BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Amos
Date: 21 May 13 - 03:28 PM

Here's a synopsis:

Beyond the Cascade is a marriage between Gulliver and The Celestine Prophecy, between Robert Ruark, or Papa Hemingway, and Bridge Across Forever. It goes further than these in some dimensions, if less far in others, and it could be thought of as an educated Jennifer Livingston Seagull. Except that Beyond the Cascade is not about birds. It is about humans. Human souls, human language, minds and hearts, and the battles they cause. It offers its own unique perspective in the weaving of these things. It is, as far as categories are concerned, a "literary and spiritual adventure novel" focusing on the soul of a woman. It is sometimes ungentle, but it is never unkind. The tale is richly featured with sub-plots and explorations into linguistics, anthropological quirks and some fine cuisine. It even explores, in the course of its development, the mystic legacy of the Grail legends beyond the Arthurian clichés and other distortions.

Beyond the Cascade follows the adventures of Suzannah Grant, an unstoppable American Alpha Chick in her mid-thirties who is beginning to reach the pinnacle of success in her career as a linguistic anthropologist, and who finds herself unexpectedly hitting a black, cold wall of clinical depression. Her usual solutions to hurdles do not avail, and her search for medical help produces nothing of value. Her psychiatrist, running out of other solutions, sends her off with the mandate to "learn new things". While fumbling around trying to do so, she finds herself picking up an antique journal from a Victorian explorer in which she encounters a description of a remote tribe whose unusual culture and language set off distant bells in her foggy thinking.,

Picking up the threads of the explorer's trail, she finds herself being more and more determined to resolve the mystery of the people of the fabled Cascade, their culture and their mysterious atypical language. Exhuming long buried manuscripts in old university archives, digging into legends obscured by centuries, and finally throwing herself into a full-blown trek into the hinterlands of Africa, she finds herself in the hands of two remarkable men: a guide called Muhaybee and a leathery ancient witch named Doc. The travails and discoveries of her path ultimately bring her to the Cascade, and a great deal further, leading to dramatic changes in her mental perspective and an explosive intensely spiritual culmination which goes beyond the expected and the known to a bit more than that.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Amos
Date: 20 May 13 - 01:21 PM

Well, it's working its way through the digestive tract of the Book Baby file conversion system, while I sit and quietly chew my nails until the review copy comes back.

There have been a lot of reviewers over the years while I was evolving and polishing. Some of their comments can be found on this temporary website (you have to scroll down a bit) if you're curious about what readers have had to say about it.

More news when it happens!!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: gnu
Date: 17 May 13 - 02:35 PM

I haven't read many books since the accident and I have one in progress and a fair few in que but I shall endeavour to acquire said literary masterpiece (after reading Rap's reviews on another thread... not that I ever doubted your ability, A) and set it on top of the pile. I mean the pile at bedside.... THE pile.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 17 May 13 - 12:40 PM

I may not buy it soon Amos, as just yesterday I received the seven volume box set of 'Song of Ice and Fire' (wordy version of HBO's Game of Thrones) for my birthday and on top of rereading War and Peace it's quite a few words to work through, but having read your philosophical and esoteric posts on this forum, I am definitely intrigued. I'd also like to congratulate you on getting your work out there!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Amos
Date: 17 May 13 - 10:13 AM

Well, in your case, Rapparree, I might make an exception! :D

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 May 13 - 09:54 AM

So...I can and am actually encouraged to post reviews, huh? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 May 13 - 09:34 AM

Looks good to me. Waiting with baited breath for the Kindle release. As long as it is no more than three and a half pence of course. Us Gnomes are notoriously guarded with our gold... ;-)

Probably get round to actually reading it the book after next - Which I have had since Christmas!

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Elmore
Date: 17 May 13 - 09:11 AM

Looks impressive. I'm certainly going to read the novel, and wish you the best of luck with it.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 May 13 - 01:47 AM

Good work!

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Ebbie
Date: 16 May 13 - 09:08 PM

Hey, man! Sounds interesting. And the cover is wonderful, captures what reviewers have said about it. I will be looking for it.

Subject: RE: BS: Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Amos
Date: 16 May 13 - 07:00 PM

When it does roll out, it will gradually appear in:

iBookstore (Apple)

Sony

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Baker & Taylor

Copia

Gardner's

eBookPie

eSentral

Scribd

some of which I do not even recognize. But you should be able to find it somewhere, if you want to. I recommend it as a terrific beach read, for example, if you do that sort of thing of a summer. Or an unusual gift, or something to stay up late with sipping brandy!

A

Subject: BS: Amos' Delightful Novel: Beyond the Cascade
From: Amos
Date: 16 May 13 - 05:36 PM

I have today released Beyond the Cascade into the maw of BookBaby, which means it will show up on Amazon in two to four days. This is really exciting and a bit nerve-wracking for me, as it is all new territory.

I will post a link to it as soon as it appears there. It will show up after a little more lead time on Apple, Barnes and Noble, and other book distribution sites. Here is the teaser announcement on FB, which shows you the stunning book cover designed by my foster-son, Tony. I think he did a fine job.

The book itself has received enthusiastic reviews by all those who have read it, including some of our most discriminating Catters! You can catch their drift from thereviews on this page if so inclined.

For those interested in this new world of self-publication, I will keep you updated on my adventures here. If you happen to get a copy of it, please bask in my beaming thanks! Feel free to throw reviews up on Amazon when it comes out. The more noise the better, I say, as anyone knows who has spent a long night singing in the Peace Cabin . :D

Exciting times!