About the Book
“A complex tale of life and death that deftly weaves family drama with supernatural elements.”- Kirkus Reviews
“…skillfully merges vast cosmic horror with acute personal tragedy…” – Jamie Michele, Reader’s Favorite
We’re born, we live, we die, and usually in that order.
Or so Ruth Weber thinks.
When a mistake made long ago brings Mortimer Nach to her deathbed with an offer, she learns that some
will exact a dreadful price.
“I know you’re not afraid to die, but are you afraid to live?” he asks.
A painting he’s hung in her room brings visions of her past, setting off an irrevocable series of events
which brings them both to the edge of eternal darkness.
For her, it is the chance to go back and live the life she felt destined for, the one always just beyond reach.
To have it, though, she must turn aside from what awaits and risk the loss of all she’s ever known.
For him, it is banishment to the Netherworld for breaking the laws of life and death, and the danger of sacrificing what he cares most about, for even Death has come to know the wonder and beauty of this world.
As the powers of Heaven and Hell converge on them, each begins to understand their journey’s end portends
the joy and terrible costs of choices made, and of the sacrifices we’re willing to suffer for others in this thing called life.
The Painted Sand is a tale of love and pain, and of lines that become blurred.
Of the moments that make up our days from beginning to end.
But sometimes, endings aren’t endings at all.
Sometimes, they’re beginnings.
About the Author
Raised in Williamsburg, Brooklyn long before its revival, Joe Esposito’s love of storytelling began with borrowed books and bad poetry. Now a Florida-based author, his debut novel The Painted Sand was born from years of life experience, loss, and reflection—particularly during the pandemic. A 911 Dispatcher, Joe writes with empathy, blending real-world grit with timeless wonder. He lives with his wife, daughter, and a small zoo of pets, working on his next novel and never far from his kitchen or keyboard
Qn 1: Can you tell us more about your book What is it about?
The Angel of Death befriends a dying Ruth Weber the night she’s brought to hospice. Posing as a simple custodian named Mortimer Nach, he hangs a painting in her room; a living portrait of who she’s been which brings dreams of her life’s most crucial moments. One night, after an exceptionally disturbing dream, she witnesses Death sending another hospice patient to Hell. He reveals himself afterwards and offers her the choice to go back, to live the life she truly desired for herself. To do so, though, she must risk eternal damnation. He, in turn, is driven to rectify a mistake made long ago in her life, and in doing so, risks his own existence by breaking the laws of life and death.
Through dreams and flashbacks, and from locations around the globe and simple conversations, we begin to see how intertwined they’ve been through the years, each powerfully affected by choices made, choices both tragic and beautiful. We begin to learn that Death himself has come to see life as a beautiful, precious thing, yet beyond his understanding at times. Ruth is proud of the life she sees in her dreams, yet acknowledges an emptiness in one lived for others and never herself. As she spends time with Mortimer in the realm in which he exists, she begins to see life as a possibility before her, not something leaving her.
His offer, meanwhile, sets off a series of irrevocable events which greatly upset the precarious balance between the powers of Heaven and Hell. As the story unfolds, we see it hurdling towards its inevitable climactic ending, one where choices made have consequences both terrible and joyful.
Qn 2: Who do you think would be interested in this book, is it directed at any particular market?
I think it’s for anyone who’s ever, in a quiet moment, asked themselves what their lives would’ve been like if something had changed, or if they’d lived under different circumstances. Choices define us, they alter our paths and open doors. Or, they close them, and pull us away. I believe it’s only human to ask ourselves “what if”.
What if someone could go back? Well, I asked the question…and I wrote a story about it. Who would be interested in this book? I don’t think it comes down to women or men, young or old, or anything like that. I think it’s for anyone who’s ever looked up at the stars and asked a question without ever getting an answer.
Qn 3: Out of all the books in the world, and all the authors, which are your favourite and why?
That’s a tough one. I don’t really have a favorite author, but I’ll go with Steven Pressfield and Bernard Cornwell for the sheer quality of their historical fiction. Blake Crouch for fast-paced, brutal horror. James Rollins for his reliably entertaining thrillers filled with secret societies and government special ops. Katherine Arden writes with such magnificent prose and imagination, while Terry Brooks opened the door to what fantasy is for me…epic, grand, and almost alive on the paper. I just finished my first Kristin Hannah book and wow, can that author write. Can’t wait to read her again. Lastly, I honestly can’t imagine an existence without the satire of both Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore because, seriously, what is life if you can’t laugh at it and everyone in it.
Qn 4: What guidance would you offer to someone new, or trying to enhance their writing?
Ernest Hemingway said that the only way to write is to sit at the typewriter and bleed.
That’s it in a nutshell. You sit and write. Feelings, thoughts, desires, dreams, hates, loves, they all get pulled out of you. You keep writing long past being tired, or frustrated, or bleary-eyed…you just keep writing. You’re never going to get better at it unless you’re doing it. Keep writing non-stop and go back to what you wrote a few months ago and you’ll see the difference. Read a lot of books and out of your comfort zone. Work with new ideas and new techniques, organize your stories with outlines, write the ending first and jot down every idea that comes to mind. It doesn’t matter how you write. Just do it.
What you’ll find is that you’ll gravitate towards a process, a style, a voice, that works for you. It’ll come smoothly and won’t sound forced. You’ll know it when your fingers just won’t type fast enough to get the thoughts out. How do you enhance something? You got to make it first.
Qn 5: Where can our readers find out more about you, do you have a website, or a way to be contacted?
Yes! Go to my website, it’s new and I’m a debut author, but hope to get my second novel out within the year.
https://www.authorjoeesposito.com/
Be the first to comment