An Eighth and Onwards: Real Things I Said, Did and Felt

Staring out at Lake Huron in the night is like staring into outer space. The darkness seems to go on forever until a few lights on a faraway coast reveal how vast it all really is. But instead of just looking up at the sky and into the blackness of the cosmos, I feel like I’m there too. Within all the empty space. I can barely see the sand under my shoes but I feel it in my socks. The wind sweeps by my face, carrying the smell of moss and minerals on its gust. Waves swash in and swash out. My family chats with each other further down the beach. I know something bigger is out there in front of me, but I can’t see it all right now despite how much I want to. I only get parts. An Eighth and Onwards is a collection of twelve creative nonfiction short stories and seven comic vignettes that follow Juliver Ramirez and his troubles with bullies, friends, girls, family and God. With his simple desire to love and connect, Juliver can only ride along the vicious yet valuable spirals of life, drawing on his past to keep him moving forward.