Broad Channel Native Takes Readers on a ‘Tryst of Fate’ in Debut Novel

By Katie McFadden

Sometimes one’s hometown can be a source of creative inspiration. So was the case for Broad Channel native Scott McCarthy, who through his debut novel, “Desire Doctrines: Tryst of Fate” utilizes the small marshy New York City island as the backdrop for this genre-bending emotional story about a second chance romance wrapped in small-town nuance, nostalgic echoes, and metaphysical mystery.

“Desire Doctrines: Tryst of Fate” was released on June 6 by author Memphis McClane. But behind the pen name is Scott McCarthy, who grew up in Broad Channel. Now living in Brooklyn and working for New York State, it was around the pandemic when McCarthy dug into his creative roots. “I’ve always been interested in writing. In Beach Channel High School, I was an art major and had a dream of writing and drawing comics. Life happened. Jobs happened. I kind of lost time to focus on it. But during the pandemic, I had plenty of time working from home most of the time. I had some ideas brewing in my head and got back to work on it,” McCarthy shared.

What started as short stories, soon turned into a novel, and before he knew it, he had a full novel, which will ultimately turn into an ongoing series. And…he did it all on his phone. “When I went back to work, I had time during my commutes, so I’d write out ideas and then flesh it out. I wrote the entire novel on my phone,” McCarthy said. Prior to writing his novel, the only other paid writing experience he had was writing reviews for a pro-wrestling site called Declaration of Independents in the early 2000s.

However, the words came out easy as McCarthy went along in the process. “The general ideas and concept came to me and as I was writing, more stuff came to mind. It started off as a fantasy story, and then into a story inside a story,” he said. And as it progressed, romance entered the pages. “The romance aspect came from a friend. She worked for a book review site and recommended it. It’s not my wheelhouse, I’m more into action, but I quote ‘The Princess Bride’ a million times a year, so I put my own spin on it and drew from life experiences and it worked,” he said.

A synopsis for “Desire Doctrines: Tryst of Fate” notes, “At its heart is a man quietly unraveling—his creative ambition unmet, his government job an endless loop of routine, his marriage with Giulia weighed down by unspoken tensions. When his childhood best friend, Natalie Margaret Lambert—now a bestselling romance author—returns for the film adaptation of her latest book, old feelings resurface, buried choices unearth themselves, and the quiet undoing of his life begins.”

Drawing inspiration from authors like Neil Gaman of “American Gods,” Alan Moore of “Watchmen,” R.A. Salvatore of “Dungeons & Dragons,” and Laurell K. Hamilton of “The Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter” series,” McCarthy’s “Desire Doctrines” series will have a little something for everyone. “If anyone is into comics, sci-fi, Celtic mythology, historical fiction, blended genres in a story, there’s not just comedy, romance and horror. It’s a blend of everything. The primary story is in the romance genre, but as the series progresses, you’ll see a shift to X-files. There’s something for everyone,” McCarthy said.

But in the swirls of romance, sci-fi and mythology, locals may find something they undoubtedly recognize—Broad Channel. Speaking on why he chose it as his main setting, McCarthy said, “Every time I go to Broad Channel, it just feels like home for me. I’ve been in Brooklyn for about 20 years, so I may not recognize my own block anymore, but my brother is still there in the family house, and I just loved growing up in Broad Channel. It’s where my childhood and adolescent memories are. It’s also such a unique place. The fact that there’s people that live in the five boroughs that still don’t know Broad Channel exists, but it has this smalltown vibe, living in the giant city, you can do so much with that,” McCarthy said.

Those familiar with Broad Channel will recognize some things mentioned in “Desire Doctrines.” From the churches to the firehouse, the VFW and American Legion halls, Sunset Cove, to more fictional businesses with fictional staff at the local pizzeria and bar. “I wanted someone, even those in Broad Channel, to feel like they can walk down Cross Bay Blvd., and recognize the places in actual scenes in the book,” he said.

McCarthy self-published the book, which has been available as a paperback and Kindle e-book on Amazon since June 6. He’s sold about 30 copies and it’s already garnered its first five-star review. “This book captured your attention from start to finish, shows raw emotion and vulnerability. Situations that anyone can get caught up in. Can’t wait to read more stories by Memphis,” it reads.

Plus, he’s gotten some personal feedback. “One that touched me was from my sixth-grade elementary school teacher who said, ‘I always knew you had that creative spark in you,’” McCarthy shared. But being a first-time published author comes with its own satisfaction. “It’s pretty cool. Just completing the book is more than anything I could have expected,” he said. And he’s in good company. Growing up on West 12th Road, the block boasts other local writers such as Annie O’Connell who wrote “The Codex Chronicles” and Lenny and Sophia De Virgilio, who wrote “Da Brooklyn | Rememba.”

McCarthy hopes if anything, his book can inspire others to explore their creative side. “If someone has dreams of writing, drawing, taking photos, and they see me making this book, if it helps them to pick up a pen, pick up a sketch pad, pick up a camera, after seeing that I can do it 30 years after coming out of Beach Channel, maybe they’ll think ‘I can do it too.’ That will be a better metric for success than any book sales,” he said.

McCarthy is already in the process of finishing up his second book in the series, “Desire Doctrines: The Tides Between Us,” which he plans to release in October. “I already put it up for pre-sale, so now I have to deliver. It’s that motivating factor,” he said.

For now, “Desire Doctrines: Tryst of Fate” by Memphis McClane is available for sale on Amazon.