J.J. Cunis

I have lived year round on the Cape since 1984. However, according to local customs, only our daughter is considered a native Cape Codder.  I have engaged in numerous occupations and activities from paperboy, to bag boy, to laborer, to metal fabricator, to photographer, to bank examiner, to CFO, to COO, to the first two time Cape Cod Classic Golf Champion, to ghost youth sports writer, to entrepreneur, to over 30 ice hockey player, to movie extra, while writing along the way. My roots were in Marlboro, MA and I’ve been replanted in Boston, Washington DC, New York, San Juan, Houston and finally Cape Cod where I expect to remain firmly planted barring any climatic catastrophes … knock on wood.

I finished Itchiwan in 2016 and was shopping it to agents. Then, wouldn’t you know it? I was diagnosed with stage four oral cancer. I was cured at the Emerald City … aka Dana Farber Cancer Institute, starting with three surgeries in four days. I had my throat slit and a chunk of my tongue replaced with a dollop of wrist which was replaced with a slice of thigh. Then they administered the traditional extended nuking (radiation) and poisoning (chemo). I was well medicated throughout and a zombie for all of 2017. It was after that I decided I better get this show on the road before the show was over.

With no time to wait for genre mood swings of literary agents, I self-published the book with formatting assistance from Michael Grossman. Yes, yes, I played the cancer card … don’t worry though, I’m okay now … well sort of … I talk like Jack Huston’s Richard Harrow in Boardwalk Empire and drool a bit when I get excited … but other than that I’m fine … I think.