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Total Secession
Grant and Litz are two Federal prisoners serving long sentences in a Florida penitentiary when suddenly they find themselves freed—a fiery political movement is dissolving the Federal government and soon all 52 States will become independent nations. According to strict guidelines, some Federal prisoners are being released early but they’re branded with the popular slur “Marielitos.”Grant and Litz, now Marielitos, head for their homes in the Northeast, hoping to rebuild the lives that they ruined years before. For Grant, that life revolves around Darling—his wife and the mother of their children. Darling, who banished Grant from her circle the moment he was arrested. He pleaded guilty, so there was no doubt in her mind that he was.While Grant desperately wants to return to Darling and make up for lost time with his family, Darling’s vicious brothers work to prevent that reunion. Having kept tabs on Grant for years, the brothers hire a mercenary to track and kill the ex-cons—and just in case this hired gun should fail, the brothers head south themselves, armed and eager.The America that Grant and Litz travel through is changing and paranoid, dark and fragmented. Everything they see, everything they must do to make it farther and farther north hints at a grim homecoming for both.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2012
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
About the author
Adam Connell
4 books5 followersI was born in 1973 and grew up on Long Island. Disregard what many people have said; Long Island wasn't a terrible place to grow up during the 70s and 80s.
My parents and my sister loved me.
But I was the least popular kid at school and Blah Blah Blah. You've heard this shit before. Hell, maybe you even lived it, too, like me.
What's important is that I loved to read. As I got into science fiction and fantasy and horror, when I became enthralled with genre books my local library was starved for, I got part-time jobs in Junior High and High School so I could buy the books I needed, that I craved, that nourished me.
I went to NYU to study Literature. To study books simply because there was nothing more I wanted to learn everything about.
I didn't take a single class on creative writing. Most of my fans are surprised at this, but auditing a few of these classes I saw that they were too competitive for me, that half the students delighted in crushing the works of their classmates.
I wrote in private. I wrote alone in NYU's giant and lonely library. When I graduated and couldn't get a job in publishing, I worked elsewhere and I wrote at night. While my coworkers were becoming fast friends and going out for drinks, I abstained and stayed at home and wrote at night, every night.
My life has been one of sacrifice and success. I'm not complaining, because I've written some good books and I'll write many more.
I know that the most satisfying act is not having put "The End" to a book I was proud of. The most satisfying is that hazy span between books. The gathering, like berries, of ideas and characters and themes and story.
Reading and musing and writing. They're more important to me than vegetables and water and air.
(But not more important than my wife. Jeannie is the exception to my life of dust jackets and ink-stained fingers and notebooks.)
This, in 362 words, is who I am, or in pockets of doubt, who I strive to be.
My parents and my sister loved me.
But I was the least popular kid at school and Blah Blah Blah. You've heard this shit before. Hell, maybe you even lived it, too, like me.
What's important is that I loved to read. As I got into science fiction and fantasy and horror, when I became enthralled with genre books my local library was starved for, I got part-time jobs in Junior High and High School so I could buy the books I needed, that I craved, that nourished me.
I went to NYU to study Literature. To study books simply because there was nothing more I wanted to learn everything about.
I didn't take a single class on creative writing. Most of my fans are surprised at this, but auditing a few of these classes I saw that they were too competitive for me, that half the students delighted in crushing the works of their classmates.
I wrote in private. I wrote alone in NYU's giant and lonely library. When I graduated and couldn't get a job in publishing, I worked elsewhere and I wrote at night. While my coworkers were becoming fast friends and going out for drinks, I abstained and stayed at home and wrote at night, every night.
My life has been one of sacrifice and success. I'm not complaining, because I've written some good books and I'll write many more.
I know that the most satisfying act is not having put "The End" to a book I was proud of. The most satisfying is that hazy span between books. The gathering, like berries, of ideas and characters and themes and story.
Reading and musing and writing. They're more important to me than vegetables and water and air.
(But not more important than my wife. Jeannie is the exception to my life of dust jackets and ink-stained fingers and notebooks.)
This, in 362 words, is who I am, or in pockets of doubt, who I strive to be.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 25, 2012
I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. My first thought as I was half way through it was, "Thank God I didn't have to pay for this." My second thought was "How many more pages are left?". Not to be mean or look a "gift horse in the mouth", I should say in all fairness that author Adam Cornell has written a book that is established on a unique (and perhaps timely) subject. That subject is the secession from the United States by all 50 states. (It sure sounded unique when I requested it, anyway.) As I read the book, I quickly realized though, that there was not going to be much time spent on the topic of secession.
"Total Secession" is the story of a newly-released convict's attempt to get back to his wife and two children in New York. There are two major sticking points with his plan however: one, he has to travel from Florida to New York as the states are beginning to go their separate ways and, two, his wife's two brothers will do whatever to keep the convict Grant from getting back to their sister.
I lost interest in the book at about the halfway point because the scenes involving Grant and his convict buddy, Litz, were so drawn out that at many points it was difficult to believe that people would act like that. Cornell's editor could have helped him dramatically by reducing the depth of some of the interactions that Grant and Litz had with other people on their route.
Readers who like quirky characters, though, will find a plethora in this book. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about action. There was too much dialogue and not enough action to keep this reader interested. I'm not quite sure what I thought I was looking for in "Total Secession", but I'm pretty sure that I didn't find it. Maybe others will see it a different way, especially if they are looking for a dialogue driven novel.
"Total Secession" is the story of a newly-released convict's attempt to get back to his wife and two children in New York. There are two major sticking points with his plan however: one, he has to travel from Florida to New York as the states are beginning to go their separate ways and, two, his wife's two brothers will do whatever to keep the convict Grant from getting back to their sister.
I lost interest in the book at about the halfway point because the scenes involving Grant and his convict buddy, Litz, were so drawn out that at many points it was difficult to believe that people would act like that. Cornell's editor could have helped him dramatically by reducing the depth of some of the interactions that Grant and Litz had with other people on their route.
Readers who like quirky characters, though, will find a plethora in this book. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about action. There was too much dialogue and not enough action to keep this reader interested. I'm not quite sure what I thought I was looking for in "Total Secession", but I'm pretty sure that I didn't find it. Maybe others will see it a different way, especially if they are looking for a dialogue driven novel.
July 22, 2015
I received this from the author and really loved it. It deals with the future and what could happen if the United States were to break up into separate countries.
The story deals with a couple of former federal prisoners trying to get home before Total Secession takes place.
The book is gritty, but honest and worth the effort. I found some of the thoughts on the future worth thinking about.
One man just wants to get home to his wife whom he has not heard from in ten years. Two other sets of people want to prevent this from happening.
The story is told from the three or more different points of view and I never lost interest.
All parties have adventures and miss adventures, the story kept me interested and I was never board.
I read a ton of books every year, and really recommend this - I would have paid had I known. I read it on my Kindle
The story deals with a couple of former federal prisoners trying to get home before Total Secession takes place.
The book is gritty, but honest and worth the effort. I found some of the thoughts on the future worth thinking about.
One man just wants to get home to his wife whom he has not heard from in ten years. Two other sets of people want to prevent this from happening.
The story is told from the three or more different points of view and I never lost interest.
All parties have adventures and miss adventures, the story kept me interested and I was never board.
I read a ton of books every year, and really recommend this - I would have paid had I known. I read it on my Kindle
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews