A Peek Inside ‘Ashes of a Cult Classic’

Today (Tuesday June 17th, 2025), I decided to elaborate on what I’ve been discussing. I wanted to enhance the details related to creating and storytelling in a true real world expression. I’ve mentioned “Ashes of a Cult Classic” as the novel I am writing.

I’ve barely teased more than the surface of it all. I’m fixing that now. You, dear readers, mean the world to me. I am humbly offering you a peek into my world with a totally free read of Chapter One.

Summary by my robot co-pilot:

Max’s Monster Taco Burger was never just a burger joint.
For twenty-three years it served as headquarters for daydreamers, night owls, and anybody who needed a place to scribble big ideas on a napkin. One Wednesday it caught fire and—just like that—our little creative clubhouse was gone.

That’s where Ashes of a Cult Classic starts: flames, smoke, and six people learning what disappears along with a favorite haunt. No jump-scares, no monsters under the bed—just real folks facing the moment the music stops.

I’m sharing Chapter 1 here first because Embracing the Spark readers already know the drill. We build, we stumble, we get back up. Sometimes something outside our control lights the match; sometimes we strike it ourselves. Either way, the question that follows is the same: What now?

Chapter 1 sits right in that question. It’s tight, it’s personal, and it sets the stage for everything that follows. If you’ve ever watched your plans change shape overnight, you’ll feel the resonance.

Grab the chapter, read it, and see what surfaces. No sign-up hoops, no sales pitch hiding in the wings—just the opening scene of a story that means a lot to me.

[Download Chapter 1: “What Burned Down Max’s?”]