Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires

by N.J. Gallegos

Steven, a perpetual burnout and screw up, laments a breakup resulting from his own idiocy. In an effort to cope, he heads to Colorado armed with a strip of LSD endowed blotter paper and a heaping helping of self pity. Unfortunately, he ignites a firestorm of disaster, culminating in an inevitable showdown of man vs nature... and... nature always wins.

79 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2022

About the author

N.J. Gallegos was born in Alamosa, Colorado (which coincidentally, is a hotbed for UFO activity). She attended college at UCCS in Colorado Springs and medical school in Missouri. After her Emergency Medicine residency, she settled in Illinois with her wife and three cats.

She loves Star Wars (especially Ahsoka), craft beers (IPAs and sours are her faves), drawing, EDM, and running.

She'll read almost anything but is drawn to horror, thrillers, sci-fi, and historical fiction.

Reviews

[Ashley Marmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the ending! Kept me wanting more. Can’t wait to read your next stuff!

[Kelsey Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I expected but the ending was so good!! Short, quick read. Can’t wait for more.

[Stefanie Barnfather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is a delicious, weedy treat! Gallegos tells her tale with flowing language broken up by cracker-jack expletives. I loved the song references that supported the plot, her sensory descriptions (marshmallows?—yum), the 420 references littered throughout, and the specificity that immediately grounded me in my childhood; every millennial had a healthy respect for and fear of Smokey the Bear, right? The animal POV is a delightful addition to the narrative, and the twist at the end was sinfully gory. I’ll be quoting Gallegos for a long time: “…eschewing jerking off for sobbing.” Fan—forever. Her most recent book, JUST DESSERTS, is sitting on my shelf.

[KT ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently purchased at an event for local authors - the cover was so grabby I basically had no choice but to check it out. The story itself is a trip (get it?), totally bonkers, heart pounding and gripping until the very last line. I feel lucky to have stumbled upon NJ Gallegos and I look forward to reading more from her.

[Abigale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short fast-paced story. Great details that make you feel you are with the main character on his journey with drugs, cheating, and depression. Was not expecting the ending. Look forward to future stories from this author.

[Randy Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bonkers tale of a heartbroken stoner who takes a weekend getaway to forget about his recent breakup and trip balls. This is a short one, so I won’t divulge any more than that, but this is a fun one and I hope the author publishes a novel in the near future

[S.K. Burkman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully disturbing romp through the misadventures of Steven’s drug-fueled trip to Colorado, with just the right amount of debauchery, humor, gore, and a disturbing, yet satisfying conclusion with a fantastic twist. NJ Gallegos’s prose keeps you riveted, laughing, and squirming all at once.

[Frida Dillenbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ending is perfect for Steven Harris a most pathetic, self absorbed, careless and completely inept person! Quite fitting! Well done with Smokey as our hero!!

[Brian Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun book to read. Both dark and hilarious. This well written novella will have you laughing out loud and wanting more in the end. Word of advice? Be nice to Smokey!

[Cory Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, NJ knows how to tell a story!

[Craig Thiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wild ride with an unexpected, but great ending.
I enjoyed the author's writing style and the Grimace reference had me rolling. Loved it!