A Life Transparent

Trade Paperback: $14.95
ISBN: 978-0-6151-5810-5

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Donovan Candle is an average guy living a painfully normal life with his wife Donna and their house cat Mr. Precious Paws. By day he toils away as a telemarketer while desperately clinging to a fading hope of one day becoming a successful author. But that all changes one morning when Donovan awakens to find he is afflicted with a bizarre transparency and visions of a monochromatic world. No one seems to notice his fading self - not even his wife - and by the end of the week Donovan is at his wits’ end. During a random telemarketing call, he confesses to a complete stranger, “If something doesn’t happen to me soon, I’m just going to disappear for good.”

That evening he arrives home to find his house vandalized and his wife missing. The phone rings, and on the line is a man who refers to himself as Aleister Dullington - the same man to whom Donovan made his confession. “Is this interesting enough for you, Mr. Candle?” he asks, and it is with those words that Donovan begins an endeavor to save not just his wife but his own existence, and in doing so he will learn the meaning - and danger - of a life transparent.

Critical Praise

“A Life Transparent is one part horror, one part speculation, and all compelling. It attaches a mythology of consequence to spontaneity and boredom, and throws the reader in with Mr. Candle’s struggle to become interesting without allowing all he loves to be destroyed […] It lacks the polish associated with a career in full swing, but gives us a glimpse into what will soon be just that. Keisling is a dedicated, insatiable writer: A Life Transparent is the preface to a formidable body of work.” - Jon August McRae, author of Io: First Book of Lost and Found Souls

“Powerfully cinematic, Keisling’s A Life Transparent evokes a seldom-explored anxiety of contemporary living in spectacular fashion. You will find the violent upheaval of Donovan Candle’s banal existence riveting.” - James Midgley, Mimesis

“Fast moving, well written - an excellent read. Do yourself a favor and order a copy. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll be supporting an up and coming author in the process.” - Stephen R. Smith, 365tomorrows.com

“A Life Transparent is at once inspirational and concrete. Rich in details, rife with witty dialogue and surreal, chilling events, this novel is a fast-paced, quick, enjoyable read which poses philosophical quandaries about the root of one’s very existence. But for all that, the story reads like a thriller and keeps you on your toes - a must-have on the bookshelves of anyone who enjoys modern fantasy or suspense thrillers.” - Gracie Rafferty, deviantART.com

What Other Readers Are Saying

“Dean Koontz wishes he could write like this.”

“A Life Transparent is a fast, intense, moving read which deals with the inevitable rut a person can wear into his life. I think it would especially appeal to fans of the more fantasy elements of Stephen King or Clive Barker, as well as people who really liked Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. (or fans of Office Space for that matter.) I’ve read Keisling’s work for a few years now, and the quality of his storytelling makes me believe he’s going to be a big-name author some day. This book fully supports that expectation.”

“This is a truly fantastic book. I’ve had the good fortune to work with Todd for sometime and this is by far my favorite. Todd has always produced top shelf work and this is no exception. The images, the most powerful stylistic aspect, have the ability to completely suck the reader into this “both sides of the door” reality that Todd has created so effortlessly. Read it!”

“From its very first words, Keisling’s A Life Transparent reads like a teaser for a really great film. His descriptions envelop the reader in a malicious world of Middle Class mediocrity, and the characters are as familiar as our own reflections. It’s a read that you won’t soon forget, and the end is sure to shake you out of your own complacency.”

“Todd Keisling once again provides an unforgettable read. From the first time the protagonist, Donovan Candle, is introduced to you the claws sink in and you are unable to look away. Riveting, honest and a little terrifying in places, A Life Transparent provides a look away from banality and the push towards a life less ordinary. If you miss out on this now, you’ll be kicking yourself later.”

“Absolutely incredible.”

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