Novelists visits Iowa to help young people

The author of a new novel that drives home the need for Boys and Girls Clubs will sign copies of “When Sparrows Fall” today in Des Moines. Fred Schott of Omaha, Nebraska, says the story revolves around the classic battles of good and evil that today’s young people have to face daily.It’s specifically about a 14-year-old boy who is desperate to break away from a brutal urban gang run by his older brother. Volunteers and staff at the Boys and Girls Club are the heroes of the story, along with a minister and a policeman.54-year-old Schott is chief marketing officer for Central States Health and Life Company of Omaha. He says the book, his first, came about largely because of the encouragement and guidance he received as a boy from his neighborhood Boys and Girls Club chapter.Schott grew up in a poor area of Louisville, Kentucky, and both of his college degrees were earned on Boys and Girls Club scholarships. He looks at the book as a way to “pay back” the club for its positive influences on his life. He’ll be signing copies of the book from 1 to 3 p-m at Waldenbooks at Valley West Mall in Des Moines.