The Book of Isabel

Louis Ortiz is an aspiring author finishing his debut novel. Before applying the final touches, he gives the manuscript to his longtime friend, Naomi, on the eve of her life-threatening operation. The manuscript, entitled "The Book of Isabel," is an autobiographical story set in 1999, where Louis first learns to come to grips with lost loves and strained friendships. Taking place in Syracuse and New York City, this story within a story is a continuation of "Hanging Upside Down," that explains Isabel's role in Louis' life and asks the question, do friends really last forever?

Anthony Otero, a Bronx native, Syracuse University alum, Afro-Latino blogger, and frequent contributor to the Huffington Post. His blog called Volume 2 chronicles his journey toward self publishing his first book, Hanging Upside Down and his second novel, The Book of Isabel. His first book, Hanging Upside Down, is a fiction novel that explores the pressures men face after divorce, the consequences of letting good intentions go astray, and how a single turn of events can change the world as they know it. The Book of Isabel is a follow up story that explores Louis’ past while examining his present situation which is filled with questions about friendships and lost loves.