In journalism, the story behind the story is termed a back story. In the case of John Balcom’s first published work, “Taken,” his personal back story reads as poignantly as his novel.

In 2000, John, now 41-years-old, his wife Nancy, daughter Jennifer and son Joey were living a middle class American life in Massachusetts. In April of that year an on-the-job injury, requiring several surgeries, left John unable to work and permanently disabled.  At the time his father was gravely ill and “just days before my Dad passed away he told me to make sure and follow my dreams,” John Balcom recalled. “I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but now I do.”

Strictly as a leap of faith, the Balcom family packed up and moved to Powhatan County two-and-a-half years ago. In rehabilitation, John Balcom met David Mraz, an accident victim whom he soon realized was a lot worse off than he was. “But he was so positive and such an inspiration to me. I realized that if he could do it, I could do it,” Balcom said. The “it” in John Balcom’s life was creative writing.

“I’d always loved to write, but that was mostly stories to entertain the kids. Now I had the time and David Mraz’s motivation. He convinced me to start, if only for ten or fifteen minutes a day.”

Two years later, on April 28, 2008, the first run of “Taken” rolled off the presses at Bravado Publishing.

It has been a difficult two years for the Balcom family. John was struggling with his disability and starting a new career, which was not generating any income. Then Jennifer Balcom lost her job. “It’s been very rough,” John Balcom stated. But a third source of inspiration “picked us up. If it hadn’t been for the folks at Powhatan Community Church… I just can’t say enough about them.”

“Taken” is an action adventure involving the kidnapping of the hero’s children and their father’s “determination and ingenuity [to] save his family from the violent onslaught of a ruthless maniac,” according to the author.

The book is available through Amazon, the Balcom website, http://www.johnbalcom.net, and at local book signings. Book signings at Barnes and Noble and Books a Million will be announced soon, according to Mr. Balcom. Initial response to the author’s first efforts has sales “booming” and a second novel is taking shape, the former employee of Waste Management said. “I guess you can say I’m a trash man turned author,” he laughed.