One Hit Away: A Memoir of Recovery by Jordan P. Barnes
Rules to Die By: From Heroin Addiction to Life in Long-Term Recovery by Jordan P. Barnes
Bridgetown: A Harm Reduction Novel by Jordan P. Barnes
Coming 2/13/23! Late Blight in the Koʻolaus: A Novel by Jordan P. Barnes
LATE BLIGHT IN THE KOʻOLAUS: A NOVEL
Seven years after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, Avery West agonizes over the reality that his time at the Hawaiʻi State Hospital is coming to an end. He can’t imagine a life beyond the confines of his psychiatric facility, even if his schizophrenic symptoms are finally in remission. But having spent most of his adult life surviving with mental illness, he has found stability and is terrified of losing everything he’s fought for. Yet despite his reservations, Avery’s treatment team insists he’s ready to move on with his life.
After Avery becomes the newest addition to a local sober home, he struggles to adapt to a world where he’s feared and viewed as damaged goods. Any slip-up will see him hospitalized again, tearing him away from a daughter that deserves to have her father back. But when he becomes involved with a coworker who believes Western Medicine has failed him to no end, Avery toys with the idea of what life in a perfect world would look like. Faced with controlling his destiny, can Avery hold it together or will he spiral into a rapid decline?
From the award-winning author of One Hit Away comes Late Blight in the Koʻolaus, a galvanizing novel exploring the complexities and stigma of mental health, schizoaffective disorder, and where one goes after being found not guilty by reason of insanity.
BRIDGETOWN: A HARM REDUCTION NOVEL
Harm reductionist Harley Hammond manages a dedicated team at the Bridgeworks Syringe Access Program in the heart of Portland, Oregon. Known as a pillar of compassion and hope, she fights for the rights and well-being of people who use drugs.
When a torrent of fentanyl-laced heroin floods a city already crippled by the failed War on Drugs, overdose preventions are overwhelmed and the Bridgeworks team rushes to put life-saving supplies into the hands of those who need them most. As fatal overdoses skyrocket, stigma, blame and fear further fuel an already volatile public health crisis. Risking her position and incarceration, Harley turns to dealers and unsanctioned risk reduction tactics in an attempt to not only “meet people where they’re at,” but ensure no one else gets left behind.
In the wake of his award-winning first book, One Hit Away: A Memoir of Recovery, Barnes dives into the pivotal role of harm reduction programs as they relate to human rights, mental health and social justice. From safer consumption spaces to safer drug use, and following a chilling record set for fatal overdoses in the US, Bridgetown: A Harm Reduction Novel is a found-family journey packed with empathy and urgency to follow the science and pathways proven to work.
Awards
Finalist. 2021 Indiestoday.com Book Awards
Finalist, 16th Annual Book Awards, Addiction & Recovery Category, N.I.E.A. (National Indie Excellence® Awards)
Finalist, 2022’s Readers’ Favorite Book Award Contest, Social Issues Category
Praise
“As a woman in long-term recovery that manages a Syringe Services Program, it’s refreshing to see a novel that shines light on the work we do. Bridgetown honors harm reduction and is beyond entertaining—it’s educational and unapologetically empowering.” —Jen Cutting, C.A.R.C., C.R.P.A. — YouTuber, Founder, Supplies For Life
“Jordan Barnes’ first work of fiction is equally as magnificent as his memoir. Harm reduction and syringe exchanges are life-saving interventions, but rarely found in literature. Bridgetown illuminates tragedy, hope, and the human condition through a groundbreaking lens: the lens of a syringe exchange during an overdose crisis. With vivid characters and a painfully realistic plot, this book brings the message of harm reduction into the hearts and souls of its readers.” —Morgan Godvin, Editor at JSTOR Daily, Activist, Writer, and State Drug Policy Commissioner
“As a person who spent years in active addiction, I was blown away by the struggle, hope, and knowledge woven into Barnes’s riveting novel. Barnes’s ability to capture the emotional turmoil of those in active addiction is unparalleled. A must-read for anyone affected by addiction in any capacity.” —Kyle Ruggeri, C.A.R.C. — Founder/CEO, Soberdogs Recovery
“Jordan Barnes presents a realistic and devastating portrayal of the world of harm reduction and syringe exchanges in a way that allows readers to empathize and understand what it is like to support people when they really need it the most. He adds a human element to substance use that is often criminalized or stigmatized in most communities even today, which reminds us of the trauma that occurs to so many. It can lead us down paths we never intended or imagined, and to the true power of hope and empowerment when the “Harley Hammonds” of the world find a way to give a voice to those who have yet to find their own. All those who provide services and support to vulnerable populations should remember this important message about treating people as human beings and avoiding retraumatization. Thank you Jordan Barnes for reminding us and others about the importance of that work.” —Dr. Shelly L. Bartow, Executive Director, Delaware Opportunities Inc. & Longtime Supporter or Harm Reduction
“Jordan Barnes has written a compelling novel that entertains while teaching the valuable lessons about harm reduction and the opioid epidemic. Well worth the read.” —Peter Canning, Author, Killing Season: A Paramedic’s Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Opioid Epidemic
ONE HIT AWAY: A MEMOIR OF RECOVERY
At the age of 24, Jordan Barnes woke up next to a lifeless body, rifled through his dead friend's pockets for any remaining heroin and went right back to using.
Strung out and homeless during the supposed best years of his life, there was no clear way out of the Opioid Crisis ravaging the streets of Portland, Oregon. But though Jordan had long accepted his fate, his parents still held out hope, and would do everything in their power to get him the help he so desperately needed.
After a harrowing journey that proves the life of an addict will always get worse, never better, Jordan found himself at the gates of Sand Island, Hawaii’s most notorious two-year inpatient treatment facility. He soon discovers that though his heart was in the right place, the hardest battle of his life was yet to come.
One Hit Away is his arduous and unlikely true story of recovery, rehabilitation and redemption.
Awards
Winner, 2020s “Best Book of the Year” Award, Indies Today
Finalist, 15th Annual Book Awards, Addiction & Recovery Category, N.I.E.A. (National Indie Excellence Awards)
Finalist, 2021 Book of the Year Awards, Spiritual/Inspirational Category, I.A.N. (Independent Author Network)
Winner, Nonfiction Cover Design Award, The Book Designer
Recipient, Book Readers Appreciation Group Medallion
Praise
“One Hit Away is a gripping, startling account into addiction, compassion and ultimate salvation. It is powerful because of its honesty. Raw without being sensationalistic, this harrowing account of Jordan’s journey provides insight and compassion into the struggle of addiction. It is an important, engrossing book that is hard to put down.” —Annie Grace, Author, This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life
“Raw, brutal, and jaw dropping. Jordan P. Barnes exposes his readers to the dark abyss that is heroin addiction. His transparency brings a level of understanding and empathy to anyone who has ever been touched by addiction.” —Kylie LeBlanc, Author & Curator, AddictsRipple.com
“One Hit Away takes you on a journey you won’t forget. An honest expression of such a common and hardcore reality is so necessary. This memoir is a work of art for both truth and healing on a level that many of us have yet to encounter.” —Kayleon Dortch-Elliott, Author, One Day At A Time: Remaining in Step, My Sentiments Exactly Podcast
“Barnes’ beautifully written memoir takes one by the hand and invites them into the hell of addiction—the suffocation, the trap, and the never-ending fear that one is doomed. His story is honest, raw, and tugs at the heart. More importantly, he delivers a story of hope—that for even the worst addict, if they want help, happiness can be found. Kudos to Jordan P. Barnes for such profound service through his beautiful words.” —Paul LaGreca, Author, The Boy Behind the China Cabinet
“Jordan’s memoir is a heartrending true story of his journey from being hopelessly addicted—always chasing the next high—to battling his way to sobriety, marriage, and the joys of fatherhood. This is an unflinching story about how it is possible to transcend the darkness of addiction and live a life of happiness.” —Tara Cummins, Author, Mother’s Ingredients: A Memoir
“Once I started this book, I was simply unable to put it down.” —Dave Allen, Indies Today staff
“This book helped me to develop a great deal of compassion for people in Jordan’s situation, and to understand the difficulty and courage it takes to break free from it.” —Jennifer Jackson, Editorial Reviewer
“An inspiring read that takes you on the journey from the lows of addiction to the height of recovery and life.” —Jordan Ehmann, Editorial Reviewer
“Jordan P. Barnes’ One Hit Away takes the reader on a traumatizing yet moving narrative that hits you in the gut from the first chapter on. It’s an emotional tale—a survival rollercoaster of habit and helplessness that exposes the harsh reality of the struggle for sobriety. A naked and honest look inside the perilous road of recovery and rehabilitation, it’s a must-read for anyone wishing to understand the power of addiction as well as the hope for redemption.” —Michael Kitchens, Creator, Stolen Stuff Hawaii
“Authentic and inspiring, One Hit Away is more than just a transparent, real life story of the tragedies of addiction—it’s a heartfelt message filled with hope and salvation. We all know someone who has struggled with addiction. However, if you had the pleasure of meeting Jordan, you’d never know he fought those demons on the bitter, cold, and dangerous streets of Portland—only that he’s an example of how anything is possible in recovery.” —Danny Casler, Curator, My Kailua, Pacific Ink & Art Expo
“As an addict in recovery, I approve this message. Chee huu.” —@HoHungryHungryHawaiian
RULES TO DIE BY: FROM HEROIN ADDICTION TO LIFE IN LONG-TERM RECOVERY AND BEYOND
What does a life in long-term recovery look like, and how does one make the most of it?
Award-winning author and recovery advocate Jordan P. Barnes reflects on his decade-long journey navigating a life in long-term recovery from all mind and mood-altering substances.
Having distanced himself from a hopeless condition of body, mind, and spirit, Barnes spent the better part of the past ten years navigating the traditional twelve steps and fine-tuned what worked best for him in his personal program of recovery.
What emerged was Rules to Die By, a short read, 15,000-word manifesto comprised of 12 reflections on the practices Barnes has employed to maintain a life worth living. These constructs and observations are broken down into relatable, digestible chunks designed to offer invaluable insight into one man’s journey from heroin addiction to life in long-term recovery and beyond.A series of thoughts on successful practices and principles that have guided me through the past ten years of recovery from a hopeless condition of body, mind and spirit.
