About Right Under Your Nose

"Right Under Your Nose”- Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll was originally titled "NASCAR on Broadway" because the main characters raced through the streets of New York City like they owned them. I was writing about characters that grew up in a small town on the Jersey shore who became involved in the acquisition, possession, transportation and distribution of recreational drugs on a huge scale. However, I knew that it didn't reflect the true essence of the book. I also felt that reader might think it was about a Race Car or possibly a Hot-Rodder’s experiences! I finally decided it would be my version. 1, until I came up with the inspiration for the "real title". Well, it took a while but it finally came to me one day when my wife told me to tell it like it is... 

Listening is an important part of relationships. I highly recommend it.

In any event, the story was inspired by revelations of a group of local (at the time teenagers) who lived during a convergence of trends: political unrest, music, culture, philosophy, drugs, international conflicts, social awareness, freedom of expression, and more. The research was intense and required many months of reviewing the facts, reading and assembling the images to bring the characters, settings and story to life... 
From conception to completion was a five year process that included learning the craft of storytelling. After all, the characters need to be believable, with genuine motivations, not cardboard cut-outs. Over 50% of the information that was written, cut and rewritten and never made it into the book but was worth it as the characters I knew as real human beings came to life on the pages. To make the journey more of an adventure I've included a significant number of photographs along the way. 

From the beginning, I wanted to tell the true story, full of action with enough description to give the reader a look at what was going on as the events unfolded but allowing the imagination to complete the rest. I hope that I have succeeded. It is with a profound sense of respect and gratitude that I thank you for taking the time to read my book.

Warmest regards,

Gene Brignola