I’ve been working on these elements for a while, and I’m so happy to finally be able to post this. Falling Down has a brand new audiobook and paperback available! And even a new cover on the ebook version.
About the book:
I started Falling Down while on a walking trip in the UK around the UK 2016 meet. The main plot ideas and the first chapters were dictating while I was walking by myself along the Thames long-distance path. And I think this infused a lyrical, nature-focused, lonely tone to the book which is unlike any of my other books. I really like it.
The story is about a young homeless guy, Josh, who was kicked out by his stepdad after his mother died unexpectedly. He is left traumatized by his mother’s death and his head is not at all in a healthy space. She always talked about one day going to see the fall leaves in New England (they live in Alabama), so Josh gets the idea to take a bus to New Hampshire, see the fall leaves, and then, when the snow comes, to just lie down in the snow and give up.
But when John gets to New Hampshire and finds a bridge to camp out under, he runs into a local, Mark, who is an ex-Marine with trauma of his own he’s trying to heal. Mark feels sorry for Josh and gives him a job helping him paint a house and also a place to sleep out of the cold. As the two men work together through the season of falling leaves, they begin to heal each other, find common ground, and fall in love. Of course, there is an HEA.
At the time I released this book in November 2016, I was really in a hurry because I had to move on to my Christmas book for that year, so I didn’t do a paperback or audiobook. But this story has stuck with me as one of my favorites, so I decided it was time to revisit it and give it the “full monty” treatment it deserved.
About the Audiobook:
For this audiobook I wanted Michael Stellman who read my book The Mating of Michael and also A Prairie Dog’s Love Song. I find his voice relaxing to listen to, and it seemed right for this project. Like The Mating of Michael, Falling Down is one of my more angsty books with a poetic, melancholy feel that I thought he could nail. Also, Josh is pretty young so I needed a young voice. Fortunately, Michael agreed to work with me on this. I really enjoyed listening to the final book, and I hope you do too.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO A SAMPLE HERE.
The new cover:
The new cover was designed by Anna Tif Sikorska. I met her at EPC in Amsterdam last year and she was so sweet. I used her for the first time on my Boy Shattered cover, which I loved. And she did a fantastic job refreshing the Falling Down cover too. Thank you!
The Paperback:
Doing paperbacks for my self-pubs is totally on me and I have to admit it often isn’t a priority. The sales are pretty low on paperbacks, and sometimes it doesn’t seem worth the effort. But then I get an email from a reader, or I meet one at a con, who says “I’d love to read this book of yours, but I only read paperback. Please consider putting one out.” And I’m like “Daawww! Of course I will! Please hug me!” So with the cover refresh and the new audiobook, it seemed like the perfect time to finally get the paperback up too. So it’s there! You can find it on the Amazon page with the ebook and audiobook. Links below.
Kindle Unlimited:
Because of the new relaunch, I’ve put the ebook back on Kindle Unlimited for 90 days.
LINKS:
Hope you enjoy this refresh and give the audiobook a try!
Eli