06
Fri
November
INSIDE OUT
One Actor's Nightmarish Journey of Incarceration
by Jack Kearney (Author)
A working actor who taught an acting workshop inside a federal prison is convicted of murder and six months later, sent back through the same gates as an inmate, where the men he once taught now decide whether he survives.
Description
Set in 1978, we meet actor Danny Belson who has played many criminal types. But as the prisoner transport bus pulls out of the LA county jail, the realization of his conviction overwhelms him. The irony is that only six months ago he taught an acting workshop at the same institution he is now going to be incarcerated in. It is a fictional account of what happens to an “Everyman” that gets caught up in a system deliberately designed to treat all felons the same. Through flashbacks we follow Danny as he goes from a carefree actor, who's only worry is knowing when his next audition will come, to a convicted murderer. His innocence fully revealed . It introduces the readers to a multitude of characters. Some good, some bad, and a few just evil. Watch Danny go from struggling actor to struggling for his life
When he was teaching the inmates he bruised some egos. So, once inside three of his his workshop enemies carry out a plot to have Danny brutally attacked and raped by the prison kingpin, Gigolo. Danny is sent to the infirmary where he seems to be in a coma. Danny only reveals his deception to his workshop friends, as they plot and carry out his revenge on all four attackers, Will they get caught? One thing is certain, each retaliation will have readers cheering.
All this happens within a very short time. During which time, his attorney is desperately working on his appeal. In the meantime, one of his new friends is using his connections to prove Danny's innocence. Or will the warden be able to prove that Danny was part of the revenge plot and give him extra time? This is a plot no one has ever read before, and will keep one guessing until the end.and beyond.
I wrote it because I taught that workshop. I spent years as a struggling actor — MASH, WKRP in Cincinnati, General Hospital — and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in its first Los Angeles graduating class, before an acting teacher brought me into a program at the federal facility in Lompoc. The story came out of that experience. The flashbacks showing the life of a struggling actor are all based on mine. I just expounded on them. The prison experience is pure fiction.
I even have an award winning screenplay based on my novel
Publication Year : 2026
ISBN : B0GL1ZWT6Q
Awards or Recognitions : My screenplay of INSIDE OUT won GFA, an international contest, and has placed in the top five in six other competitions, with a runner-up finish in another.
Reader Testimonials / Reviews :
By Tracy A. Fischer for Readers’ Favorite
5* In a great book by debut author Jack Kearney, Inside Out: One Actor’s Nightmarish Journey of Incarceration, we follow the story of Danny Belson, a man used to playing inmates, but not of actually being one. Finding himself in the highly unique situation of becoming incarcerated next to men that he had recently trained in a prison acting program, Danny already has friends and enemies at the Medium Security Federal Prison in Lompoc when he is sent there as a convicted murderer. From living an untroubled life filled with beaches, auditions and volleyball, to navigating the intricacies of prison social order within the span of a very few months, Danny realizes that his learning curve is short and he’ll need to use every skill he has, including those as an actor, but this time, it’s not for entertainment, it’s for his very survival. Inside Out was a fantastic read. Engaging, entertaining, fast-paced and exciting, this book had a truly unique story to tell. I read a lot and I can honestly say that I don’t think I have ever read a book with a plot like this before. In a world of cookie-cutter story lines, there is much more to like about author Kearney’s debut work, including his ability to create characters that are well-developed and three dimensional, descriptions of both the acting world and the prison world that seem so realistic that it seems likely that he’s spent time in both places, and writing such a great book that the reader will just not be able to put it down until it’s done. Inside Out would appeal to any reader who loves suspense, creativity in writing style, or simply a great work of fiction. This is Jack Kearney’s first novel, but I certainly hope to see more from this very promising new author.
