Get Vertical: The Sequel to Sideways
To Sequel or not to Sequel: Whether you love or loathe all the attention this sometime awkward, sometimes funny film has garnered there is no denying its success and the demand for a sequel from the readers of the book and very happy movie going public, eager and all most demanding request for a sequel. Thus you have Rex Picketts, latest literary work, a self-published sequel called, Vertical. A book his own agent advised him not to write, for fear of Rex becoming the proverbial one-hit wonder, which has doomed a many rockstar wanna-bes to the outlands of residual ridicule.
The Title: Regarding coming up with a title for the sequel, Rex is quoted to say, "I had a tough time coming up with the appropriate name, but through a conversation in his favorite wine store, he found what he thought would be perfect one word title." For one I love the one word title and two I love how the title conveys the subtle imagery of a vertical wine tasting. Because like sampling and surveying wines in a vertical tasting, the title implies there is a surveying series [snapshots if you will] based on vintage years of the characters and is a nifty way for the reader to experience just how unique every year can be in the life of a wine and the life of what really amounts to ordinary people.
Choices: It has been said [and of course it's known], that everybody dies, but on the flip side of that equation not everybody lives. What you can take from that meaning is this; life has so much offer us whilst we toil upon this sod, and for those who don't grab for the gusto, regret will be all you have left. I think the characters from the book, Miles and Jack perfectly illustrate that sentiment, and this alone should compel you to grab a copy of what appears to be another very interesting look into the lives of two ordinary guys, whose choices in life have some real consequences and some real joys as well.
The Plumb Line: Typically known as, "A line from which a weight is suspended to determine verticality or depth" thus what is true in a plumb line is equally true in the plot of Rex Pickett's new book, Vertical. According to Rex, “I have led a surreal life since the popularity of the movie Sideways was released, “said Pickett, who says he was unprepared for the overwhelming success of the film release of Sideways and went on to say that “Vertical captures both the highs and lows of that real existence." I for one can't wait to read his new book, which appears to really plumbs the depths of these two wonderfully flawed characters and brings them to life once more.
Plot Nuggets: Here are a few nuggets of wonderfulness to expect in the sequel. The story lines picks up seven years later and once again Miles and Jack take a different, but similar kind of Road trip that takes them through wine country once more, but his time with Miles’s mother on board, as well as her Filipina caretaker. The novel opens at the World of Pinot Noir event in California’s Central Coast, and follows the foursome, as they visit one wine region after another, between the Central Coast and The Willamette Valley, Oregon. You can also expect to see Miles and Jack in a bit of a role reversal. Miles is no longer the melancholy pulling the luggage of damaged emotions, but the surprised and victorious writer that he never imagined he would be. Mean while back at the ranch, Jack takes the well traveled road of failure and loss looking for a way out, but still digging that same hole that got him there in the first place.
Where to Purchase: You can grab a "softcover" copy of the new book from VerticalNovel.com for $15 or the E-Book for $10.95 through Amazons website and can use your PayPal account if you wish. Buy the Book. Loose Gravel Press will release Vertical in paperback and electronic editions on November 23. A special hardback gift set of Sideways and Vertical: Two for the Road Edition will also be released as a “gift package for the wine lover” in early December. But I've yet to find it available at Amazon or anywhere else for the time being. But I guess early December is a relative term.
Looks like it's going to be another fun and fascinating read and the wine luving guy or gal in your life would surely appreciate a copy of the follow-up sequel to the book Sideways, with Vertical in their stocking this year. Have a wonderful holiday season, sip long and prosper cheers!
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