CELTICLADY'S REVIEWS: The Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks Book Tour and Giveaway!

The Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks
Publisher: White Whisker Books (May, 2020)
Category: Short Stories, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Relationships
ISBN: Coming Soon
Tour Date: May-June, 2020
Available in: Print & ebook, 238 Pages

Description Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks

In The Benefits of Breathing, his third collection of short stories, Christopher Meeks dives again into the human condition, particularly within relationships. As one reader wrote on Amazon, “Some authors need a lot of words to describe their worlds and their people. Christopher Meeks says a lot with a little.” The Los Angeles Times has called his stories “poignant and wise.” In this volume, “A Dog Story” captures a crumbled marriage and the love of a dog named Scrappy. “Joni Paredes” shows the birth of a new relationship that starts at a daughter’s wedding. “Nestor by the Numbers” follows one man’s often hilarious online dating experiences after he finally accepts his wife is gone. “Jerry with a Twist” shows an actor on an audition while his pregnant girlfriend helps him through a crisis. These and seven other stories will bring you into the special world of Meeks. As reviewer Grady Harp notes, if you’ve previously “discovered the idiosyncrasies of Meeks' writing style and content, rest assured that this new collection not only will not disappoint, but also it will provide further proof that we have a superior writer of the genre in our presence.” Try this book. You’ll have a lot to think about.

Advance Praise Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks

“Chris Meeks is a descriptive writer whose style paints a clear picture of everyday real life traumas. This story is about ordinary people and common problems; including how effective communication is so difficult to cultivate, especially when working through an emotional situation like a divorce. The reader can easily sense the strain of the failing relationship.”-T.M.S., Amazon

“Thoroughly enjoyed this short but bittersweet divorce story. It's impossible to read anything Chris writes and fail to see pieces of yourself in the lines. Hope you keep them coming, Chris!”- Ksinteriors, Amazon

“I’ve read much of Meeks’ work. His attention to detail and ability to show rather than tell is unique and engaging.”-Kevin Gerard, Amazon

“While James Joyce was a trailblazer in the genre of literary fiction, Meeks surpasses him with crisp plainspoken prose abundant with brilliant humor and wit. Chris Meeks is one of those rare prolific and masterful writers whose stories and novels leave his audiences with a sense of satisfaction and enriching views of the human condition and humanity.”- James V Jordan, Amazon

Awards and Recognition for Christopher Meeks

Book of the Year Bronze Award from ForeWord Reviews (2017): ‘The Chords of War’ ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist award (2011)- ‘Love At Absolute Zero’ Three book critics’ Ten Best Books of 2011-‘Love At Absolute Zero’ Three book critics’ Ten Best Books of 2009- ‘The Brightest Moon of the Century’

The Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks

You Wreck Me, Baby (An Excerpt)

Two months after I’d helped her pack, near the end of the year and shortly after

I received my wife Alexa's “good night” text from her new apartment across town,

the one that didn’t take pets, I herded our two dogs out for their evening constitutional.

One dog, a scruffy terrier, took his time as usual, sniffing this rock and that plant.

The other, a Cavalier King Charles, peed right on the sidewalk and then, with her big

piquant eyes that melted my heart, demanded her biscuit.

Once I gave her one, her tail swished into allegro mode, and the other dog quickly

did his business for his treat. Dogs have a simple life. Me, lately, I had had a hard

time falling asleep, parsing where it all went wrong. Should I have not given Alexa

a surprise birthday party last year? Should I have not taken the window seat with

our last plane ride? Should I have not married someone whose name woke up

Amazon’s smart speaker?

On my walk back into the house, a dead, heavy palm frond plunged like a sword

onto the ground somewhere behind me. I scanned the sky for the moon where the

goddess Diana resided—no moon—and its absence felt as something more ripped

out of me. The moon with its caring goddess represented assurance, nurturing, and

safety. As I stepped onto my front entryway, I felt a sensation I hadn't for fourteen

years: a sharp pain in my back. I knew what it was: a kidney stone, a corkscrew

twisting into my body. “Of course!” I yelled into the air. This was the exclamation

point to my eventful year.

In the previous summer, when the antibiotics for pneumonia did nothing after

I’d coughed for three weeks already, my doctor referred me to a pulmonologist,

and a CT scan found nodules in my lungs. He asked, “Have you ever smoked?”

When I said no, he looked doubtful. So this was how I was going to die? Lung cancer?

It happened this easily?

A biopsy took two weeks and showed it wasn’t lung cancer. A rare syndrome,

vasculitis, which inflamed my lungs’ blood vessels, could have killed me if not

diagnosed properly. Then, a few days after the powerful steroids I took kicked in,

and I wasn’t coughing anymore, Alexa left me. “Javier,” she said. “It’s nothing to

do with you. It’s me.”

Sure.

Then she was gone.

Now this stone.

Having been through his before, I drank a lot of water right away to push the stone

through, even if its coral fingers would scratch down my urethra. I tried a shower to

decrease the pain and, heck, to look better if I had to go to the hospital. I found my

hydrocodone pain pills for just a situation like this. I popped a couple and hunkered

into bed, hoping the stone would disappear. From their circular beds next to me, the

dogs stared at me in the dark as if they smelled anguish.

For two hours, I couldn't sleep. The pain dulled but I shivered violently. I had to

yank on my winter coat and slip under the covers. I knew I couldn't avoid the

hospital.

The next question was do I call Alexa or 911? While the reassuring hydrocodone

would give me confidence to drive, it would subtract my ability, and I’d better

not endanger others. Alexa was asleep already, and I knew a hospital visit

would take all night. She didn't need to be miserable. I’d already made her

that way.

I called 911 and asked for an ambulance. The woman who answered wanted

to know why.

“I have a kidney stone.”

“How do you know?” she said in the tone of an aggravated wife.

“I’ve had them before.”

“Have you taken anything?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re slurring.”

“And I’m not driving,” I said with precise enunciation. “The battery on this

phone is nearly out.” I looked. Twenty percent left. “It doesn’t hold a charge

as it once did.”

“I am sending an ambulance,” she said. I thanked her.

After I hung up, I turned to the beasts. “Well, doggies, I’m turning on the

house alarm, so you’ll be protected.”

These days I spoke with the dogs as if they were people. Probably soon,

I’d end up buying them vests and hats and telling the neighbors the cute

things they did. Maybe I’d become the doggie guy, posting dog pictures

on Facebook, daydreaming with them about cats named Trixie.

I walked outside to wait. A lone coyote howled. Otherwise, all was quiet.

A siren approached in the distance. I hoped the driver wouldn't have it

blaring up the hill and waking the neighbors, now that it was after midnight.

Soon the siren stopped, and minutes later, a large growling engine moved

in range, revealing a giant fire truck, red lights twirling. A fire truck? I wasn’t

on fire.

Four firemen in their big boots and florescent yellow jackets appeared before

me,

one opening the side of the truck and pulling out a case. “What’s your name?”

he asked.

“Javier O’Hara.” I know, Irish last name, but my dad was Irish, and my mom

from Peru.

He checked his clipboard and nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“You’re the ambulance?”

“No. It’s coming. I'd like to take your vital signs.”

I smirked. He wouldn’t find any.

“Let's go in the house.” I opened it up to barking dogs. I turned off the screeching

alarm. The man with the case asked me why they were called, and I told him of

my back pain and suspected kidney stone. He took my blood pressure – 179/85 –

and soon more red lights poured through the front door. The ambulance had

arrived. Two young male paramedics in blue uniforms hurried in with a gurney

on wheels.

“I don’t need that,” I said. “I can walk.”

As I walked outside and approached the square-backed ambulance, one

paramedic said, “Are you sure you don’t want a gurney? You look a little wobbly.”

“That’s because I’m in pain. Get me to the hospital.”

In the rear of the ambulance to Glendale Memorial Hospital, I sat sideways

with a seatbelt. While one paramedic drove, the other sat in the back with

me and poked at his tablet, then asked me, “How much water did you drink today?”

“I don’t know. The usual.”

The benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks

Guest review by Sage Nor

Reading Christopher Meeks 'The Benefits of Breathing' was like wrapping myself up in a warm blanket with a nice cup of tea by my side. I have not read a short story collection like this in some time and the experience I had reading it reminded me what I love about short stories. I felt everything while reading this! Joy, sadness, fear, triumph, it is not every writer that can make you feel like that within a limited amount of pages, but Meeks pulls it off beautifully.

Some of these stories were pure emotion, like the poetic and simple 'Nestor By The Numbers' or the story that shares it's title with the book 'The Benefits of Breathing.' Both were stories about men who were experiencing a loss and trying to overcome it in their own ways. The book starts off strong with the tale 'Joni Paredes,' a story about a divorcee turned widow, who has had some trouble in love within the past few years. Joni meets someone at her daughter's wedding, but is it love, or just another let down? This story ended up being my favorite (high praise, considering it would be hard to choose one that I didn't like). I just loved Joni as a character and I appreciated her determination to find someone to love.

Each story was like stepping through a portal into another world and each story felt complete and whole even if it ended on a cliffhanger. Meeks has a rare talent for making the reader care individually about every character even if they only get to stay with them for a few pages. I look forward to reading more of his work and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves short stories or anyone who can appreciate a great book.

About Christopher Meeks

Award winning author, Christopher Meeks has five novels and two collections of short fiction published. The Benefits of Breathing’ is his third collection of short stories. He has had stories published in several literary journals, and they have been included in the collections "Months and Seasons" and "The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea." Mr. Meeks has had three full-length plays mounted in Los Angeles, and one, "Who Lives?" had been nominated for five Ovation Awards, Los Angeles’ top theatre prize. Mr. Meeks teaches English and fiction writing at Santa Monica College, and Children’s Literature at the Art Center College of Design. He lives in Pasadena, CA.
Website at: www.chrismeeks.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christopher-Meeks-212382392140974/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.meeks1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeeksChris

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Giveaway Benefits of Breathing by Christopher Meeks
This giveaway is for the winner’s choice of print or ebook however, print is open to Canada and the U.S. only and ebook is available worldwide. There will be 3 winners. This giveaway ends June 27, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only. a Rafflecopter giveaway