So this is the site.  This is where I’ll be posting any and all news about Southbound, my novel that will be released (date TBD) and essentially everything else in my life.  If you’re coming for the first time then thank you for visiting and I’ll try and update the site as often as possible.  I’ll give you some background on the novel.  First off, it’s a fiction book, however, there is a ton of my story in there.  Essentially Southbound began as a journal entry.  I stopped betting back on December 5, 2010 as gambling had really taken over all aspects of my life.  It was the only thing I dedicated my time and attention to.  Fast forward a few years, and in the Summer of 2012, I was thinking about how it would play out if I ever started up again.  I had saved up some money, didn’t have a lot going on, and had always fascinated about heading south to California or Las Vegas to try and live as a full-time gambler.  So instead of actually doing it, I played it out through the eyes of Ryan McGuire, who is very much me.  There are certainly some differences between myself and Ryan, in some ways good, in some ways bad.  But in the end, the journey and fantasy are how I think things would play out.  I’m very proud of it and think that it’s not only a really close look into the world of a gambler, but also someone struggling with loss, anxiety and gripping to the one familiar thing in their life.  There’s love, loss, and several roadtrips…what else does a story need?  I’m very excited to share the story with you all soon………JB