Having survived an abusive marriage, thirty-year-old John Augustine finds himself venturing into new territory. A girl with a son of her own lives far away but decides to uproot her life and make the move to be with John. However, John’s ex looms in the wings, and her fears of John’s new family situation threaten John’s relationship with his new wife, her son, and even his own son. A greater threat is John’s lack of time, as working two jobs and taking night classes leaves John’s new wife feeling alone and vulnerable in a strange town. Relationships will take dangerous turns, and chances will not return when John is faced with a crossroads for which he could never have prepared.
Welcome to
Lindbergh Field
My plane touched down in San Diego, and I immediately texted two words once my phone rebooted: "Just landed." It was a Thursday evening in May, 2005. The captain thanked us for flying as the plane taxied across the sunny pavement. The scene from my window a few minutes before had been beautiful as we made the final turn onto the runway below. The city sitting on the edge of the ocean looked a lot like Minneapolis, though Minneapolis was a river town. But the size of San Diego’s downtown, and the sparse reflective skyscrapers reminded me of my own city. Only the extra presence of the ocean, blue and sparkling through my tiny airplane window, reminded me that I was not in Minneapolis.
What was I doing? I hadn't been on an airplane since I was a kid. I didn't travel. People with established lives traveled. Business people like the ones in the cheap suits surrounding me, the uniform of self-proclaimed importance, traveled to places like San Diego. I did not. This was not me at all. No one even knew I was doing this. My family didn't know I was gone. My ex-wife and my son knew nothing of my trip. Only my buddy Roland, whose house I was living in while he waited for the new occupants to take possession, knew of my trip. I was otherwise homeless, and he wanted his house to be occupied, so it was a mutually helpful arrangement. Except that I would be away for five days. So I had to let him know I would be gone. He was the only one who knew anything of my trip.
I sat in my seat watching everyone scramble for their carry-ons in the overhead compartments. Mine was up there, my only bag, but I wasn't in a hurry to get to a rental car or go find a second suitcase in the baggage claim. I didn't need either. So I just waited. A reply to my text came back: "I am here."
"Still on plane," I replied.
This was crazy. Like something out of a terrible movie with a plot I abhorred. One minute, I had been tallying the final grades for my last class of the semester, the next I was sitting on a plane in San Diego texting someone I had never seen in person. Was I insane? Stupid? Completely gullible? What ridiculous turn of events had put me here? Like a fading dream, I almost couldn't remember. I should have learned my lesson by now, by age thirty. I should have been wise to the trickery I was perhaps subjecting myself to. Why wasn't I smarter than this?
If you loved From the Abyss, you're really going to love From the Abyss ll! See what the reviews say:
“I loved the first book and this one did not disappoint. John Emil Augustine’s writing style is just so smooth and easy to fall into. Right away I felt like I knew the characters. His books are quick reads that, as a reader, I didn’t want to put down. I can’t wait for his third book to come out. That will make it a perfect trilogy. This book is very realistic, bold and heartbreaking at the same time. I so enjoyed the honesty and the rawness of this story. I didn’t want to put it down because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next. I am so happy to have come across such a great writer. I hope he becomes very famous one day. I could see that happening as his talent should be shared with the world.”
“Brave, Bold, and Intense! In John Emil Augustine's second book you read and feel his love, anger, thoughts, and decision for family, friends, career, and financial security. His provocative and evocative detail intensify his journey. At times it is abrasive and seemingly insurmountable. Augustine holds the attention of the reader as he questions, searches, and moves forward. He grows from a kitten in the first book to a cat securing his territory in book two. The book did not end, I wanted more, and see the possibilities for book three. Excellent writing and read.”
“The second book of John Emil Augustine pulls you into his life from where he stopped in the first book. A biography of his struggles about life, God, marriage, relationships and intimacy. Meeting a woman and her son to begin their own family. It will shock you in many ways. His frankness and blunt, no-nonsense way of writing bring a tale of sorrow, survival, and love and make it a great read.”
Meet the Author:
John Emil Augustine grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota and toured in his twenties and early thirties with local and national acts; writing, arranging, and performing with notable jazz, blues, gospel, reggae, post funk, prog rock, and folk groups. John has also been a landscaper, mail carrier, English professor, and forklift operator. He currently lives in Minneapolis with his wife and four boys. John is the author of the From the Abyss book series and has also recorded the album Chants for Renewal, Presence and Awareness.
Great Job Linda!
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