Book 2 in the Psychotic Break Series, “Half” picks up where “5150” left off. Ethan moves to a halfway house where he befriends an eclectic group of mental patients and other delightful kooks. He falls hard for a fellow client, and together they plot a romantic escape from the mental health system.

5150: A Transfer

A tale told by a young madman, 5150 is a firsthand account of a descent into madness, institutionalization escape, recapture, and eventual release. The young protagonist haunts the gritty underbelly of the San Francisco Tenderloin in the 1980’s. Psychosis and cigarette smoke intertwine in a coffee-ringed world of hairspray, dyed black hair, hobos, and hospital gowns.


In Book 3 of the Psychotic Break Series, Ethan escapes the confines of the Mental Health system on his journey to Mexico.

Along the way, he encounters shaman, witches, martial artists and one dashingly handsome psychic rich kid with a penchant for causing trouble. Each encounter changes the picaresque Ethan as he winds his way deep into the heart of this magical nation.

A Quarter

The only thing worse than being mentally ill is being mentally ill and strung out on dope. This fourth and final installment in the Psychotic Break Series sees Ethan struggling to rejoin society as drugs take center stage in his life.

Home from Mexico with a shampoo bottle full of paregoric, Ethan drifts from job to job and house to house, unable to get his footing. The only thing that remains constant in his life is the relief heroin provides. The drug takes hold in tiny steps. He doesn’t become a junkie overnight; he knows he is playing with fire.

Seventh Avenue South

In this prequel to 5150, Ethan Lloyd shows great promise when he chooses to leave the remaining shreds of his family and move to New York City with plans to go to college in the fall. Mental illness, money, and low self-esteem gain the upper hand, forcing him to drop out of Columbia University and return home to San Francisco to face his demons. “7th Ave South”lays the foundation and gives context to the circumstances that lead six months later to Ethan’s 5150 transfer to the mental hospital from jail.