Psychological Suspense Story Set in Japan is Dead End Street'sFeatured October E-book

Contact: Robert W. Norris
http://www2.gol.com/users/norris/
rwnorris@iname.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2000

Fukuoka, Japan--Robert W. Norris's "Toraware," a psychological
suspense story about the obsessive relationship of three misfits
from different cultural backgrounds in 1980s Kobe, Japan, is
the October featured e-book from Dead End Street LLC (deadendstreet.com).

Norris, a resident of Japan since 1983, explained about the title,
"The dictionary definitions given for the Japanese word 'toraware' are 'captivity,' 'slavery,' 'imprisonment,' and 'confinement.' In
psychiatric circles, however, the word is used to describe a neurotic
patient's preoccupation with the symptoms caused by his anxiety and
tension. This preoccupation eventually turns into a form of obsessive
behavior.

"As an expatriate constantly dealing with the problems of
communicating in a difficult foreign language, I've both experienced
and observed the effect 'toraware' can have on human relationships,"
Norris said. "Feelings of paranoia, jealousy, depression, fear, and
being an outsider magnify until the person's behavior borders on
insanity. When I set out to write 'Toraware,' I wanted to explore the
psychological states of three unstable characters from very different
backgrounds involved in a relationship that would change each of their
lives forever."

DES co-founder and General Counsel John P. Rutledge said, "We are
extremely pleased to have TORAWARE as our featured selection for
October. It is an extraordinary tale to which all of us can relate."

Synopsis: The year is 1983. The place is the Kobe-Osaka area. A
33-year-old American drifter has just arrived in Japan seeking one
more adventure and an escape from his past. A promiscuous and suicidal 23-year-old Japanese woman has just returned from a two-year homestay in a Canadian mission. A snobbish, 22-year-old Japanese virgin is about to graduate from university and enter the frightening world of adulthood. Three people searching for a place to belong. Three people dancing on a psychological highwire. Three people about to become enmeshed in a relationship that will change each of their lives forever. "Toraware" takes a penetrating look at the obsessions, suspense, grief, misunderstandings, and joys of people from very different cultures and backgrounds who are brought together by fate to find the separate life paths they must follow.

Norris is the author of "Looking for the Summer" (Jacobyte Books,
http://www.jacobytebooks.com), "The Many Roads to Japan" (Osaka
Kyoiku Tosho, 1997), and several articles on teaching English in
Japan. He and his wife live near Fukuoka, Kyushu, where he is an
associate professor at Fukuoka International University.

"Toraware" is available as a Rocket eBook ($9.59) and Adobe PDF file ($9.99). Readers can purchase "Toraware" online from Dead End Street (http://www.deadendstreet.com), Barnes and Noble (http://www.bn.com), and Powell's Bookstore (http://www.powells.com).

Reviews:

"Intriguing...absorbing...holds the reader from the opening
page....The line between eccentricity and losing your marbles is a
fine one. As Norris tellingly shows, often it is just a matter of luck
as to which side of the line you exist on."--Mainichi Daily News

"'Toraware' goes beyond the 'gaijin' experience....[Norris] manages to
evoke the rootlessness felt by young Japanese uncertain about their
future."--The Japan Times

"Crafted in excellent style and patiently honed....The Japanese
characters are wholly convincing....[Norris has] captured the
unassuagable melancholy at the deepest core of the Japanese soul [and] succeeded in convincing us of the reality of [his] vision."--Kansai Time Out

"A wonderful novel about that last love/lust journey some of us take
before we segue into middle age, acceptance and stability. It is a
dangerous journey, not for the weak of heart. Along the way are demons lying in ambush, and false trails which can lead to madness, suicide and even murder. Robert W. Norris has created characters we will grow to love, despite their many flaws, characters who, we hope and pray, will make it through, characters we will always remember. Be prepared to stay up nights as you follow their progress. A number one read!"--Paul Clayton, author of "Calling Crow"