Media & Press
Thank you for your interest in Parting Ways and the movement behind it. Below you'll find key facts, author bios, story themes, sample interview questions, and downloadable images. For interviews or review copies, contact press@partingwaysnovel.com.
At a glance:
Title: Parting Ways
Subtitle: A Nathan Bauer Thriller
Author: John Richard Gerlach
Genre: Thriller/Suspense (themes of psychological abuse, espionage, & resilience)
Publisher: Independently published
Release date: September 29, 2026
Formats: Kindle, paperback, hardcover
ISBN: 9798234151063
Website: partingwaysnovel.com
Contact: press@partingwaysnovel.com
About the book
A grieving man who wants only to disappear is instead pulled into criminal charges, assassination attempts, and an international spy ring — in a thriller about lies, deception, and the perseverance of the human spirit.
Read the full synopsis on The Novel page.
© Theresa Peter
© Theresa Peter.About the Author
John Richard Gerlach is a retired data analyst, U.S. Air Force veteran, and debut novelist based in Port Charlotte, Florida. Over a 30-year career he wrote more than 40 papers for IT conferences — three of them award-winning — on problems as unusual as the Knight's Tour in three-dimensional chess. Of German and Italian heritage, he plays the mandolin by ear, studies classical piano and Dante's Divine Comedy in the original Italian, and hopes one day to compose a symphony. Parting Ways is his debut novel.
Themes & Story Angles
Recognizing malignant narcissism in personal, professional, and civic life
The perseverance of the human spirit against overwhelming odds
The search for authentic love and real purpose
Deception at every scale — from intimate betrayal to international espionage
The need to recognize unhealthy relationships
A debut novelist's late-career creative awakening
Sample Interview Questions - We’d love to connect!
Parting Ways is a thriller, but it carries a serious message about narcissistic abuse. Why tell this story as a thriller?
Your background is in data analysis. How did that shape the way you build suspense?
The story links manipulation in personal relationships to patterns in public life. Can you explain that connection?
What do you hope a reader in an abusive relationship takes away from Nathan's journey?
The cover features both the Om symbol and the Ukrainian trident — what do they signify?
You have a first draft of the screenplay. How do you imagine Parting Ways on screen?