration,
he explained.
With the book finally finished,
Buda doesn’t plan on
packing up his pens. He’s
started mapping out a sequel
to “WolfPointe” and adds
new writing to his personal
blog www.rickbuda.com
nearly every week. Nonwriting
hobbies include coincollecting,
building models
of World War II aircraft and
following his grandchildren
in their various activities.
“My wife and I joke I
should get a full-time job so
I can get some rest,” he said.
“Starshot” is available
through Amazon in paperback
($14.50) and e-book
($8.49) formats.