I spent the better part of two years writing my first book, Love Songs and Suicide: A Travel Memoir, Romance, and Tragic Musical Comedy.

It was a complete obsession that led to a breakdown.

Then therapy.

Then this blog.

The book is the single greatest achievement of my life, and whether anyone recognizes that achievement or not is largely irrelevant to me. That said, I do kind of hope people will read it. . . .

I know the odds are stacked against me.

That’s okay.

You can check it out on Amazon.

Or, you can read an extended free sample here.

Also, I should mention that I’ve resolved the drinking problem I mention in the book’s description.

Below is that description—

 

It’s the Book with a Soundtrack!

After losing his day job as an editor, songwriter Robert Horton accepts a minimum-wage security position at a rural hospital. There, he faces off with volatile psych patients and occasionally questions his own sanity. He also meets and befriends Amelia, the beautiful and nomadic nurse who inspires him to travel, write new music, and exacerbates his alcoholism.

Horton later embarks on three cross-country road trips, traversing the Oregon Coast, seventeen other states, and New Orleans. On his “Bipolar Express” tour of the American Southwest, he visits five national parks in six days, navigates a flash flood, and often daydreams about Amelia.

Despite its heavy title, Love Songs and Suicide features hilarious anecdotes in nearly every chapter. Horton reports on his observations as a security guard, detailing his interactions with a motley crew of meth heads and certifiable lunatics. He recounts vomiting on the actress Sigourney Weaver’s mother. Other stories involve a deaf ex-professional breakdancer from the Philippines, “The Worst Wingman Ever,” and a double-dog dare at the Grand Canyon.

Told with the kind of honesty that will make readers cringe in both horror and delight, Horton delivers poignant reflections on depression, anxiety, and grief. The book is also a heartfelt love letter, dedicated to heroic healthcare workers everywhere. It contains four parts.

1. Hangovers Upon Hangovers
2. The Security Section
3. Travels, Tribulations, and a Plague
4. Hang Gliding Naked in the Himalayas

You’re welcome to come along for the ride. And unless you’re on a plane or out in public, pants are optional. Access to the book’s soundtrack is included with your purchase (details inside).

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And once more, for those interested, the Amazon link.

And here is the extended free sample.