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Parkersburg man writes fifth novel

“On a Sunday in May” is the fifth novel by Stephen Hupp, the library director at West Virginia University at Parkersburg, and is set in the world of auto racing. It is available at amazon.com. (Photo by Jess Mancini)

PARKERSBURG — A Parkersburg man penned his fifth novel, this one set in the world of auto racing.

“On a Sunday in May” by Stephen Hupp is about a day in May in auto racing when the Grand Prix of Monaco, the Indianapolis 500 and the 600 Mile race at Charlotte are held. “On a Sunday in May” presents three stories based on the world-class races.

“I’ve been interested in cars and racing since I was kid about 10-years old in the 1970s,” Hupp said.

Among his favorite drivers were Tony Stewart, Al Unser Jr. and Sr., Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney.

He’s never raced or gotten involved in the sport, which compared to other sports and activities is expensive, Hupp said.

“I’m not much of an athlete,” he said.

The book is a sequel to Hupp’s first novel, “Born to the Breed,” which was about Marty Dodd. Dodd aspired to be a driver in NASCAR, but his parents had other career plans for the want-to-be racer.

Dodd and car owner Roland McCarthy return in “On a Sunday in May” with several new characters, Hupp said.

The characters, composite personalities of people Hupp has known, include the Italian driver Teo Valla and the American racer Logan Collins.

The stories are fictional accounts of the three races, but are based on actual events in history, Hupp said.

“Readers who are knowledgeable about racing will pick up about what races I’m talking about,” he said.

The book is written from the perspective of the radio communications between driver and crew and from broadcast commentaries, Hupp said.

“There is some narrative in the stories giving background of the characters,” he said.

The 260-page “On a Sunday in May” is available from amazon.com for $19.99. A Kindle version is available for $2.99.

Hupp also is in discussions with West Virginia book stores about stocking “On a Sunday in May.”

Hupp is the director of libraries at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. He plans to continue writing, but is taking a break for the next month before starting on his next book.

“I’m not sure what it will be about,” he said. “I have some ideas.”

In addition to “On a Sunday in May” and “Born to the Breed,” his earlier writings are “Daughter of the Valley” and “Wings in the Night” that are set in the Mid-Ohio Valley and “Of Gods and Spirits.”

All publications are available on Amazon.

For more information, call Hupp at 304 482-3176 or at stephenlhupp@gmail.com.

Jess Mancini can be contacted at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.

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