Cover is Did

Flaming Jackass is about 500 or so pages long.  Besides that, there is a sequel which is probably 500 pages also. Being a first time author, It's very rare for companies to use so much paper on you. This is why J.K. Rowling and other first books in a series are so small. So I ended up breaking the first book into two separate books and If I can keep putting them out, the second book can be broken down into two. That's four novels! I had no idea I wrote so much.  Usually when people write, I assume they think about this is where the story starts, then this happens and then it ends. Me, I know exactly what's going to happen but I like for the story to flow naturally and not have a feeling that a scene is rushed or–this thing happens here, because it has to happen here.  also like to make sure the story foes what's best for the characters or story and not what's best for the reader which is why I would have a hard time doing a crowd pleasing mainstream book. I mean I like a happy ending also, but life throws a lot of crazy shit in your way first.

Finished laying out the cover which I illustrated:

Cover of Book #1 of 4

I decided to call the first book: Sex, Drugs and Pizza. The second: In Love. The third: Returns and the fourth: Detox. Right now I'm doing a final proof check and once it's finalized, it will be available on Amazon in print and digital and hopefully in a bookstore. 

The Town of Neopolitan

NEOPOLITAN

Neopolitan is a city located somewhere in the united States.I never say where but I will say it's not located in the South or anywhere near Texas or anywhere that does not have rivers and lakes and most likely it's located near mountains and probably one of the oceans is a long but possible drive.  The population is around 2-3 million. 

 The size is about 12 by 14 miles, depending on who wants to be considered living in the city. 

 Racial makeup  is very mixed as I've tried to make sure Erin has to come in contact with a variety of characters.  It's history comes from a bunch of pioneers coming together to do their own thing and find a utopia. Sometimes I stick in a lot of French references which could make the town somewhere in Canada. But I think the people are too mean for Canadians.  

Weather wise: Beautiful  temperate Spring. Hot and muggy Summers, rainy and cold falls and snowy Winters.

The city used to be a hub for tuna canning and steel making but those business closed down and threw the city into economic despair. Thanks to a popular art and  music scene and what they call 'Grime' music, the city has become a hip mecca and is bouncing back.  Politically, the city is a mixed bag  between the Conservatives who want to turn the city in to a big banking city with loose restrictions and the Bohemians Liberals who want to focus on protecting the utopia parts. The mayor is usually conservative, whereas the city council are packed full of liberals creating an interesting political battle ground.

As you can see, the city is divided into North and South.  The hipsters all live in the North side and the South can best be described as the Walmart crowd with the exception of the industrial district which is getting very lofty and hip with artist and a club called the Acid Pit. Upper Heights area is full for gated communities and the Lake Charles, kind of  redneck. If you are young (21-28) the best area to live in the University Circle with all of the things that come with a college town, whereas older hipsters (29-33) prefer anything near Center City park which is the home for the pizza parlor that Erin works in. The 33- crowd or young people with money who still want to be hip live in the 10th street area or the up and coming East River valley.  Those that want to be left alone, live in lofts in the two downtown areas which also sport 4 star restaurants and tourist attractions. the Kenwood area is one of those neighborhoods in transition from ghetto to young hipsters. I believe all neighborhoods go in that direction, 1st the Whites move out because of crime or just to get out of the city. 2nd. Blacks move in then Hispanics. 3rd Artsy Whites and Gays move in for the cheap rent. 4th the neighborhood becomes interesting and White hipsters move in. 4th the neighborhood becomes the next big thing and Yuppies start to move in. 5th the Yuppies get old and have kids, now all of the hip places can't afford the rent and move out. Starbucks and chain business move in along with gyms, Zumba classes  and over-priced kids clothing stores. This is official the death of the neighborhood until the economy crashes, the stores go out of business, crime increases and the Yuppies move out started the process all over again.

The city actually has a pretty decent public transportation system. Buses run on time and they have an electric street car system simulacra to San Francisco's. In one part of the story, erin has to take advantage of the system: 

In front of the station she saw a girl walking toward the same entrance, another Toad clone in the Gutter Punk uniform of dirty parka, torn fishnets, one tuft of hair on an otherwise bald head, and patches with the names of underground bands. Erin nodded hello. The girl ignored her. They both stopped near the little booth and stared at the guard. He was reading a newspaper, not paying attention to anything. Erin and the punk girl looked at one other. They both knew what the other wanted to do. The punk girl looked at her watch, a big silver one made for a man. Erin wondered if it was stolen.
    The girl acted like she had a plan to get in, and Erin decided wait until she’d made her move: perhaps as they were arresting her, Erin could slip past. A black janitor rolled a bucket and mop past them. He propped the handicap gate open his bucket and started mopping around the booth. The guard looked up and they started discussing sports. The punk girl took the stance of a horse ready to leave its gate at the Kentucky Derby. Erin got ready as well. The guard left his booth and the two walked across the lobby, the janitor with just the mop, talking loudly about a TV show that had been on last night. When they’d entered the men’s room, the punk girl bolted through the gate. Erin ran after her.
    Her heart was beating faster than she could remember. She felt like she was running in slow motion. At any moment the men could come out and catch them, but then they were through the turnstiles and it was too late. The punk girl stopped running and Erin did the same. As they started trotting down the stairs to the platform, the guard and janitor came out of the bathroom laughing about a beer commercial. The punk girl looked unworried. The men ignored the two women walking calmly as if they had just paid to get in.
    Erin laughed nervously. “That was scary.”
    “Easier than last time.”
    “You’ve done this before?”
    “ ‘Course. Same time every day that janitor props the door open and they go into the toilet for whatever the fuck they do.”
    “Cool. I have to remember that.”
    The train was packed with people all wanting to get home at the same time, and Erin got onto the same less-crowded car with the punk girl. Erin didn’t feel like they’d bonded, as she had with Tracy and her group after sneaking into Jelly. Why do I feel so detached from her? Am I being a snob because she looks homeless? Maybe I should be friendlier. “Now all I have to do is figure out how to eat for free.”

Alexander G. J.