MY BOOKS
(BELIEVE ME, I'M TRYING).
Wetland & Other Stories
Wetland & Other Stories, a collection of three novellas and eight short stories, is an unflinching glimpse into some of the issues at work today. With its backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, these modern tales conjoin themes such as hope, drug abuse, homelessness and redemption. Running the gamut from general narrative to crime to horror, Wetland & Other Stories is sure to please those with a taste for variety and an affinity for contemporary fast-paced fiction.
Obey the Darkness: Horror Stories
I guess you can say I'm a horror nut. Growing up in Trinidad & Tobago, people are exposed to various folklore, from people who practice to Obeah to beasts that rule the night such as La Diablesse, jumbies and soucouyant. Obey the Darkness also contains a story about a girl who lived in the land that brought us Snow White and Rose Red. But being her skin was black, she faced different hardships than her fairy tale counterparts.
Tears Of A Clown - A Novella
Influenced by teen slashers, I wrote this novella. If Hollywood came calling, they'd make this a rate R flick. My favorite character in it is the demented, wise-cracking clown. He was fun to write for. Does that make me twisted?
Stranded In Paradise - A Novella
Many moons hence, I drove from Rhode Island to LA with $300 to my name. I was homeless and lived in my car in various parks as well as library parking lots. While in Hollywood, I had this bright idea to write a screenplay about Hitler; specifically, what happened if he didn't die in 1945 but went someplace else like other Nazis did. This novella is about how seven passengers from a shipwreck discover the island he and Eva Braun lived.
You Can't Sleep Here: A Clown's Guide To Surviving Homelessness
Let's face it: homelessness sucks. America has a real problem with it. Politicians swear every year to eradicate the problem. Yet, every time you look, you see more and more people in tents on the street and beneath bridges every day. Seattle's current solution is to drop scores of homeless shelters in the Chinatown International District. What that's going to do is displace the thousands of folks who are already there. In essence, create a new homeless population in lieu of the old. Tragic, indeed.
In any case, this book is told from a humorous point of view. It's kind of my way of helping to alleviate the misery that sleeping out in the street creates. A little about the title. I used to sleep in my car in a church parking lot. My spot was way in the back and in a corner, so far away from the church. One night, someone came a-knocking on my window when I was catching some much-needed Z's. Scared me nearly half to death. The woman looked at me and said, "You can't sleep here," a great title for a book if ever there was one.
In any case, this book is told from a humorous point of view. It's kind of my way of helping to alleviate the misery that sleeping out in the street creates. A little about the title. I used to sleep in my car in a church parking lot. My spot was way in the back and in a corner, so far away from the church. One night, someone came a-knocking on my window when I was catching some much-needed Z's. Scared me nearly half to death. The woman looked at me and said, "You can't sleep here," a great title for a book if ever there was one.
Commoner the Vagabond - A Novel
I'm a quirky, oddball, left-of-center kind of fellow. My interests, personality and behavior are so unlike anyone else that I was curious if I had some kind of psychological issue. When I looked into it, all roads pointed to Asperger's Syndrome, something I'd never heard of before. I'd heard of autism, but that couldn't be me, right? After all, I'm nothing like Rain Man. As it turned out, autism is a spectrum with Rain Man being on the extreme end and me being on the functional end, autism-lite, if you will.
Thus, the groundwork for Commoner the Vagabond was laid. This novel showcases the awkward life of a homeless man (of course) beset with Asperger's Syndrome and the difficulties he faced. BTW, in addition to Autism, I was also diagnosed with PTSD, Bipolar I Disorder, Depression and Anxiety. If I have the time, I'd like to write books featuring all those other diagnoses. Commoner the Vagabond is available in Kindle, Softcover and Audiobook.
Thus, the groundwork for Commoner the Vagabond was laid. This novel showcases the awkward life of a homeless man (of course) beset with Asperger's Syndrome and the difficulties he faced. BTW, in addition to Autism, I was also diagnosed with PTSD, Bipolar I Disorder, Depression and Anxiety. If I have the time, I'd like to write books featuring all those other diagnoses. Commoner the Vagabond is available in Kindle, Softcover and Audiobook.
Strung Out - A Novella
Strung Out, like Tears Of a Clown and Stranded in Paradise, began its life as a screenplay. Like many of my works, Strung Out has homelessness as one of its major themes. The other is drug abuse. This story tells about teens on the wrong side of the tracks surviving on the mean streets of Seattle.
Welcome to Flowerville - Poetry from San Juan Commons
Contrary to popular opinion, my books aren't all doom & gloom, or sturm und drang if you're German. Welcome to Flowerville is a collection of poems and photographs of flowers. When I wrote this book, Sylvia Plate and Anne Sexton were heavy influences. If I wrote the book today, the poetry would be less cryptic. Simplicity seems to be the current trend, anyway.