| TABLE OF CONTENTS Works of fiction often do not include a table of contents, and A Bridge to Nowhere is no exception. Here, though, we offer you what we conceive the table of contents to be … had we included one. And samples of the content and style of A Bridge to Nowhere can be found in the Introduction and chapters 13, 14, and 16. Just click on the links. Introduction (read a sample) Prologue – You’re invited Tony invites you to join him for the evening with Joey, his twin nephews, in Joey and Tony's "second home," a cozy nightclub everyone calls Mike's place. Chapter One – Kids - ya gotta love em’ Two old friends meet. Joey's reminiscence of the twins as young boys causes him to recall those great values of youth ... values that too often get lost in the shuffle of growing up. Chapter Two – Crash and burn How many of us have lost that first love? Felt like a knife through the heart, right? Well for Joey it did and if he could do it again he wouldn’t let his feelings trample his judgment. Maybe you shouldn’t either? Three – Thou shalt not have strange gods before me As Joey's gaze wanders about the room he spies a poster of his favorite rock n' roll group and a wry smile crosses his face. It’s a memory ... a memory of good music, and bad role models. Chapter Four – Even God can’t change the past “A lost love.” “The one that got away.” How many of us have one buried somewhere in our past? For Joey, it's Kristin and Joey realizes that with a little more faith - faith in himself and his values, Kristin might not be just a "memory." Friends sitting nearby trigger memories of both of an unforgettable college prank, and how, in the past, the wives of those friends didn’t much care for Joey or his lifestyle - knowing the right thing but doing exactly the opposite. Something Joey calls “moral dyslexia.” Chapter Six – Jaywalking A rainy night, a lapse in judgment … and a young man dies. Spying an old college friend at the bar, Joey recalls the saddest night he spent in Mike’s; a recollection that brought Joey to understand the necessity of law. Chapter Seven – A lousy hair cut Five lovely ladies, five silly fools. Happens every Saturday night ... five guys making fools of themselves causes Joey to wonder why men often act weak…or foolish. You know ... why would Sampson cut his own hair? Chapter Eight – Hurt people, hurt people She’s hot as a pistol and cold as ice. Then again, kick a playful little puppy long enough and it becomes a junkyard dog. Joey’s learned that it’s true with people too. Chapter Nine – Deep down lonesome in Rock Bottom, USA In staggers a motley group from a bachelor party and Joey can’t help recalling the last bachelor party he attended. And how he realized he had finally hit rock bottom ... that inevitable destination at the end of every bridge to nowhere. Chapter Ten – A sheep in wolf’s clothing Halloween costume parties, they’re fun, and we’ve all been to one. Two friends spark a memory of the best two costumes Joey has ever seen ... the very real presence of evil in everyday life. Chapter Eleven – God writes straight with crooked lines Night baseball … bright lights, hot dogs, a glove to catch foul balls, and a seat next to dad. Ah…the memories. A game in the stadium below causes Joey to remember meeting ‘god’ when he was a little boy. And how it was far too long until he met God again. Chapter Twelve ... Lurk in the shadows, bask in the light The saint and the sinner, each in his own way, eventually finds himself lost in the dark night of the soul. And to find the light one needs to escape the darkness requires two necessary things - two things not often found in a nightclub at closing time. Chapter Thirteen ... Anyday champions, everyday heroes (read a sample) A "city of champions" ... it's Joey's home town. And his reverie about it leads him to see how a champion isn't all that different from the never-was or the also-ran. And that all men must be a champion to the people in life who depend on him the most. Chapter Fourteen ... A prize, or a poison? (read a sample) Nancy - another memory, another regret. Joey's got lots of them. Most of them are lovely ladies like Nancy, a strong and dignified woman, one with grace and class. "If I'd only understood sooner" ... Joey's words ... and maybe yours ... ? Chapter Fifteen ... Nice guys finish last ... really A fishing buddy of Mike's walks by. A nice guy ... as in ... "nice guys finish last." What constitutes a strong, mature, and dynamic man? Joey has finally found the answer. Chapter Sixteen ... And God saw that it was good ... (read a sample) Who could ever think losing a golfing bet could mean so much? Well, for Joey, it did. And in an strange way it brought him to understand the nature of people and the sacred nature of their relationships. Epilogue ... Hurt, happiness, and hope Closing time - time to head home. Tony and Joey walk to their cars and Joey shares his thoughts about his life, his failures and successes, joys and regrets, and last, but not least ... a hope for tomorrow. Musical Notes ... What's a nightclub without music? Music plays a large part in a nightclub. And here it gets its just due. |
Copyright 2009 Three Angels Publishing |