Tell Your Story. Live Authentically. Change the World.
Never Turn Your Back on the Tide
(Or, How I Married a Lying, Psychopathic Wannabe Murderer and Kinda Lived to Tell)
Imagine thinking you had the ideal life. The perfect partner, on whom you relied and trusted. An infant child, newly adopted. Then one day, quite suddenly, the life you’ve led is turned upside down. Everything thought true becomes suspect. And you learn, quite quickly, that you can never again trust the person sleeping beside you.
Like the wash of the waves, crashing onto the beach, you never know if the tumult will bring glittering riches, highlighted by the sun, or dark, murky residue of questionable origin.
Praise for Never Turn Your Back on the Tide
“Engrossing… illuminating… This powerful work mixes an AIDS account with a history of a spouse’s scandalous behavior.” Kirkus Reviews
“Never Turn Your Back on the Tide is a fascinating hodgepodge of a memoir exploring the life of writer/actor/radical Kergan Edwards-Stout… It is a beguiling look at the long, lively years of this thoughtful, rainbow-hued advocate for loving male/male relationships, fatherhood, an inclusive society, and pursuing one's creative dreams.” IndieReviews.com - Winner, 2020 IndieReader Discovery Award
5 Star Review: “…disturbingly beautiful autobiography… Never Turn Your Back on the Tide is a touching and eye-opening read. The style is laid-back, easy to follow; the tone is compassionate, sincere, and honest. These are the kinds of books that need to be written...the autobiographies, the memoirs...if ever the world is to better understand and become more tolerant of the differences between each and every one of us. Thanks for writing this wonderful book, Kergan Edwards-Stout.” Readers’ Favorite
“Never Turn Your Back on the Tide is an enjoyable portrait of a life still in flux, well-written and thoughtfully presented – a book for those of you who married the psychopath as well as those who didn’t.” Out in Print: Queer Book Reviews
“Compelling and graphically candid, whether it be about gay sexual evolution or emotional journeys, Never Turn Your Back on the Tide surveys a powerful series of lessons that are thought-provoking, involving, and revealing. While its likely audience will be gay readers interested in relationships, both sexes will find Kergan's story holds food for thought for anyone who would cultivate kindness and respect, breaking the silence of shame and secrets to contribute nuggets of wisdom to future generations.” D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“…terrific, inspiring memoir…” The Queer Review
“Mr. Edwards-Stout’s book is a fine work for which the reader will be rewarded.” Rainbow Book Reviews
“…gripping, triumphant… His compelling, uplifting memoir is a chronological catalog of significant events — interspersed with amusing and inspiring life lessons — that recount his erratic career path and complicated relationships. ‘Never Turn Your Back on the Tide’’ is a brutally honest, captivating work. The shocking sequence of events, coupled with the author's eloquence and candor, gives the reader unfiltered access to his failures and accomplishments. The result is a quintessential page-turner, impossible to put down, that invokes genuine feelings of compassion and concern for the narrator's well-being. Now a father of two with his husband, Russ, Kergan Edwards-Stout ends this chapter of his life on the highest of notes.” Edge Media Network
“…Never Turn Your Back on the Tide, with its poignant emphasis on creating a family that withstands life’s vicissitudes, reminds readers what we are often fighting for.” A&U Magazine
“Kergan Edwards-Stout fictional memoir is an ingenious and innovative work of art… There are moments in the novel that will make you laugh out loud and moments where you are left in a puddle of your own tears. The word “memoir” may scare off some readers, but it is honestly one of the most exciting spins on an individual’s life that I’ve ever read… Frank Anthony Books gives this novel a 5 out of 5 stars - MUST BUY!” Frank Anthony Books