Eric J Linnell

Reflex Blue Eric J Linnell

When Josh Spruance receives a phone call informing him he's just inherited his childhood home, the ambivalent Minnesota native is less than thrilled. Arriving back in the house he spent two decades trying to forget, the past greets him in the form of a curious little boy. Caught in a downward spiral, Josh searches for anything pure in an un-pure world. He finds the carefree smile on a perfect stranger the perfect distraction, until her disappearance leaves him questioning her existence, and his sanity. Further complicating matters is the bully from his childhood, whose own path suddenly crosses with Josh's once again. As he desperately works to keep his past and present from colliding, Josh takes comfort in dangerous and self-destructive behavior. But as the walls begin to come down around him, he learns his addictive personality can no longer hold them up. He must confront the guilt that has become his own personal hell if there is any chance for salvation. "I'm going to be haunted for months by the image of a little boy wearing one boxing glove. A beautiful, heartbreaking story of healing, redemption, and coming of age." -Carrie White-Parish, Glass House Press.