johnmdemarco posted on August 29, 2011 18:10
Roughly 31 years ago I wrote my first “novel,” about a mechanical Great White shark; I wonder what the inspiration might have been? Fourteen more books followed before I reached my 16th birthday. Each volume was larger and more complex than its predecessor, and my tenth grade English teacher told me I would be a famous writer if I stuck with it.
He also warned me “how fast the years go by.” And he was right.
I’ve stuck with it—more or less—but life has served up a menu of many other possibilities and interests as well, along with some disappointment and discouragement. Today, however, I am a published author through a medium that did not exist 31 years ago and one I was not even considering six months ago.
Narcissus Blinked is now available through Kindle Books (http://www.amazon.com/Narcissus-Blinked-ebook/dp/B005JKMUEK/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1314663424&sr=8-2), Amazon’s wildly successful venture that has empowered countless independent writers and extended the reach of traditional authors. In my book, married, disillusioned advertising wordsmith Jacob distracts himself from a raging headache by engaging in spontaneous, creative phone sex with his married neighbor, Julia. At the height of their verbal seduction she invites him to come over, only to slash her wrists in the bathtub before Jacob arrives. The horrified Jacob gets her an ambulance, and then embraces the ordeal of calling Julia’s husband as well as his own wife Andrea with a version of what happened.
As Andrea faces her own temptations across town, Jacob plants himself in the hospital to await Julia’s fate and meets some key people who deeply challenge his self-absorbed thinking. Chief among these is Gwen, Julia’s battle-hardened but spiritually mature nurse who opens Jacob’s eyes to his lack of self-awareness, and a burly yet gentle cafeteria worker named Otis who helps Jacob embrace the power of simply being aware. Another is Phillip, a sarcastic gift shop manager and theater junkie who reawakens Jacob's youthful passion for playwriting and the stage career he gave up for corporate America.
Gwen, Otis and Phillip are provoking Jacob to overcome his entrenched narcissism and surrender to compassion while tasting spiritual peace—but can he do it with endurance? Jacob's disappointment with life has reached a critical mass, and he risks losing his family and unraveling in general unless he changes his outlook. But how will Jacob be able to live with himself if Julia does not recover from her self-inflicted wounds; and is it too-little, too-late for his marriage to Andrea?
Narcissus Blinked’s snapshot of Jacob’s failure and subsequent redemption will resonate with many corporate suburbanites—men and women—who confront moral hazards amid the daily grind and long for a more fulfilling life…beyond the clutches of what Thoreau once termed “quiet desperation.” In a sense Jacob represents the possibilities—good and bad—in each of us, and the spiritual hunger that resides within the layers of life’s journey toward authenticity.
I would be honored if you would give my book a read and tell me what you think! And if you really like it, spread the word! I feel very blessed today.