My Life Among The Stars

About the Book

20-year-old Mortimer Vanderswag is a talented surfer and hopeless misfit who lands a job as caretaker of a crumbling mansion in the hills above the beachtown of Harry’s Landing. The mansion, a well known music venue for much of the twentieth century, has long since fallen into neglect and disrepair. It is by all appearances vacant. But young Mortimer has the ability to see and hear what no one else can: that the mansion is haunted by a procession of the ghosts of the musical greats of the last century who come to jam and cavort there on a nightly basis. He makes friends with George Harrision and David Bowie who take him under their wing, mentoring him on the great popular music of the past. One day a massive spaceship appears inexplicably over Harry’s Landing. Mortimer seems to be the only one to notice it. While puzzling out this phenomenon, he meets a beautiful former surfing champion from Tahiti. He falls for her and discovers that she seems to be privy to the secrets of the mysterious spaceship. Without warning, the spaceship and the girl vanish from his life leaving a distraught Mortimer to his own devices to sort out his life going forward. He receives help from a celebrated photographer visiting from nearby Laguna Beach and a shaman from the desert, who rescues him in the aftermath of a surfing accident during a violent storm. With the generous support and assistance of his famous friends from the Great Beyond, Mortimer begins to mend as he sets out upon a life course which is perfectly aligned with his special metaphysical sensitivities. The only question that remains is whether he will ever again find a love to match the one he lost.

About the Author

Michael Hodjera is the author of nine previous novels. He lives in Laguna Beach, California.