Shelf Media hosts the annual Shelf Unbound Indie Best Book Competition for best self-published or independently published book. You can find the winner, finalists, long-listed, and more than 100 notable books from the competition in the December/January 2025 issue of Shelf Unbound.
The Silver Squad
Barry and Beth, high school sweethearts separated by time and circumstance, find themselves reunited at the Blue Loon Village senior living center in Minneapolis. Now both seventy, they rekindle their relationship only to discover how differently time has shaped them. Beth has blossomed into a free spirit with a goth flair, while Barry has transformed into the curmudgeon he swore in his youth he’d never become.
Determined to prove you’re never too old to make a difference, they set off on a daring road trip across America as Silver Squad vigilantes. Along the way, they pick up a woman on the run from her abusive husband, confront a mass shooter with only a can of SPAM for defense, and become accidental celebrities along the way.
Inspired by a dollop of Harold and Maude, a pinch of Dexter, a sprinkle of Thelma & Louise, a dash of Bonnie and Clyde, a quiver of Robin Hood, and a curmudgeon of A Man Called Ove, The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles is a comedic novel that celebrates living life to the fullest.
About The Author: Marty Essen
Marty Essen is the multi-award-winning author of eight books (three nonfiction and five fiction). He is also a college speaker, activist, adventurer, and photographer. He has written about his adventures on all seven continents and spoken on college campuses in forty-five states.
Interview with Marty Essen
What first sparked the idea for your book, and how did it grow into the story it became?
ME: All of my books combine humor with social and environmental justice themes. I enjoy the challenge of bringing awareness to serious issues while simultaneously making my readers laugh out loud.
Spousal abuse and the plight of the homeless are two of the major issues I cover in The Silver Squad: Rebels With Wrinkles. My idea for the first theme came when my wife and I traveled to Seattle for a concert. The morning after the concert, we were eating in a downtown hotel café that had a large window overlooking the street. I noticed a homeless man sitting on the sidewalk and decided to bring breakfast outside to him. I’ll never forget the appreciative look on his face. Later that day, I gave money to some other homeless people, and they responded with similar appreciation. From that experience in Seattle came the idea of helping the homeless as a cause for my protagonists and, hopefully, providing inspiration for people in the real world to do the same.
My idea for covering spousal abuse came from a story my wife told me about her first husband. As a strong supporter of women’s rights, I wanted the abusers in my story to pay for their actions in unconventional ways.
Introduce us to the world of your book. What should readers know about the story and the people (or ideas) at its center?
ME: The Silver Squad is also a later-in-life romantic comedy. Protagonists Barry and Beth are former high school sweethearts, separated by time and circumstance, who find themselves reunited at the Blue Loon Village senior living center in Minneapolis. Now both seventy, they rekindle their relationship only to discover how differently time has shaped them. Beth has blossomed into a free spirit with a goth flair, while Barry has transformed into the curmudgeon he swore in his youth he’d never become.
Determined to prove you’re never too old to make a difference, Barry and Beth set off on a daring road trip across America as Silver Squad vigilantes. Along the way, they pick up a woman on the run from her abusive husband, confront a mass shooter with only a can of SPAM for defense, and become accidental celebrities along the way.
Was there a particular moment or scene that changed how you understood your own story as you were writing it?
ME: Some writers plot out their novels ahead of time. I don’t do that. When I start on a new novel, I have a basic theme in mind and that’s about it. My goal is to get so wrapped up in the story that my characters take over my fingers and tell their own story. Once the essentials of the novel are there, I will take it back from my characters and polish it with hundreds of hours of rewrites and edits. So my answer to the question is this: It’s never one moment. It’s all moments.
What themes or emotions run beneath the surface of your book—what were you hoping to explore or uncover through this story?
ME: My first theme is that you’re never too old to make a difference. My second theme is that it’s possible for anyone to change the world—even if it’s for just one person at a time.
If a reader stops you to talk about your book, what do you most hope they’ll say it made them think or feel?
ME: Mostly, I hope they will say it was one of the funniest books they’ve ever read. I also hope they will say the story inspired them to come up with their own way to change the world for the better.
Find a featured excerpt of The Silver Squad on PAGE 43 in the December/January/February Issue: 2025 Indie Best Award Winners.
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Article originally Published in the December/January/February 2025 Issue “2025 Indie Best Award Winners”