Fascinating Read For Hardcore Fans of the Vampire Genre, Secret Histories & Others

Holding my autographed copy of "Minor Confessions of An Angel Falling Upward" with the book's author, Joey Madia (pictured right) at a recent Morgantown Poets event.

Fans of secret histories, vampires, myth, mystery and supernatural lore will savor the pulse within "Minor Confessions of An Angel Falling Upward" by Joey Madia, an established playwright, poet, essayist, short story writer and author of the fantasy novel "Jester-Knight."

In his latest novel, "Minor Confessions," we meet Madia's most extraordinary character yet, "Planner Forthright," the pseudonym for an entity we mere humans can best think of as a "fallen angel/vampire."

In stark contrast to the modern "glittery-skinned," "lover boy" romantic (and wholly un-"real"-istic) "vampire," the truly hardcore aficionados of the genre who much prefer the gritty, teeth-sinking, rotting corpse-draining historical vampire will find plenty of action in "Minor Confessions" to delight both macabre and philosophical sensibilities.

In some ways, Madia's book is a nod to the entire vampire genre, including 1819's "The Vampyre" by John William Polidori and Bram Stoker's famous 1897 Gothic horror classic, "Dracula," as well as the more modern vampire tales of Anne Rice.

However, in the most important aspects of literature, Madia's "Minor Confessions" is much more than simply "another vampire book." In fact, it boldly strives, both within and beyond its chosen genre, to reach a much deeper, more complex level of consciousness. Thus, this novel will appeal to horror enthusiast, psychologist and philosopher alike.

As an immortal entity transcending conventional knowledge of reality, Madia's "fallen angel" represents an extremely complex, compelling and multi-dimensional character which holds readers' interest. Readers will keep turning pages simply to see what on Earth this bizarre, outrageous entity will confess next. Planner Forthright's no-holds-barred commentary gives the reader permission to plummet down numerous "rabbit holes" of morality, ethics, the raw underbellies of newsworthy events, dogmas and superstition, the nature of humanity, politics, religion and pop culture.

Readers who follow Planner's travails closely, who don't fear a peek underneath the surface of his fury and dark humor, will discover a powerful, compelling book, the kind that is very difficult for any author to achieve, meaning, the book that is in a league of its own, one markedly different from all the rest in its genre.

"Minor Confessions of an Angel Falling Upward" is unique in the depths of its journey into the dimensions of awareness provoked by the (blessing and/or curse?) of immortality, as well as consciousness itself. The book compels us to ask the greater questions regarding the history of humankind.

Of course, if you're looking for your typical A, B, C, D plot-driven novel, then this book might not be your "cup of tea," or in this case, goblet of blood. "Minor Confessions" is a stream of consciousness journey dedicated to the most passionate lovers of literature, the avid readers who have "been there and done that," folks who have read everything else and are completely burnt out on the conventional "hum drum." This book is for an insightful, well-read audience seeking a challenge.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to actually get inside the head of a "daemon," or an otherworldly entity, then "Minor Confessions" will take you on a raucous ride through events, histories and realms of thought you may have never visited before.

"Minor Confessions" is highly recommended to a sophisticated audience, but it's certainly not for the faint of heart: When you find established thought patterns shaken like an earthquake and when you behold conventional worldviews being flipped upside down, don't bother screaming in the middle of the night, neither for help nor for sympathy. "Planner Forthright" won't be the one holding your hand.