Waking Up the Phoenix: A Blackstone Novel (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781500328924)

James Allison spent the first eighteen years of his life in South Bend, Indiana, USA. It was there that he put together his first book of poetry which he entitled 'The Mountains of Imagination.' This was in 1973. Upon graduation from John Adams High School in 1973, James flew to California to live with his father and attend college. James met and married while living in San Jose. James was working full time and writing poetry and putting together songs in his off hours. James submitted a number of his poems to different poetry societies and was honored by having a few of his works placed in poetry anthologies. James moved to Virginia in 1993. He divorced in 2001. By then James had earned a Bachelor of Theology degree in 1988 and an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies in 1998. Due partially to the financial collapse in 2008 James faced homelessness in 2009-2010. During that time James started writing poetry dealing with his experiences while living in his truck and homeless shelters. James has published four volumes of poetry - 'Into the Dark Waters, ' 'In a Place Called Time, ' 'Emerald Sky, ' and 'Running with the Moon.' All his books are available on amazon.com and createspace.com. 'Blackstone - Rising From the Ashes' is James' first novel.