BreathListening After to Deaththe voice within could Launch you on the ride of your life. Breath After Death A Woo-woo Novel by Joshua Bagby 1 Listening to the voice within could launch you on the ride of your life. hile boarding a commuter train for another workday in Silicon WValley, technical illustrator Benjamin Fields, recently divorced and approaching 40, experiences the unrelenting mental itch that he left his iron plugged in. Unable to shake the vision of his apartment bursting into flames, he wonders if this fear fantasy is a chance to follow his intuition and save his home or if it’s just another case of his out-of-control imagination? Breath After Death is the story of one man’s search for answers to many of life’s most important questions. Benjamin wants to overcome loneliness. He’s got a good job that keeps him busy and fed but largely unfulfilled. Still licking his wounds from a divorce, he hasn’t found the mate he wants. He yearns to believe in a loving universe, but it’s hard to rationalize how a supposedly loving God could take his mother and older brother when he was just five years old. From this vortex of pain, Benjamin enters into a world of possibility when an imaginary woman predicts his future, naturally leading him to wonder who or what is behind this inner voice. He quickly discovers that when you focus on asking the big questions, you attract the big answers. The novel is a synthesis of many of the lessons, conversations, and experiences I have encountered along my growth path. If any of these words or phrases mean anything to you—law of attraction, reincarnation, near-death experiences, merging sexuality and spirituality, creating a personal paradise, karma, spirit communication, finding a soul mate, relationship issues, enchanted hugging, true intimacy, getting unstuck—you’ll find a feast here. What Other Readers have said enjamin Fields is a recently divorced guy who is searching for his soul “Bmate and ends up on a funny, erotic, reality-challenging journey— literally, spiritually, and philosophically. About every ten years, I get some novel that excites me with the author’s talent and the story. Joshua’s did that for me. He’s got that ineffable quality everyone is looking for—original voice. The closest comparison I was able to think of was in the league of a Tom Robbins or Kurt Vonnegut.” (Elizabeth Lyon, author of Writer’s Guide to Fiction and several other books for writers) oshua Bagby’s novel Breath After Death delighted and inspired me. I’d “Jhave to call it one of the most magical reading experiences I’ve ever had. Bagby’s prose is smart, sexy, witty, and insightful, a masterful treat for my heart and soul. His main character, Benjamin Fields, is entangled in a spiritual quest that takes him far beyond the archetypal hero’s journey into the intriguing realms of soul mate love, spirit guides, and life everlasting. In the process, he discovers that the energy of spirit is clothed in many costumes and that the power of love is bigger than we ever imagined. I highly recommend it.” (Stephanie P.) t is a rare treat to read a book that delves so deeply into the spiritual com- “I ponents of the relationship journey. I frequently found myself nodding in agreement with the main character as he shared his heartfelt observations of love and life in the relationship lane. I happily accompanied Benjamin as he tra- versed through a mystical terrain of self-discovery occupied by flesh-and-blood characters expressing their own unique spiritual essence as they encountered and interacted with him. Author Joshua Bagby has created a world filled with all of the magic and malice generated by individuals seeking both soul-filled and soul- less relations. He has successfully lanced the boil of pain, frustration and fear that emotional manipulation creates in the development of physical, emotional, and spiritual bonding. This book is a must read for everyone interested in avoiding soul-less coupling and creating soul-filled relationships!” Kim( R.) What Other Readers have said reath After Death is a thrilling ride into a world I wish I could step “B into. Joshua Bagby’s insight into merging spirituality and sexuality is by itself worth the price of admission, but it doesn’t stop there. This book got my own creative juices flowing about many topics that I love to think about but that don’t seem to work their way into everyday conversation. And the idea of hugging strangers in public—wow! We need more stories like this.” (C.B.) hat a fabulous book! I’m typically a two-to-six week book read- “Wer—slow. I finished this one in three days. Great story, intriguing spiritual/moral threads and concepts. If it were available in print, I’d buy it for friends and I’d sure tell others to get it as a fun and provocative read. We’d have a great time reading that in my men’s group. Imagine the discussion it could gener- ate.” (L.D.) am blown away! I think you have something much bigger than you “I described to me. The fact that it is hitting me personally between the eyes is irrelevant (or maybe not). It is personally really important to me right now, and I suspect for many other people. One thing I liked was the easy way in which one is invited to challenge their perceptions. For me the part that was most informative and personally helpful had to do with relationships. I am going to go back through it with a highlighter and use it as a focusing tool. There are some ideas that I need to explore more deeply. Thank you for your gift. It should definitely be shared with more people.” (T.B.) our book brought up several things for me to deal with on a personal “Ylevel. They are things I knew needed to be addressed, but now they have just slapped me in the face, and I can’t avoid them any longer. I think your book will have that effect on a lot of people because it deals with issues that most of us can relate to and probably need to address in one form or another.” (M.S.) There’s No Such Thing as a free lunch But there is such a thing as a free novel! I am offering you this free read for two major reasons. The first: I believe that creativity is a gift from the universe. Yes, I may have written this book, but I do believe that it was inspired by an intelligence outside my ego self. Whether it’s a “higher” part of me or some storyteller in spirit, I don’t know. I do know that much of the story burst into my mind as a complete surprise. I figure that if the universe can give me the story I can give it to you in this form. The second: I want this consciousness to get out into the world now. Global morale has taken a beating over the last dozen years, and I think it’s past time for some new visions of hope and love. So I give this novel away. If it speaks to you, I would love to hear from you. I’m fascinated by how different people find different scenes or events meaningful. And knowing that I have made a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s just a small difference, is a wonderful thing. Joshua Bagby [email protected] Reading Tip: Adjust the magnification level in Acrobat Reader to create a type size on your monitor that’s comfortable for you to read. If the type is too small, raise the magnification; if the type is too big, reduce the magnification. By pressing the space bar on your keyboard and dragging with your mouse, you can move the page around easily. © Copyright 2010 by Joshua S. Bagby—All rights reserved Version 1.0 by Joshua Bagby Creativity On Publishing Salem, Oregon 1. Sorry for the Inconvenience Dear God: I heard some evangelist on TV say that you only admit people into heaven if they accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior. If that’s true, I’m already in deep shit. Here’s the problem: You created the mountains, the meadows, the seas, the stars—astonishing feats by any measure. Why won’t you create a savvier savior? Granted, I never met the real Jesus in person—I’ve only got righteous religious rhetoric to go on—but here in Silicon Valley, a scruffy, robed prophet in sandals doesn’t fly as a consummate follow-me-anywhere cosmic authority. Enduring forever with a sinfully boring preacher would be cruel and unusual punishment. Forgive my bluntness, but in view of your awe-inspiring creativity, your Bible strikes me as a moldy-oldy marketing effort. You’re resting on your laurels from two millennia ago when you could get away with shit like that. And what’s with this holy support for war mongering, gay bashing, and liberty reduction? Have you lost your omnipotent mind? Millions of us are dying for a new paradigm! How about returning Jesus for a do-over? Send us a savior we can understand. Talk plain English to us. Build a cool website. Anyway, that’s why I’m writing. Let’s put our cards on the table. I think it’s time we communicated. I am your son, too, right? neuron in my brain fired like an emergency flare rocket.