Featuring Novels by Southern Arizona's Gene Isaacs
The Arch to Adventure
The Road is a two-track.
Winding and a little bumpy
Filled with ups and downs,
With a curve here and there ,
Where adventures abound
If you dare to tread the ground
Through the arch and around!
Bernice Isaacs
Now Available
Tony O'Riley had learned two for-sure things from Joe Brown, a Tohono O'odham ma:kai: always live a Simple Life, and always do what you judge to be the Right Thing no matter what the various rules say. However, what he thought was 'Simple' often turned out to be complicated, and what he thought was 'Right' often turned out to be questionable . . . but fun. He had like-minded friends, though, and most of their problems were openly discussed and sometimes solved. What becomes apparent is that what is normally accepted as good is often bad, and what is thought to be bad can be the best thing that ever happened.
Metamorphosis 1983
Lawyers show up at the home of a college professor—Michael Garrity—and tell him that a Mexican ex-convict—Francis Zapolya—has died and left him property worth a fortune. Michael recognizes the name, but he had only known the man for a short time back in1983 when they had worked together. Francis had been brilliant but was in the midst of a middle-aged crisis that would eventually lead to the loss of everything he had. Michael had been too young at the time to know exactly what he wanted in his future; but, he was smart enough to learn by example. The disillusioned older man was on his way down, and the often delusional younger man was gropingly on his way up. For one riotous (wonderful) summer their paths crossed. The complex solution to the mystery—the why and how of the bequest—involves a search through Michael's memory of those good and bad times: the debaucheries, the dialectic conflicts, the sociological confrontations, the bloody brutalities of living the low life, and, most importantly, the enduring love.
Éxodo
The Vatican sends a trusted agent, Alejandro (Alex) Fuentes, to the American/Mexican border to determine the practicality of a proposed Papal visit. He is also tasked with an investigation into the canonical legitimacy of a rogue priest. This distraction creates huge problems for several characters whose back stories are told in fascinating interludes. There is an illegal border crossing that changes everything but somehow changes nothing. The novel dramatizes the complexities of life on the border but doesn't take sides: the bad are sometimes good; the good are often bad; and everything—both the good and the bad—is leavened with generous sprinklings of humor.
About Our Creative Team
Gene Isaacs - Author
After an adventurous life in the Marine Corps, the GI Bill helped me earn a BA degree in Creative Writing (specializing in Literary Fiction) from the University of Arizona. I deliberately don't write about myself; however, what I am and what I've done has undoubtedly, although unintentionally, colored my narratives. I create a diverse cast of fictional characters, put them in problematic and often dangerous situations, and let them tell me their experiences. Practicality and cussedness often trump institutionalized correctness in both their lovings and their deadly brawls. I enjoy hearing their tales, and I hope you'll enjoy reading my version of them.
Bernice Isaacs - Inspiration
Wife, poet, photographer, adventuress, artisan, avid reader: that's who I am. Watching Gene's story develop and then designing and creating the book's cover that will evoke its theme is a challenge that brings a smile to my face. He is a damn good writer, and I'm a modern-day muse that encourages the unambiguous playfulness of his modern masterpieces.