Spiritualized

Publisher Marketing: The New Age zeitgeist clashes with establishment culture in the home of the continental divide. Book One of the "Spec Time Trilogy." "Spiritualized" follows the fictionalized career of edgy rocker, Jon Cells. Set in Boulder, Colorado, and told from multiple perspectives, the historically-detailed story takes place over four action-packed days in 1978. Hollywood producers have sponsored the annual Halloween party at the legendary Hotel Boulderado to celebrate the release of their ground-breaking film, "Halloween." Everyone is invited, but no one is prepared for who shows up: Jon's ally, an entrepreneurial drug dealer who owns an airplane and a recording studio, keeps Federal Agents busy sorting through clues to what happened to one of their own pilots; refugee Tibetans have established a Buddhist university in town and monastery on the mountains; Native American ghosts haven't given up the fight for their homeland; and reports of alien-perpetrated cattle mutilations have everyone wondering what to believe. The jigsaw plot centers around Jon Cells' quest for success. His self-indulgent sex and drug life is balanced with learning the secrets of music recording, and his agenda is sidetracked by forces beyond his control. Mysteries large and small fascinate all the characters, and provide the motivation to see things in a different way - to become "Spiritualized." As with all the books in the Spec Time Trilogy, the setting plays a major role in determining the fates of the characters. With a social perspective reminiscent of TC Boyle, the irony of Joseph Heller, and nods to James Mitchner and Jared Diamond, the narrative connects the history of the land to the fates of the people living in it. The author's perspective as a music business insider and studio operator is a recurring theme throughout the series. Jon Cells, 1950 -1994, wrote, recorded, and performed for 30 years. The "Spec Time Trilogy" fictionalizes stages of his career to tell independent stories that, together, show the arc of attainment. Lyrics to his songs, some co-written with the author, are part of the narratives, and the studio-produced recordings, digitally remastered and separately released, provide a soundtrack to the stories.