About
John Alvah Barnes, Jr. is a singer-songwriter who has performed as a solo singer-guitarist, front man for various rock bands, and lead singer for smaller groups. He is a certified Bio-medical Electronic Technician and experienced in emergency medicine, working as a first responder (EMT). After becoming disabled, he spent several years as a docent at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. His first three novels are based on his later careers.
ROADWORK, his fourth novel, is based on his first and ongoing career as a musician, but centers on the love story resulting from meeting his wife of 44 years.
Featured Work
Rollover
After his ambulance is T-boned and sent careening down an embankment, medic Jay Barlow faces a life without the use of his legs and a depression that cannot be consoled by his loving wife of 26 years and supportive adult children. But when an opportunity to become a docent at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is presented to him, Jay begins to see a way out of his despair as he gives tours from his wheelchair and immerses himself in the impressive collection of artifacts and the stories of the military veterans who volunteer there. He eventually finds himself in a world where he can escape his physical limitations and become a part of history. Jay’s experiences become increasingly fantastic to the point where his wife Debbie, a registered nurse, becomes concerned that they are a product of PTSD.
Other Works
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Esbenshade
2022
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Kirkwood
2021
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Roadwork
2020
Awards and Recognition
- Readers who choose Rollover will find the story's embrace of PTSD, history, recovery processes, and challenging new realities is thought-provoking and engrossing. The multifaceted approach of this historical, psychological fiction story will attract those who seek stories that are unpredictable and delightfully involving on different levels. Fiction readers will find Rollover's story of a newly disabled medic's revised purpose in life to be compelling; there are many unexpected twists to the tale (including a surprise conclusion) that provide delightful moments of inspection. Midwest Book Review