Trials of a Legal Junkie
a novel
with Frank Clem (Narrator)
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Pub Date Oct 6 2026 | Archive Date Dec 28 2026
MilSpace Books | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles
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Description
Robert Marion is living a dream that feels like a heist. A former Marine captain and lawyer, his memoir Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star has made him a national sensation. Suddenly, he is rubbing elbows with Hollywood directors, sailing on yachts and flying on private jets with A-list celebrities. But behind the designer shirts and the quest for a blockbuster movie deal lies a fracturing soul. Haunted by the death of his best friend, “Slim,” and burdened by a childhood shaped by the rigid, homophobic indoctrination of fundamentalist Bill Johnson University, Rob finds that fame is an unstable narcotic.
When his high-stakes relationship with a powerful New York talent agent collapses and his professional life dissolves into a string of dead-end temp jobs, Rob’s occasional “social drinking” spirals into a lethal dependence on crystal meth. The man who once spoke truth to power on live television finds himself a “legal junkie,” scuttling out of Penn Station with nothing left but two suitcases and his beloved West Highland Terriers, Xander and Willow.
Redemption arrives in the most unlikely of places: Marietta, Georgia. In the structured recovery community of Jaya House, Rob must finally drop the narrative of his "fabulous life" and face the man in the mirror. As he transitions from a high-powered attorney to a public defender for the disenfranchised, Rob discovers that the path to liberation isn't found in a movie deal, but in service, surrender, and the quiet discipline of a single breath.
Insightful, witty, and unflinchingly raw, Trials of a Legal Junkie is a testament to the power of connection and the enduring hope of restoration.
A Note From the Publisher
eBook: 9798895030431
Additional Book Formats with (ISBN-13)
eBook: 9798895030431
Advance Praise
“A modern-day picaresque novel with an unforgettable hero.”
—Kirkus Reviews
"Raw, searching, and fiercely humane, Trials of a Legal Junkie shows that redemption begins when winning matters less than refusing to throw anyone away."
–Thomas Anderson, Literary Titan
"Trials of a Legal Junkie is far more than another LGBTQ+ story of overcoming societal pressures and norms to live authentically. It is a story of a man who recognizes his weaknesses, takes action to fix them, and then goes on to be an outstanding citizen of his community. It is indeed a story of a hero and earns my highest recommendation as a must-read for everyone."
–Robert A. Groves for Readers' Favorite
"Rich Merritt’s Trials of a Legal Junkie is brilliant literary fiction, and this is a brutally honest book that also happens to be genuinely funny. I laughed when Rob tells the men at Jaya House, the sober living home where he rebuilds his life, that he once flew on actor Tom Dodge’s private jet; they answer by asking whether he needs a drug test. The legal writing is also excellent. A State Bar panel about criminal appeals becomes exciting when appellate defender Luke Warren explains why the work matters to people whose liberty depends on it. Austin, a young Jaya House resident, is my absolute favorite, especially when he keeps calling pro bono work “pro boner.” Well written and wildly entertaining, readers who enjoy literary fiction about rebuilding a life after addiction will adore this." –Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Marketing Plan
Wide ARC distribution
Media interviews
Wide ARC distribution
Media interviews
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798895030424 |
| PRICE | $23.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 572 |