About Before by J. Kilburn:
In the novel BEFORE, writer J. Kilburn brings readers a light-hearted and whimsical coming of age story that follows the adventures and misadventures of Just Regular Kids as they grow up in a pastoral and peaceful New England college town. Buckle your seatbelts – all may not be as it seems. Events in a far-away criminal underworld lurk in the background as these teenagers take their first steps into adulthood. Adventurous readers will discover that two Sweet Sixteens have a lot more in common with hardened criminals than you – or they – might realize…. Surprises are in store for everyone! BEFORE both celebrates and indicts the sweet and sordid in small-town, everyday life. This Crime Fiction and Coming-of-Age mashup by J. Kilburn will leave you howling… while the questions and answers posed by this novel will have you re-examining the sunny streets and wildflower-filled lanes of your own neighborhood. 500 pages / E-book Sale price 99 cents for all of July 2022!
Readers’ Favorite calls it a “hilarious” coming-of-age satire that’s “…probably among the top one percent….” and awards BEFORE a 5-star rating!
Independent Book Review calls BEFORE “gripping” and “refreshing” character-driven fiction and recently featured the book in the online magazine as a recommended Coming-of-Age/YA read!
InD’tale Magazine warns that the book has controversial content, and then calls J. Kilburn “…a master at writing character development!” and gives it a starred review – 3 stars!
Midwest Book Review calls BEFORE “a deftly-crafted blending of coming-of-age and crime fiction” and recommends the novel for addition to library General Fiction collections!
The publisher continues to recommend BEFORE to fans of crime fiction, coming-of-age tales, and small-town drama. Other readers who might enjoy the novel include social workers, policing professionals, retired international spies, reformed juvenile delinquents, parents recovering from a particularly challenging teen, teens recovering from a particularly terrible parent.
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Author Bio:
J. Kilburn’s narrative style has been compared to those of Joyce Carol Oates, Virginia Wolfe, D.H. Lawrence, Hunter S. Thompson, and Nell Zink. His subjects and almost cinematic descriptions of setting have earned his work comparison to movies and television shows like Sons of Anarchy, Tin Star, Twin Peaks, and Thelma and Louise. Prior to Heaven’s Door, a Novel and BEFORE, Kilburn’s other published work was a feature-length investigative news article that got the whole page in his community newspaper.
Kilburn lives a quiet and private life on the shore of America’s sixth Great Lake. He has lived and worked in Vermont, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Minnesota. During these travels, Kilburn has dabbled in law enforcement, private security, emergency medicine, truck driving, and horse-logging. Other occupations have included at-risk youth mentor, big-city process server, park ranger, and industrial wastewater treatment operator. Along the way, he’s pedaled to 14,000 feet above sea-level in a major bicycle race, been marooned overnight on a deserted island, ridden a motorcycle from Chicago to Thunder Bay, and hiked Vermont’s highest peaks to watch sunsets on both the longest and coldest days of the year. He currently maintains plastics processing machinery for a major manufacturing company. When not at work he and his wife enjoy life around a little urban farm complete with greenhouse, garden, and mini-barn. Their current flock is composed of four chickens and a cat named Sierra Feral.