Once something has been written, it’s out of my hands, so I’m happy if a single person is moved by something I’ve written. 

Andrew Cusick – 1 November 2025

The Back Flap

Declan cannot accept the loss of his older brother Mason. Mason’s suicide note said only: I AM NOT GONE, which tortures Declan with the possibility that his brother ran away, that the footage of the boy jumping from the bridge was someone else, and somehow Mason is still alive.

For Declan the possibility is both hope and torture. He wants so badly to believe it that he cannot accept the reality of life without Mason. Declan seeks only to escape the present by taking refuge in the past or running headlong into the future. Mason exists in the past and the future, but not in the devastation of the present.

Declan can’t move on. Mason seems to be all around him, walking beside him, playing along at band practice, looking out over the water with him at their old surfing spot on the Jersey shore. A song that Mason wrote is growing in popularity and may become a breakthrough hit. Someone is sending him messages on Instagram, claiming to be Mason. It is only a cruel hoax, Declan thinks, but the Instagram ghost knows secrets only Mason could know.  Could it be true? Is Mason alive? Maybe Declan can reach Mason somehow, or manage to let him go, if he finishes his brother’s last song.

About the book

What is the book about?

The book is about a teenage boy grieving the supposed suicide of his older brother. It is a coming-of-age story shot through a tragedy and the sparkle of the Jersey Shore.

When did you start writing the book?

There are shades from as far back as undergrad—summer of 2009 specifically. But I didn’t really move on it seriously until 2018 or so.

How long did it take you to write it?

By 2020 I had a very rough draft. I edited through late 2023, after several close calls with agents and publishers alike.

Where did you get the idea from?

Not sure. Subconscious. Feelings. Memories mixed with fiction. It felt like the most immediate story I had to tell.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The entire thing was a labor of love but love can be tricky. The narrator is pretty emotionally compromised throughout the entire novel so diving into that headspace for what amounted to years was difficult.

What came easily?

Any of the trips down memory lane—the scenery of summers on the Jersey Shore. The style and the heat and the beauty and the slight tinge of falsehood.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

80/20 fiction. Writers are plagiarists before they’re anything: borrowing here and there. But no: this thing came from an emotional place inside me, even if there are winks and nods to real-life throughout.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

In no particular order: Steinbeck, Faulkner, Saunders, Morrison, McCarthy, Hemingway, Didion, Wharton, Easton Ellis…I grew up on Stephen King. I read Bewilderment by Richard Powers a few years back and it killed me. My professor from years ago, Porochista Khakpour, is a brilliant writer. I get bored by a great deal of fiction, but when it’s good, it’s good.

Do you have a target reader?

Not particularly—once something has been written, it’s out of my hands, so I’m happy if a single person is moved by something I’ve written. Also, the person who wants to adapt it into a 10-episode renewable series is also my target reader.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

It’s ever-evolving. There will be weeks where I won’t write. Then I’ll get in a headspace for a few months. Flash fiction comes quick, and then I’ll be quiet for weeks on end. Still figuring it out.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I wish. It would be infinitely more helpful if I did. But no—I wait till I see the end, some emotional climax of the story. And then I barrel toward that.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Bad writing days are good editing days.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I hired several, who were anywhere from crucially helpful to deeply unhelpful. At some point, you’ve got to trust your instinct.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Anything instrumental. Every ambient Nine Inch Nails song ever has served as the soundtrack for thousands of words.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It’s like the stories you hear: I was about to shelve the book and there were a handful of publishers where I didn’t need an agent. Green City was kind enough to pick it up. I was essentially out of places to submit.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My publisher was kind enough to design one for me, which I loved.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Slight plan: I’m scoring the novel! Every few weeks or so, follow @acusick_writes and I’ll release more music inspired by the story. Beyond that: completely and totally winging it.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Don’t give up on your story if it feels like your story isn’t giving up on you.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Song for the Dead from Amazon US or Amazon UK.