Here's the Story...

On more than one occasion over the past year or so, I've referenced a full-length manuscript that I wrote and hoped to shop to publishers. It's a memoir which chronicles, in stark detail, my heroin addiction, time in rehab and stupidly impetuous move to New York City immediately following 9/11.

While "The Book," as my wife and I call it ominously, has been considered by three major publishers -- all of whom seemed to like it, but not enough to pick it up -- only a handful of friends and family have read it cover-to-cover. I readily admit that, because of the sensitive nature of the subject matter, I've been reluctant to even shop the damn thing; I've wavered on the fate of my work -- which I'm certainly proud of having accomplished -- for months and months. As I said, only three publishing houses have seen it, which doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of possible takers.

Since first mentioning the existence of my little memoir, I've received emails and comments wanting to know when it might be published -- and each excerpt I've posted has brought more and more of these. I really can't tell you how much I appreciate the interest and the support; it's all meant quite a bit to me and may have helped me to reach a point of critical mass in my head.

So, after talking it over with Jayne, I've decided that I'm going to put my money where my mouth is -- both as a writer and someone who claims to believe in the power of new media: I'm going to release my full-length memoir via the internet. I'll make it available for download from this site, for a price that's yet to be determined. (It won't be a fortune, I promise.)

For the record, after a slew of edits and clean-ups -- the last of which is being done this week -- and a rotating host of working titles, the name of the book is Dead Star Twilight.

You'll have to trust me that it has meaning.

I'm both terrified and excited to finally be getting this thing out there, and I'll probably delve more into my decision to release it online -- what made me think that this is the way to go, all Fugazi/grass roots style -- at a later date. I'll also likely be posting one last "new" excerpt from the book before the release date.

And that release date is Tuesday, April 8th.

(Welcome to the Monkey House/6.4.07)

(The Ex Files/6.7.07)

(Imperfect Strangers/8.30.07)

(With Love and Resentment, Your Past/9.5.07)

(Listening Post: Memoir Edition/1.27.08)