Playing It Down

And Other Revelations on the Glory of Golf by Ralph Cissne

Eighteen Playing It Down stories explore encounters with assorted mentors and teachers, players and pretenders celebrating the glories of parenthood, brotherly bonds, and moments that matter.

“Our mothers were convinced golf would teach important life lessons, build character and preclude a life of crime. ‘Golfers are so clean cut,’ my mother said. If golfers are clean cut, I discovered, that was a clever disguise.”

“I embraced the idea that each of us was a force of nature, a gathering place, a river that whispered and roared as it moved through the world. A river does not turn back. A river goes with the flow, patiently carved canyons from stone.”

“Our group of golf friends grew up with strict parent of The Greatest Generation and a supporting cast of Baby Boom siblings. Those experiences reflected aspects of a brotherly bond tempered with an unspoken awareness, mocking winged monkeys aside, Joe and I aspired to play that other game, the one more meaningful in which dreams never die.”

Paperback, 144 pages

Prudence in Hollywood

And Other Stories by Ralph Cissne

From Farewell True Love to Prudence in Hollywood, Lover Boy to Laughing Stock, a quirky cast of characters pursues love with surprising and humorous consequences: a long-term romance ends; the love junkie meets his match; an Elvis impersonator crashes his class reunion; a stand-up comedian faces her fears; Hollywood personal training clients realize their dreams; a blended family heals emotional wounds.

“An outstanding command of language sets this work apart.”

– The BookLife Prize 2019 (Rated 9.5 out of 10)

“I adore these stories, a rare glimpse into Hollywood at the end of the twentieth century––before Instagram and the Kardashians––a time of innocence and true love and longing. They made me feel glad to be alive and hopeful for our future.”

– Jamie Cat Callan, author of Parisian Charm School

“The genius of the author’s plots is the twists and turns that precipitously balance over the line between melancholy and inspirational. The finesse employed in setting the romantic and sexual scenes is a credit to any author, and his stage settings are as carefully arranged as if drawn by an artist.”

– US Review of Books

152 pages

Angel City Singles

A novel by Ralph Cissne

A couple meet in a stand-up comedy workshop. What more can possibly go wrong?

Driven by a haunting childhood memory, loner David Bishop moves to Los Angeles in search of a fresh start and meaningful employment. The ensuing 1987 Black Monday economic crash forces David into a conflicted part-time job as a host for singles networking parties. “There’s no middle ground,” comedian Rocco Manelli warns. “Here it’s either old money, new money or no money.”

Motivated by his attraction to enigmatic singer Sarah Fleming and mounting financial pressure, David negotiates the humorous challenges of standup comedy, a poetic Bohemian subculture, and the forbidding backstreets of Hollywood. Angel City Singles is filled with suspense, passion and humor as David struggles with the transcendent possibilities for love and understanding.

“Set in a bygone Los Angeles so crisply detailed that its hip haunts and scenic paths often steal the show.”

 – US Review of Books

260 pages

Take your game to the next level with Will of Golf: Mastering the Mind-Body Connection. This unique golf conditioning program combines classic yoga postures and breath work with definitive manifesting and visualization techniques. Nine lessons improve flexibility and range of motion while transforming the ability to focus and create great shots at will.

What you will learn:

* Flexibility: increase your range of motion and power.
* Balance: use breath to relax and complete each swing.
* Focus: transform your attitude into strategic thinking.
* Results: create, at will, the shots you choose.

“The Will of Golf program presents a unique mind over matter approach to improve flexibility, focus, and performance. Helpful for any player, from junior to senior, wanting to lower their scores and enjoy the game.”

– Morgan Height, Director, Tregnan Golf Academy, Los Angeles, CA