Local author plans book signings

BRANCHVILLE — Thirty years ago, William Bosworth had an idea. The Andover resident and member of the Catholic Church decided to try his hand at authoring a book, exploring the intricacies of human nature within the highest echelon of the church.

What, for example, could happen when a Cardinal of the church is asked by the pope to help define church policy, when that very same church policy will directly affect that Cardinal? This is the heart of "The Decision," a 350-page novel that blossomed from that idea.

He will host two book signings this month in Branchville and Rockaway.

A book 30 years in the making
“I started writing 'The Decision' 30 years ago on a typewriter,” says Bosworth. "I worked on it for about a year and got about one-third of the way through writing it. Eventually I put it away and had forgotten about it for many years until 2006, when my mother passed away. I was cleaning up her things and I found it. About two years later I decided to finish it, and finally wrote the last page in 2012."

"The Decision" revolves around the challenges of Cardinal Harold Farley, who is drafted by the pope to sit in the Papal Commission on annulments at the same time as he slowly falls in love with Ann Lincroft, the wife of a wealthy friend. As his life situation changes, Farley finds that he is tasked with making the most important decision of his life. "The Decision" offers an inside look at celibacy and marriage from the Church’s point of view. The book was published by Tate Publishing and is available through most bookstores and amazon.com.

Bosworth, a former mayor of Andover Township, recalls his own challenges in finishing a book he had started decades earlier.

“There were a lot of things I needed to update," Bosworth said. "For example, there were no cell phones when I started writing it. I had to go back and rewrite some sections just because of that.”

Bosworth was born in Hoboken and graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School. He also attended the University of Notre Dame.

When asked for his advice to budding authors, Bosworth advises, “Be patient. You never know who’s going to accept your book.”