Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment (but mostly the first two) by Karuna Das

Publisher:  DX Varos Publishing (March 28, 2023)
Category: General Fiction, Fictionalized Memoir, Coming of Age
Tour Dates: April 4-21, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065764
Available in Print and ebook, 280 pages

Description Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment by Karuna Das

On the cusp of turning eighteen, it’s time for Drew Lovell to become a man.

But deep within, Drew has questions—ones he doesn’t know how to phrase—about what that means and how to go about it.

During three intense stretches between 1985 and 1993, taking him into his mid-twenties, Drew undergoes a series of profound experiences—often wild, sometimes painful, and always revealing—that force him to rethink his current assumptions. Only after nearly dying from trying to conform to conventional models of masculinity does he begin to become the man he wants to be and not the one he thought the world required him to be. Still, he’s unable to live with full integrity until interaction with a pair of awakened humans inspires new awareness that helps him at long last embrace the truth of who he is.

Praise for Karuna Das

“Kat’s Cradle is … an inquiry into the nature of consciousness, evolution, and perspective that makes Kat just one of a series of strong characters whose lives intersect in … its paradigm-changing inspection of humanity, spirituality, and forces beyond human ken.”- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
​
“At once thriller and search for meaning, Karuna Das’s story of an extraordinary woman’s self-discovery imagines a world of conspiracy at the edge of science where the stakes couldn’t be higher. Kat’s Cradle probes the very nature of existence and digs for answers at the intersection of medicine and mystery.”- Tom Sweterlitsch, author of The Gone World

​”Kat’s Cradle is neuropunk at its mind-bending and truly optimistic finest.”- Heidi Ruby Miller, author of the Ambasadora series

“awe-inspiring science fiction. I look forward to the next installment.”-H. Miller, Amazon Review

“Great book, with really strong female characters. It’s scifi/ fantasy and an enjoyable read!”-AS, Amazon Review

Interview with Karuna Das

TR: Please tell us something about ‘Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment’ that is not in the summary.  (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

KD: It’s inspired by my own journey to awakening and self-acceptance. I often use the term “fictionalized memoir” to describe it. I wrote it because I wanted to channel my often-painful early adulthood into a work of art that might benefit others as they find their way in the world.

TR: How much time and effort went into your research for the book?

KD: Literally decades, if you consider the ones, I spent living the essence of the story. Given the source, I didn’t have to do a lot of traditional research. Of course, in telling a fictionalized version of the story, I found myself needing to learn information about various elements that made their way into the narrative. I compressed the timeline, for example, and I’m a stickler for credibility, so I wanted to be sure that, when the protagonist did something in a specific place and time that paralleled something, I did in a later place and time, the fictional episode — say, attending a concert in Atlanta in 1992 instead of 1999 — could have really happened when and where it was set. That process led to a lot of serendipitous discoveries. In this case, Lilith Fair became a Cure show, creating an opportunity to quote a song lyric that suited the moment even better than what happened in the real-life situation.

TR: Where did you get the inspiration for your cover or did a graphic artist come up with it?  

KD: I made suggestions about the kinds of images and overall vibe I thought would best represent the material, and DX Varos go-to cover designer Ellie Augsberger came up with what you see. I love it!

TR: Is there any of your real life story buried in the pages of ‘Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment’ that you feel comfortable sharing with us?

KD: Adding to my answer above, the novel offers a fictionalized version of my struggle as a young man to overcome toxic models of masculinity and embrace my bisexuality, which in turn opened me up to true honesty and intimacy with my life partner. (I now identify as pansexual and polyamorous.)

TR: Which actor would you like to see playing Drew from ‘Sex, Drugs, and Spiritual Enlightenment’?

KD: If you asked a few years ago, I might have suggested Josh Hutcherson from the Hunger Games series. He’s probably too old for the role now, or at least he would be by the time it went from novel to screen adaptation to filming. But he’s the right type.

TR: What books are you currently reading?

KD: I’m not currently reading any fiction, but the anthology Coolest American Stories 2023 is at the top of my TBR pile. I’m paused partway through several nonfiction books: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Awake, and Jet Boss.   

TR: Is there another book to write in your future?

KD: I’m a few chapters into the second of three books in my Webolution sci-fi series, the first installment of which, Kat’s Cradle, was recently named an Independent Press Award 2023 Distinguished Favorite in Visionary Fiction. I’m excited to get back to work on the sequel, Solar Max, soon. I’ve also started outlining and drafting a follow-up to SD&SE called More Sex, Drugs & Spiritual Enlightenment (but still mostly the first two) that will draw on my experiences in middle age. And I have a nonfiction memoir in progress, Finding Our Way Home, about my relationship with my late mother and both our relationships with her parents. All that is on hold for a few more weeks, though, as I’m in rehearsal for the world premiere production of my play Pyramid Builders, which will perform here in Pittsburgh in the second half of April.

TR: Are there any questions that you would have liked me or another blogger to ask but didn’t? Please ask and answer.

KD: I have two.
Q: “Are you spiritually enlightened?” A: “No comment.”

Q: “How can readers learn more about you?” A: “Visit karunadaswriter.com.”

About Karuna Das

Karuna Das is the pen and spirit name of Kyle Bostian. Born in Wisconsin, he grew up in Massachusetts and now resides in Pennsylvania, but he lives wherever he happens to be at that moment and feels at home everywhere in the universe. He holds a BA in English and an MFA in Playwriting. In addition to his dramatic writing, he’s published the sci-fi novel Kat’s Cradle as well as short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. He and life partner Ti share their house with five wonderfully wacky cats.

Website: https://www.karunadaswriter.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarunaDasWriter
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/karunadaswriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karunadaswriter/

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