Drifting, Falling

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A remorseful call girl decides to atone for her actions, leading to thoughts of suicide as she grapples with her mental health. This tragic choice marks the end of the beginning.

Twenty-one year old Ripley Luna, a plucky and resourceful survivor of trauma, navigates life as a college student by day and a call girl by night. As she plots her escape from the grip of PTSD, she struggles with her mental health despite her psychiatrist's best efforts. With the support of her best friend Mort, she contemplates suicide as a form of atonement for a crime she committed.

Drifting, Falling — Diary of a Call Girl Suicide chronicles the life of Ripley Luna, a smart and beautiful young woman who endured multiple childhood traumas that ultimately set her on a tragic path toward suicide. Named in homage to the protagonist of the Alien movies, Ripley once dreamed of becoming an astronaut. However, her aspirations were derailed by the emotional jetsam of her past, leading her to earn a living as a call girl for a stable of wealthy clients. By day, she attends college to expand her knowledge, while at night, she navigates the bed sheets instead of the stars she once longed for. Her natural inquisitiveness and intelligence drive her to seek improvement in her life. With humor and sarcasm, Ripley peels back the layers of her complex existence. She receives support from her psychiatrist, Dan Truscott, who is grappling with his own moral dilemmas, and Mort, her best friend, as she attempts to find a way off the Earth and into the realm of her dreams. Deeply fascinated by astronaut lore and Greek mythology, Ripley will keep you wondering whether the Apollo 13 slogan, 'Failure is not an option,' will apply to her journey as she confronts her mental health struggles.

"In a voice at turns wry and tender, Ullman brings to life a woman who may be damaged by the dark roads life has taken her down, but it's her strength, a call girl navigating her troubled past, that readers will remember; her singular sense of self. Not since Alien has a Ripley been more riveting." -- Deborah E. Kennedy, author of Tornado Weather

"A. J. Ullman's writing is as sexy and smart as his characters in this dark but enlightening cat-and-mouse tale about a troubled call girl and her beguiled therapist, exploring themes of mental health and connection." -- Jim DeBrosse, author of "Hidden City."

"A tantalizing journey into the mind of a depressed young woman, tortured by her life's traumas and poor choices. You will find yourself standing on the ledge with her—the same ledge that exists in each of our minds when life becomes too much to bear, where thoughts of suicide may linger. I hope that you never have to stand on this ledge; but this book will take you there. Will you jump? Will someone be there to catch you?" -- Dean Visk, MSN, Director of Behavioral Health at a Cincinnati community mental health center

Publication date: October 6, 2017, available in print or digital version from Moonshine Cove Publishing. This release also touches on themes of mental health, bringing attention to important issues such as the struggles faced by individuals, including those in challenging professions like a call girl, and the serious topic of suicide.