Destiny

William Montgomery is writing a screenplay for a Texas tycoon who has achieved everything he wanted in life with one exception -- to make a movie. And he wants William to script a movie that’s as memorable as the drum solo in the 60s song, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
With no story, not even an idea, William isn’t confident in writing such a memorable script, but he’s freelancing for friends who have established a production company and are desperate to produce a feature film. Now that they have a client who is providing his own financing, a dream come true, William has to give it his best shot.

The tycoon decides the movie should be about heaven, so William writes a script about a man who undergoes a near death experience and is met by Jesus and Satan, who offer him a choice. Satan recommends the man return to life on earth, over which Satan rules, and fulfill his destiny. Jesus proposes the man remain in heaven, his perfect realm of eternal happiness. The character decides to return to life and fulfill his destiny. He has always wanted to build skyscrapers, and he plans to construct the tallest building in the world, a 3,000-foot structure called “The Texas” in downtown Dallas.

Writing such a screenplay has obstacles other than a contrived plot. Sofi, a singer in rehab, wants badly to be in the movie, and William finds himself attracted to her for reasons that aren’t professional. His attraction creates a problem with his ex-wife, with whom he wants to reunite. Along the way, the tycoon’s son creates a full-fledged scandal. The production company hires a director who wants William to come stay with him for a month so they can look at every word in the script, a prospect that causes William to consider making the script about hell rather than heaven.

The book follows a variety of characters seeking to fulfill their destiny in this often funny, always sexy adventure in movie-making.