It was a high school journalism course that prompted Mike Coomes to become interested in the literary world.

“Since my senior year at St. Aloysius, after I took a journalism class and was a sports writer for our school newspaper, ‘The Thunderbolt,’ I wanted to write a book,” Coomes said.

His aspiration has now become a reality.

Coomes has penned his first book, “Eleven Plus Two: Memories of a Crowded Childhood,” which is a memoir of his life growing up in a large family.

Coomes, who is the oldest of 11 children, said he began jotting down short stories about his childhood memories about 25 years ago, but it was reading a book by an American humorist that inspired him to continue writing.

“I read a book from Erma Bombeck that really prompted me to begin putting all these stories together. I liked her writing style and the format in which she wrote about family life. That was my inspiration to continue writing the stories,” Coomes said.

Last May, Coomes said he decided he wanted to complete his project, so he turned to Donna Harper, who was a close friend and English teacher at Warren Central High School.

She served as an assistant and editor, he said, until school started back up in the fall.

“Things were going well,” Coomes said, “Until my mom, who had already taken a bad fall a couple of months earlier, had a stroke in July from which she never really recovered.”

Now more than ever, Coomes said he was driven to finish his book, and with “God’s help” it was published in December, just two months before his mother’s death in February.

“Of course Mom got an autographed copy and I would go to the nursing home and read her some of the stories form the book,” Coomes said.

“Eleven Plus Two: Memories of a Crowded Childhood,” Coomes said is chock full of little stories from his childhood, mostly the ones he remembered, but also some the older siblings also remembered.

Coomes said his favorite story included in the book, is entitled “A Shattering Experience.”

“This is when the three oldest brothers got in trouble for something they didn’t do,” he said, but ultimately lived to see karma come to the one who was really guilty.

Coomes said his brothers and sisters have been very supportive of his book.

Lorelei Books has scheduled an author event for Coomes, where he will be signing copies of “Eleven Plus Two: Memories of a Crowded Childhood.”

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. March 29 at 1102 Washington St. For more information, call 601-634-8624.