News and Reviews

Diary of a Renegade

Press

Steve appeared on the WNB Network West Author's Show on October 26.
Click here to hear the interview.

Fired at 55? How to work past the downsizing blues
Author offers insight on starting a new career late in life

Click here to read the Phenix and Phenix literary publishers' press release in PDF format.

Testimonials

I liked the humor in it especially how Frank became a lot more successful while dating when he listened vs.doing the guy thing of providing solutions! Cindy K.

It is very insightful. Made me pause several times to evaluate my own life and situations I've experienced. Patrick F.

I keep Steve's book on my desk and the words Compassion, Tolerance, Risk and Knowledge on my wall . I really believe it gave me peace of mind no matter what happens and I know I need to take action. Ann G.

IP Book Reviewers / 5-19-08

On January 19, 2004, Frank Moon dies from a heart attack. Shortly after his death, Frank finds himself in a world he thinks is heaven. In Afterlife Crisis, author Steve Mayfield spins a fictional tale around a character dealing with timely issues. What Frank learns is that, no matter what trials a person endures, every human being has something special to give, even if it is as simple as his own warmth.

Before his death, Frank, a fifty-something entrepreneur, is struggling to keep his family afloat following his downsizing after over twenty years of service in an managerial position. He spends a short time in the Resting Place, the mistaken heaven. In this place there is love, support, positive vibes, good music (think the Temptations and the Fifth Dimension) and great conversation: "Eventually, the discussions began centering around warmth -- not the temperature but the human state."

It is in the Resting Place that Frank learns the significance of human warmth. Luna, a visionary, takes Frank into the Warm Room and reveals his warmth rating. After reviewing scenes of his life that corresponded to the four components of warmth (compassion, tolerance, risk, and knowledge), Frank is given a warmth rating of 8.618, which is quite high. As a result, he is asked to return to earth: "We need your warmth to help some people out of a jam…" When he returns, the author recounts Frank's trauma from being downsized and his decision to purchase a tutoring franchise. It is in a school where he offers regular services that Frank uses his warmth to save lives.

Afterlife Crisis comes with a seven song soundtrack that closely follows the events in the book. Mayfield and his band, The Houndz, perform all of the songs. Mayfield's sound is smooth and puts one in the mind of James Taylor. And the band… well, the band is hot. My favorite cut on the CD is the upbeat "Downsizing Blues" because of the fierce guitar and horn solos, and the lyrics, which capture Frank's plight: "I got a double mortgage, many bills I got to pay. My two lovely daughters got a brother on the way." In the medium tempo cut, "The Far Side," The Houndz sing about finding passion, much like the passion Frank discovers when he purchases his business: "Find yourself a dream, then hang on for the ride of your life to the far side." The lyrics for all seven songs are included in the back of the book.

This a short tale with a powerful message about humanity and how people can overcome problems while also giving of themselves. Mayfield's book shows that we all have something to offer, even when we believe we have nothing left.

Afterlife Crisis is a wonderful, enlightening story set to an easy, soul-stirring beat.

Melissa Levine
for
Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org

Afterlife Crisis (Novel with Soundtrack) Review 4-17-08

By Norman Goldman "Editor of Bookpleasures.com"

In his debut novel, Afterlife Crisis (Novel With Soundtrack), Steve Mayfield spins a tender and humble narrative while exploring what makes someone a good, caring, and compassionate human being.

Mayfield's story uses the framework of a fifty-four year old Frank Moon who has just suffered a fatal heart attack. Two minutes after his demise, his soul is sucked into the "Passage," and winds up somewhere called the Resting Place where "there is only love and support now and forever." It is here where Frank meets a visionary, Luna, who explains to him the meaning and importance of "warmth", which incidentally is not the temperature but rather the human state.

Luna informs Frank that as everyone goes through an individual, unique life experience, the person's deeds and activities gradually build a character and a distinctive soul. Moreover, one of the most vital ingredients of that soul is "warmth." Frank is a trifle baffled as to what all this means and Luna then goes on to clarify that warmth consists of four features: compassion, tolerance, risk and knowledge.

Luna also informs Frank that it is fairly easy to measure warmth as we all have degrees of compassion, tolerance, risk and knowledge. In fact, it can even be learned and improved. Frank is now quite interested in knowing how he scored whereupon Luna tells him that before she gives him his results, she would like to revisit with him some of his warmth-forming experiences during his lifetime on earth. And Frank is also reminded that life is not what we think or pray about but rather what we do or in other words, actions speak louder than words.

As we read about these experiences, we get a good picture of Frank's character and some of the fine deeds he had performed during his lifetime. These include the preventing of a gang rape of a young teen-age girl and the rejection of racism that was prevalent among a good majority of his classmates. We also get a peek into some of Frank's crabby moments such as the time he lost patience with an Internet support service technician who was trying to help him with his Internet problem. Each experience is linked to one of the elements comprising "warmth" and when they are all added up, Frank does succeed in coming up with more than a passing grade. As a result, Frank is called up to return to earth and perform one more very important task.

Afterlife Crisis is narrated with a style and execution that is surprisingly uncomplicated for such a complex subject matter. In addition, what stands out about this novel is Mayfield's creativity as he interweaves excerpts from the seven song lyrics extracted from a CD that accompanies the book. These inspirational epigraphs initiate most of the chapters, and as Mayfield informed me when I interviewed him, it was the music that inspired the book. This is something that we often don't encounter, as it is usually the other way around where songs have been inspired by literature.

In addition, what I found most rewarding was that the epigraphs effectively whisper to us the principal themes that are to follow in each of the chapters. This is quite a delicate task, however, Mayfield has pulled it off with flying colors with a wonderful book with wise and heartening advice that makes us stop and ponder the kind of legacy we would like to leave our family and friends.

--Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures