FEATURED POET/WRITER
Jack B. Rochester
Jack B. Rochester is a fiction writer, ghostwriter, and publisher based in Greater Boston. He is the author of bestselling nonfiction books The Naked Computer and Pirates of the Digital Millenium as well the Nathaniel Hawthorne Flowers trilogy and most recently, Bridge Across the Ocean. He turned to writing fiction in 2007, after working in college textbook publishing and technology journalism. He’s currently working on two distinctly different novels and a short story collection, and blogs regularly on JackBoston.com.
Jack is also the co-founder of an online magazine for literature and art, the Fictional Café. A great outlet for writers and artists at any place in their careers, Fictional Café publishes new content 3-4 times a week, including writing and art from member submissions, interviews, book reviews, and other news. They also have a 2-year virtual residency program and release an occasional print anthology. The ‘zine is always open to submissions from their Coffee Club members.
Latest Release: Bridge Across the Ocean (Brilliant Light Publishing/Media, 2021)
Bridge Across the Ocean is the story of the entrepreneurs behind Smithworks, a high-end custom bicycle maker, who want to bring their new bicycle technology—a drive that can store the energy from pedaling and release it when the cyclist needs it—to the growing market of city bikes. Their colleague, Shieh-Seng “Luke” Lin, has set up a meeting with the CEO of Joyful Bike, the world’s largest bicycle maker, in Taiwan. But just as they are about to leave, Luke is killed in a hit-and-run. Now, brokenhearted but determined to bring Luke’s vision to reality, the guys are off to Taiwan without the one person who might have helped them forge the business partnership of their dreams.
When they arrive in Taipei, Smithworks CEO, Jed Smith, finds himself on the cusp of another sort of partnership—a romantic relationship with their guide, Jung-Shan, who also happens to be the daughter of Joyful Bike’s president, Mr. Zheng. Jung-Shan and Jed have an immediate connection, but neither has had luck in love, and cultural differences threaten to halt their relationship before it has a chance to thrive.
While Jed is busy falling for Jung-Shan and winning her father’s confidence, he and his partners, Rick Saundersson and David Bondsman, hide from and plot to deter the Japanese business espionage agents attempting to steal their technology and sell it to Joyful’s competitors. Can Jed protect the Spinner, his partners, Luke’s legacy, and his heart, all while surrounded by an entirely different culture?
Published by Brilliant Light Publishing/Media, September 2021
a Brilliant Light Publishing book!
“Bridge Across the Ocean is a vibrantly creative book, a metaphoric crescendo of intertwining insights into New England and Taiwanese cultures. The bridge of the title, pictured on the cover, is not only a metaphor, but real. Nearly three kilometers in length, it connects Taiwan’s Penghu Islands of Xiyu and Baisha, and does in fact cross a stretch of roaring ocean. The main characters, Jed and Jung-Shan, pedal their bikes across it, fighting strong crosswinds. This is a metaphor within a metaphor about cultural differences, east vs. west philosophies, and the challenges of forging a cross-cultural relationship.”
Learn more about the book in this interview with Jack:
Praise for Bridge Across the Ocean:
“Rochester’s story is part thriller, part love letter to bicycling, and it’s clear he’s writing from a position of intimate knowledge and passion, as convincing atmosphere and minute detail color every page. He also brings that precision and thoroughness to the presentation of Chinese culture, etiquette, manners, and setting, immersing readers in the atmosphere and imagery along the way. ”
“We need stories like Bridge Across the Ocean to remind us that cycling is an act of vulnerability and an act of joy. Some readers will decide to one day bike through Taiwan. Others will daydream about breakthroughs in bike tech. Everyone will carry Luke’s story in their mind. I did all three because after all, as Joyful Bike’s CEO says, ‘The bicycle is my destiny.’”
“Bridge is a wonderful, brilliantly told story. It is faced-paced and full of suspense, yet reflective; action-packed, yet heartwarming. A must read!”
“Jack Rochester’s latest novel, Bridge Across the Ocean, is an amalgamation of three of my favorite literary genres: espionage thriller, entrepreneurial adventure, and global travel guide. While the descriptions of locations and the detailed intricacies of the bicycle mechanics are vivid, for me, the real gripping parts of the story were the showcasing of the unscrupulous lengths that “information worms” (intellectual property bounty hunters) will go to steal the latest-and-greatest business idea. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is only a book about cycling. Bridge Across the Ocean is a clever illustration of how entrepreneurs—of any field—can become victims of the persistent global threat of economic espionage. Underpinning the themes of friendship, cultural relations, and the joys of cycling, this book offers a cautious message to the business traveler, no matter where they travel: business espionage is a serious matter. It puts not only you at risk, but also our global economic future.”
“It is evident that Jack has spent time in Taiwan as he writes about the many places visited in the book. There are many passages that make me feel, taste and see the sights. It was fun to read about how the characters in the book used the tunnels that interconnect the city the same way General Chiang Kai-shek would have used them as an escape route from the PLA in the 1970s.
Jack is also able to write about the cultural differences and business practices with the employees of Smithworks and the employees of Joyful Bike. As a person who straddles both worlds myself, it’s nice to see it written to help people understand why it takes time to develop business partners in Asia.”
“Bridge across the Ocean has four major plot lines that swirl and interpenetrate like the yin/yang symbol— balanced, flowing sides with embedded opposing dots, light in dark, dark in light, all in energetic motion.”
Also by Jack B. Rochester
