Jay Got Married consists of 9 humorous and, at times, poignant essays chronicling the ironies of everyday life in word and picture. Take for example the lead essay, aptly titled, "Jay got Married," where I find myself mired in a horrendous dream.
In the fantasy, my aging father--dressed in his favorite Champion t-shirt with stains covering the front--marries my wife and I like he did 42 years ago but, this time around, the my 92-year-old ex-clergy dad forgets his lines causing me to coach him through the event with hints like: "ask for the rings, ask for the rings." All the while, my best man sings Sonny and Cher's, "I Got You Babe."
Finally married, my wife and I end the ceremony with a kiss. But as I turn to exit, my eyes catch a glimpse of the bridesmaid who is no longer my wife's best friend but now Gal Gadot from Dell Comics and Wonder Woman Fame. She is dressed in full Wonder Women regalia and looks totally shocked by the whole affair.
My mother turns to my father (now in the audience) with a quizzical look and says, “Dad, look at that bridesmaid. Isn’t that Superman?” She doesn't get out much.
As we exit the church, and the bubbles fill the air--no one uses rice anymore—my wife ignores the limo and takes off on a sleek motorcycle, leaving me in the lurch—hence the cover.
Sure, it's sounds crazy. But, in truth, isn't the world of marriage crazy these days? In my case, what would one do when faced with the prospect of losing their beloved wife after 42 years? At age 67, would they remarry? Would they even want to remarry? These and other marital tidbits are discussed with humor and as much reverence as I could muster.
P.S. The author pairs up with Wonder Woman again in a final bit of photo wizardry Why? How? How are tricky copyright infringement laws avoided? Read Jay Got Married and find out.
Excerpt
I had a frightful dream. I was standing at the altar with my wife and 400 guests in attendance. It seemed to be a repeat of our wedding in 1976. My now 95-year-old father performed the ceremony for my wife and me the first time around, and that’s how old he appeared to be in this vision. He kept forgetting the lines and was forever looking at me for support. At one point, I was whispering, “The rings, the rings.” I kept reaching for them, but they were disappearing before I could grab them.
Albie, my cousin and best man from my first wedding, was singing Sonny and Cher’s, I Got You Babe. Normally, he can’t sing for shit, but in this scenario, he had his hand on his chest and his head back, sounding like Luciano Pavarotti. What was this all about?
My father, the minister, wearing his trademark Champion sweatshirt, with coffee stains on the chest portions, pronounced us man and wife. I turned to kiss my new bride and caught a glimpse of her bridesmaid. But instead of her best friend who was her attendant back in the day, it was Gal Godot from DC Comics and the movies.
She was wearing her Wonder Woman garb, but she didn’t seem primed for a wedding. In fact, she appeared to be totally shocked by the whole affair. What kind of dream was this?
My wife and I ended the ceremony with a kiss. My mother turned to my father (who was then in attendance in the audience) with a quizzical look and said, “Dad, look at that bridesmaid. Isn’t that Superman?”
She was close. She doesn’t get out much.
Tell us about your book. What inspired it?
Jay Got Married consists of 9 humorous essays and the lead essay, which is also entitled Jay Got Married, got the ball rolling. I sat down with a pencil and legal pad and began sketching out this essay and once the ideas began to flow, I began to get ideas for other essays. Once I think I have enough material I go to the computer and flesh it out.
I was inspired by my own wedding 43 years ago which I turned into a dream at the beginning of the essay. The dream, of course, was staged. It went something like this:
Interview
Jay Got Married consists of 9 humorous essays and the lead essay, which is also entitled Jay Got Married, got the ball rolling. I sat down with a pencil and legal pad and began sketching out this essay and once the ideas began to flow, I began to get ideas for other essays. Once I think I have enough material I go to the computer and flesh it out.
I was inspired by my own wedding 43 years ago which I turned into a dream at the beginning of the essay. The dream, of course, was staged. It went something like this:
Jay Got Married
I had a frightful dream. I was standing at the altar with my wife and 400 guests in attendance. It seemed to be a repeat of our wedding in 1976. My now 95-year-old father performed the ceremony for my wife and me the first time around, and that’s how old he appeared to be in this vision. He kept forgetting the lines and was forever looking at me for support. At one point, I was whispering, “The rings, the rings.” I kept reaching for them, but they were disappearing before I could grab them.
Albie, my cousin and best man from my first wedding, was singing Sonny and Cher’s, I Got You Babe. Normally, he can’t sing for shit, but in this scenario, he had his hand on his chest and his head back, sounding like Luciano Pavarotti. What was this all about?
My father, the minister, wearing his trademark Champion sweatshirt, with coffee stains on the chest portions, pronounced us man and wife. I turned to kiss my new bride and caught a glimpse of her bridesmaid. But instead of her best friend who was her attendant back in the day, it was Gal Godot from DC Comics and the movies.
She was wearing her Wonder Woman garb, but she didn’t seem primed for a wedding. In fact, she appeared to be totally shocked by the whole affair. What kind of dream was this?
My wife and I ended the ceremony with a kiss. My mother turned to my father (who was then in attendance in the audience) with a quizzical look and said, “Dad, look at that bridesmaid. Isn’t that Superman?”
She was close. She doesn’t get out much.
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing for about 20 years. My first book—Fighting the Effects of Gravity: One Man’s Journey into Middle Life—was begun in 1996 but published in its current form 2012.
Have you started your next project
Yes.
My next project is tentatively called: Old Age Sucks and is intended to be a sequel to my first book. Now at the age of 67, I’m discovering that middle age was just a nice little warm-up act to old age, a dark cloud for the thunderstorm about to come. As it were.
How did you choose the genres you write in?
Actually, the non-fiction genre chose me. Even though I’ve written three fiction books, individual vignettes suit my style better than anything else. Other writers find it more appealing to make stories up but I enjoy taking factual material and poking fun at it.
What are your future ambitions?
As they say, writing isn’t a sprint it’s a marathon. I think that the best thing to do is to keep writing and promoting your books until readers take notice. Hopefully, if one book catches on, it will create interest in the others.
Favorite places to read?
In my favorite recliner in the TV area.
Any last words?
If you read the book, you’ll see that my essays are chock full of clipart and snappy photos of the good-looking author. This strategy is not designed to allow the reader to look at the pictures if they don’t want to read the book but to provide a visual effect for the written words.
For instance, here is a quote take from an essay titled, Celebrity: Because We Need to Know which discusses our fascination with celebrity. Here’s the author doing some research:
Having been on this earth for over 6 decades now, I’ve had a chance to study the celebrity phenomenon, and I think I’ve come to a startling conclusion. I’ve read the tabloids, including the National Enquirer, and watched the fluffy evening magazines like Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, and E! News.
You’ve seen the infamous National Enquirer hanging out with the Soap Opera News in the checkout isle. Don’t be coy. You’ve sneaked a peek, while some pain-in-the-ass customer holds everyone hostage by trying to pay with foreign currency or something equally horrendous.
Here’s a pic of the author, copping a few Zs after reading his favorite paper:
Yes, I’ve paid attention to the superstar life, and I’ve concluded that fame is not what it’s cracked up to be. In short, it sucks.
Why would I say this? Because celebrity is not healthy for all concerned. We shouldn’t get all caught up in the lives of the rich and famous, and they should put it all in perspective, keep themselves grounded. But that’s a difficult proposition, because celebrity is a drug in this society—one that we apparently need to survive. Like a vampire has to have blood, we must know what the Kardashians are up to. And those who are in the limelight need to feel loved.
About the Author
James Robinson, Jr. is an award-wining author who has written 6 books in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. His first book Fighting the Effects of Gravity: A Bittersweet Journey Into Middle Life, was an Indie Award winner for nonfiction. His first foray into fiction, Book of Samuel, was a Readers’ Favorite Award Winner. His latest book—Jay Got Married—is a collection of 9 humorous, sometimes poignant essays.
Mr. Robinson resides in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife of 43 years. He is the father of three daughters ages 37, 38, and 40 and has six grandchildren
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/James-Robinson-Jr./e/B0074O0QLI%3F
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesrobinsonj1
The book is on sale for $0.99.
Giveaway
James Robinson Jr. will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your review of this book, it sounds like a very great read and I'm glad I got to hear about it.
ReplyDeleteHow long did it take you to come up with the story in the book?
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHi Jay, thanks for stopping by! What advice would you give to writers today?
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read
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