Discover G.M. Riley's Latest Adventure

Explore the unknown with G.M. Riley’s captivating new novel, where the vastness of the Arizona desert meets the enigma of alien encounters.

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Vertical Exits

Excerpt

“…Mark found himself seated in a reclining chair that tipped way backwards like a dentist’s chair. His fingers on his right hand picked at a broken thread on the armrest. He tapped the toes of his cowboy boots together nervously as he looked down at his feet. It probably would have been a good idea to have knocked the mud off them before coming here, he thought. He could hear dirt clods drop to the floor from his raised footrest.

“Certified hypnotherapist Emily Wilkerson wasn’t the soft marshmallow he’d hoped for. She didn’t wear makeup on her flat round face. She had straggly curls, blunt-cut bangs, and dark-framed glasses that puffed up her eyes like she was wearing goggles in an aquarium tank. He imagined she was perhaps fifty years old. A certificate on her wall indicated she completed a hypnotherapy counseling course only last year. He fretted he’d made a mistake in choosing her. As a hypnotherapist, she might be as green as the banana on her desk sitting next to her lunch bag. He noted there was a grease stain on the brown paper bag and a smell emanating like nachos….”

Why was this nervous Arizona well-digger by trade in a hypnotherapist’s chair? He was a small-town guy who sought out a simple life with his girlfriend and his dog in the comforting isolation of a cactus-laden desert. His parents and siblings lived close and were part of a protective wall of daily predictability he relied on.

Was he right in trusting his brain to an unfamiliar woman of dubious scientific credentials who assumably could put people in a vulnerable, semi-conscious trance? Would it be the beginning of a whole new set of troubles for him? His family was divided on these questions and weren’t the type to hold back their opinions.

His strange journey did indeed begin that day in Emily Wilkerson’s office. A series of subsequent coincidental events would bring him to others who shared similar experiences. Together they would try to change the world for a community of over two thousand people who asked for help.

This is a light-hearted tale written in a humorous, descriptive style. There are moments when the dog, Jerome, seems to assume the spotlight by just his presence.

G.M. Riley

G.M. Riley crafts stories that resonate on multiple levels, blending humor and descriptive detail into tales. They reveal a deep understanding of human nature and the unique environments they encounter. Readers are led into immersive worlds where the boundaries of reality and imagination blur.

G.M. Riley resided many years in Arizona and walked its crunchy rock paths with her beloved dog. She heard the wings of soaring nighthawks cut the sky with a rushing sound. From this, her creativity took flight.

Riley has also lived in other states, including Hawaii and Oregon. She now resides in British Columbia, Canada. Her next novel is pending completion.

Contact

Special Thanks

Anne Beaulne – Proofreader and Assistant Editor

F.P. – website and author G.M. Riley

Thoughts From the Author

I had a dream of a triangular mountain with a blue light on its peak. A voice was projected from it saying, “This is where it all come true.” It felt like an important message.

Unable to determine its meaning or purpose, I began writing about it and other unexplainable visions. A fictional journey of a host of colorful characters evolved.

I hope you enjoy “Vertical Exits” and that it touches a deeper part of your thoughts and beliefs.

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