Meet At Joe's

AUTHOR'S NOTE Putting It Out There

Hoboes and hos, drug dealers and degenerates, and of course porno stars and the proliferators of prose known as fiction writers, these are the notorious outcasts of society. Yet, I can't help but think society writes some of them off too quickly. Each in their own way, and often despite unfortunate circumstances, has tried to find a way to survive and even bring pleasure to others. And isn't that what we all should be striving to do? 

At least to some extent, I do admire these misunderstood individuals. I've actually known a few writers outside of Wattpad, one actual drug dealer, and as for the rest, I only have the generally accepted public perceptions.

From what I can tell from these public perceptions, most of these folks appear to be an emotionally disturbed lot. However, it does seem like some, especially porn actors and fiction writers appear to enjoy what they do. These are the ones I really admire. Before you judge, think about it. These people get paid to bring pleasure to others. Sure, some might argue the pleasure is only transient and it might be more admirable if these people put their efforts into improving people's lives in more meaningful ways. But who is to say what actually improves people's lives? And what is really meaningful? There are a lot of presumptuous know-it-alls who claim to know, but I'm not so sure the answer is obvious.

The thing I admire most about this group is that they are willing to put themselves out there with no regard for what society thinks. Yeah, I gotta respect that. So here I go again, putting myself out there. Hope you enjoy.

This is the fourth book in the "Sharing Afflictions" Trilogy, and also another addition to the "Joe's Bar and Grill" series. If you enjoyed the characters from either series, here is a chance to join them again and meet a few new ones. If you haven't read either series, this is an opportunity to meet them for the first time in a comedy of errors with unexpected twists, convoluted mysteries, and a touch of romance.

The story is presented from multiple points of view including characters from both series, some new characters, and some third person omniscient. When the perspective is changed, it is indicated by "POV:" followed by the name of the narrator.

Note: Most of this was written before the outbreak of the war in the Ukraine and the characterizations of the gangs mentioned in this story is in no way meant to be a comment on either Russian or Ukrainian people. There are criminals and heroes in every society as all wars have clearly demonstrated. My prayers are with the victims on both sides. Hopefully, my story will provide an entertaining distraction from these harsh realities. Please enjoy.