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Having lived his entire life in the Detroit area, J. Conrad’s
dad took him to his first Tigers game when he was seven─a
3 to nothing Tigers win over the Angels, during a time when
the Angels played for the whole state of California and
not just Anaheim.
J. Conrad dreamed of a pro ball career, but when he turned
40 he realized that dream was no longer in the future but
instead the past. It was inevitable that at some point he
would write a baseball novel. In Backstop, he combines his
love and knowledge of the game with the heartbreak of
betrayal and its subsequent redemption.
His first novel, January’s Paradigm, was published by
Minerva Press, London, England. Current Entertainment
Monthly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, wrote of January’s
Paradigm, “Personal identity—the slipperiness and the
malleability of it—makes up the major theme of the story ...
(readers) will not be able to put it down.”
He is currently at work on a murder mystery that spans two
centuries written around baseball legend, Ty Cobb.
dad took him to his first Tigers game when he was seven─a
3 to nothing Tigers win over the Angels, during a time when
the Angels played for the whole state of California and
not just Anaheim.
J. Conrad dreamed of a pro ball career, but when he turned
40 he realized that dream was no longer in the future but
instead the past. It was inevitable that at some point he
would write a baseball novel. In Backstop, he combines his
love and knowledge of the game with the heartbreak of
betrayal and its subsequent redemption.
His first novel, January’s Paradigm, was published by
Minerva Press, London, England. Current Entertainment
Monthly in Ann Arbor, Michigan, wrote of January’s
Paradigm, “Personal identity—the slipperiness and the
malleability of it—makes up the major theme of the story ...
(readers) will not be able to put it down.”
He is currently at work on a murder mystery that spans two
centuries written around baseball legend, Ty Cobb.
Backstop
A Baseball Love Story in Nine Innings
J. Conrad Guest
You know Backstop. He plays the catcher’s
position for any team in any city in
America with a major league ball club. You
cheer him when he delivers, and boo him
when he doesn’t.
Told in his own words during the seventh
and deciding game of the World Series,
Backstop chronicles his rookie season,
takes the reader to Chicago, where he finds
romance, and reveals the heartbreak he
endured in the aftermath of his one
indiscretion.
You’ll cheer for Backstop, both on and off
the field, as he plays the most important
game of his career, haunted by the ghost of
his father, and fights to win back the heart
of the woman he loves more than the game.
A Baseball Love Story in Nine Innings
J. Conrad Guest
You know Backstop. He plays the catcher’s
position for any team in any city in
America with a major league ball club. You
cheer him when he delivers, and boo him
when he doesn’t.
Told in his own words during the seventh
and deciding game of the World Series,
Backstop chronicles his rookie season,
takes the reader to Chicago, where he finds
romance, and reveals the heartbreak he
endured in the aftermath of his one
indiscretion.
You’ll cheer for Backstop, both on and off
the field, as he plays the most important
game of his career, haunted by the ghost of
his father, and fights to win back the heart
of the woman he loves more than the game.
| Second Wind Publishing, LLC 931-B S. Main St., Box 145 Kernersville NC 27284 Copyright (c) 2008-2010 All Rights Reserved E-mail us |
“... by the time you get to the last ‘inning’ of this
‘game,’ you’ll be rooting for Backstop to succeed
both on and off the field. He’s not perfect, for
sure, but he’s a good guy at heart, and a great
baseball player! And like me, you’ll be glad you
read this book, whether you’re a sports fan or
not.”
—Terri Kirby Erickson, author of Telling Tales of Dusk
"In Backstop, J. Conrad Guest offers an
entertaining and instructive journey into both
major league baseball and major league matters
of the heart."
—Jeff Vande Zande, author of Landscape with
Fragmented Figures
"Baseball, like love, is a game of errors and
regrets. Pop-outs, ground-outs, strike-outs. A
bad swing, a bad throw, a bad hop. But what
captivates us most is the possibility of the next at-
bat, of the chance for a rally, of an unlikely
clutch play that suddenly changes the stakes.
This is where J. Conrad Guest meets us in
Backstop: in this beautiful, hopeful place closest
to our hearts, where we play for the love of the
game, and we love with everything we have."
─Rachael Perry, author of How to Fly
"In this story of love and sport, told in the
tradition of Field of Dreams and For Love of the
Game, J. Conrad Guest masterfully weaves the
human realities of risk, regret, and redemption in
bold and charming fashion."
―Jeff LeJeune, author of Postmarked Baltimore
‘game,’ you’ll be rooting for Backstop to succeed
both on and off the field. He’s not perfect, for
sure, but he’s a good guy at heart, and a great
baseball player! And like me, you’ll be glad you
read this book, whether you’re a sports fan or
not.”
—Terri Kirby Erickson, author of Telling Tales of Dusk
"In Backstop, J. Conrad Guest offers an
entertaining and instructive journey into both
major league baseball and major league matters
of the heart."
—Jeff Vande Zande, author of Landscape with
Fragmented Figures
"Baseball, like love, is a game of errors and
regrets. Pop-outs, ground-outs, strike-outs. A
bad swing, a bad throw, a bad hop. But what
captivates us most is the possibility of the next at-
bat, of the chance for a rally, of an unlikely
clutch play that suddenly changes the stakes.
This is where J. Conrad Guest meets us in
Backstop: in this beautiful, hopeful place closest
to our hearts, where we play for the love of the
game, and we love with everything we have."
─Rachael Perry, author of How to Fly
"In this story of love and sport, told in the
tradition of Field of Dreams and For Love of the
Game, J. Conrad Guest masterfully weaves the
human realities of risk, regret, and redemption in
bold and charming fashion."
―Jeff LeJeune, author of Postmarked Baltimore
| Author photo courtesy of Stephen Sommerville, Sommerville Photographie |
Free downloads of short stories offered from our
authors. Check back often for additional titles.
Sit back and enjoy the Breeze
authors. Check back often for additional titles.
Sit back and enjoy the Breeze
Check out J. Conrad
on our Events Page!
on our Events Page!
One Hot January
J. Conrad Guest
My name is Joe January. I was a private
investigator from the South Bronx, circa
1940. Was once described as an indignant
Humphrey Bogart. Who am I to argue?
The difference between Bogie and me is that I
was the real McCoy.In truth, I’m no Joseph
Conrad, but I wrote every word on these
pages. This is my story; but make no
mistake, it’s anything but make believe. I
know, it reads like science fiction, spanning
two centuries and dealing with time travel
and alternate realities, while the denouement
is less than satisfactory. But such is life: a
happily ever after, while often promised, is
never a given. Yet given the chance to live
life over again, avoiding the mistakes made
during the first go-around, well, I found I
couldn’t turn my back...
J. Conrad Guest
My name is Joe January. I was a private
investigator from the South Bronx, circa
1940. Was once described as an indignant
Humphrey Bogart. Who am I to argue?
The difference between Bogie and me is that I
was the real McCoy.In truth, I’m no Joseph
Conrad, but I wrote every word on these
pages. This is my story; but make no
mistake, it’s anything but make believe. I
know, it reads like science fiction, spanning
two centuries and dealing with time travel
and alternate realities, while the denouement
is less than satisfactory. But such is life: a
happily ever after, while often promised, is
never a given. Yet given the chance to live
life over again, avoiding the mistakes made
during the first go-around, well, I found I
couldn’t turn my back...
“New York City circa 1947—Written in the
tradition of Raymond Chandler, mystery and
intrigue along with wants, desires and regrets
prevail for private investigator Joe January.
When January takes on a case involving a
missing person, he gets more than he bargains
for as he uncovers a conspiracy along with a
mysterious artifact that holds the key to a
possible alternate reality.”
—Deborah J Ledford, author of STACCATO
“Joe January may be a man out-of-time—Bogart-
cool and clever, sharp-tongued and fedoraed—
but underneath the veneer he reveals himself
both in his vulnerability and the most ageless
adventure of all: a journey of the heart.”
—Rachael Perry, author of How to Fly
“One Hot January slips and slides from one
intriguing encounter to the next, with a surprise
ending that will knock your socks off. I suggest
you hang on tight and enjoy the ride!”
—Terri Kirby Erickson, author of Telling Tales of Dusk
tradition of Raymond Chandler, mystery and
intrigue along with wants, desires and regrets
prevail for private investigator Joe January.
When January takes on a case involving a
missing person, he gets more than he bargains
for as he uncovers a conspiracy along with a
mysterious artifact that holds the key to a
possible alternate reality.”
—Deborah J Ledford, author of STACCATO
“Joe January may be a man out-of-time—Bogart-
cool and clever, sharp-tongued and fedoraed—
but underneath the veneer he reveals himself
both in his vulnerability and the most ageless
adventure of all: a journey of the heart.”
—Rachael Perry, author of How to Fly
“One Hot January slips and slides from one
intriguing encounter to the next, with a surprise
ending that will knock your socks off. I suggest
you hang on tight and enjoy the ride!”
—Terri Kirby Erickson, author of Telling Tales of Dusk
Coming Soon