Do you have a father, husband, son, brother, uncle or nephew? If you have all of the above, statistically speaking, at least one of them is carrying the burden of unspeakable childhood trauma – and that’s likely an underestimate.

Everest is a 28-year-old divorced father of two young kids that is also carrying around immeasurable pain. As he starts to develop a relationship with the enigmatic Haven, he begins to reconcile how his past continues to impact his relationships with not only her, but with his own children, former spouse, friends and everyone else around him.

The Second Best Time is Now tells his story through his perspective as a child, a teenager and now as an adult, delivering unique insight into the lives of far too many seemingly average people. It is a story of childhood trauma and the unseen wounds carried by thousands of men that affect families and relationships across all areas of life. More than that, it is a compelling tale of confronting demons, overcoming obstacles and finding the strength to decide our own fate.

Ultimately, whether we know it or not, most of us have an Everest in our lives. That is, someone that shares in these atrocious experiences as a child and is fighting to learn to survive in the world as an adult. Perhaps his even mirrors your own story. And in these shared battles we find, above all else, hope.

Bryan Busch wrote this novel based on his own life experiences.