Jayne Lisbeth
Story Truth Conjurer
Books:
Blind Birds of Youth, late 2026
Raising the Dead
Writing in Wet Cement
Blog: Food for Thought
Blind Birds of Youth, is my third book due to be released by my publisher, Austin Macauley, early 2026. On a 1973 road trip to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado drugs, sex and rock and roll were expected. Demented, drugged miners, deadly and events were not. Birds of Youth is a 1973 memoir of three friends embarking on a cross-country road trip enhanced by friendship, love and otherworldly events. As a then-novice writer, Ms. Lisbeth's journal is her constant companion bearing witness to their travels. The vast beauty of the country is set against the ugliness of the Vietnam War and the corruption of Watergate. The three friends departed with the bravado and joy of youth on the brink of emancipation into adulthood. Looking for adventure, fumbling towards their future, they met homefolk farmers and hippies, the best of the world and the lost dreamers of their generation. Their final destination threw them into the company of drugged, demented and discouraged "hard rock' miners in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Their eyes were opened to a previously unknown and undiscovered dark world. Blind Birds of Youth is a time capsule, a zeitgeist juxtaposed onto the backdrop of the turbulent world of 1973 against the realities and similarities of 2026. The memoir is a love story of friendship, lit by the rising sun of new experiences and shadowed by the darkness of night, sprinkled with bright stars of self-discovery. The three departed as blind birds and returned with eyes wide open with newfound wisdom.
Raising the Dead, 2023
Raising the Dead is available in Kindle format available on Amazon and my Amazon author page, amazon.com/author/jaynelisbethpainterlywriter. Paperback format is currently sold out but will be reprinted shortly.
Emeline Upswatch, a naïve twenty-year-old bride, is grief stricken after the deaths of both of her beloved parents. Marooned in grief, Emeline feels she has died along with her parents. Emeline believes she has made a grave error in moving with her husband, Randy, from her California Delta childhood home to unknown Charles Town, Virginia, 3,000 miles away. She questions her marriage and herself. In an unfamiliar world and intimidated by her mother-in-law, Emeline is rescued by the appearance of a mysterious older woman, Felicity, who becomes her dearest friend, mentor, and “other mother" with whom she can share her innermost feelings. Unlike Emeline, Felicity divulges nothing about her history or personal life. When Felicity disappears as mysteriously as she arrived, Em is determined to unearth her older friend’s whereabouts and true identity. What she ultimately discovers forces her to question her sanity, world, memories, and newfound joy.
In her second novel, Raising the Dead, Jayne Lisbeth cements her reputation as a “sensitive, entertaining and deeply moving writer.” Her quirky, mysterious, home-spun and loveable characters and Ms. Lisbeth’s painterly prose keeps the reader engaged and entertained from the first page to the last. Early reviews praise Raising the Dead as “a deep and emotional account of Emeline’s introspective journey with a wholesome, spiritual, supernatural angle. Inspirational. A poignant plot, with a well-structured, assured writing style, sure to appeal to a wide audience.”
Raising the Dead (2023) and Writing in Wet Cement (2019) can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingrams Booksellers and local independent booksellers. Blind Birds of Youth will be released early 2027.
Blind Birds of Youth
First Reader Reviews
Cathy Varon
“A page-turning trip back to the seventies”
Blind Birds of Youth is a captivating, unpredictable journey following three young friends on a cross country road trip from Vermont to Colorado. The road trip is one of the novel's great pleasures. Along the way the trio meets an entertaining cast from hippies to farmers and everyone in between. Jayne Lisbeth's skillful use of dialogue and dialect gives each character a distinctive voice and brings every character vividly to life. A steady undercurrent of suspense makes the novel a true page turner. With each new character you wonder, are they good or bad? Can they be trusted? That uncertainty keeps the pages turning as every encounter opens an unpredictable new direction. When the friends reach Colorado and reconnect with an old high school friend and his childhood friend, the story darkens. This additional character becomes increasingly unstable. His behavior begins to torment the group. The tension mounts steadily towards a disastrous climax. I especially enjoyed how vividly the novel evokes the early 1970s. Sex drugs, rock and roll Counter Culture and the restless spirit of youth are woven throughout. Watergate and the air of political unrest had another compelling dimension. At times that period's uncertainty and turmoil feel surprisingly familiar today. Ultimately, Blind Birds of Youth is about more than a road trip. It explores youth, friendship, freedom, trust and the dangerous consequences of choices made when you're young. The result is gritty, colorful, suspenseful, and filled with memorable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride — and never quite knew who to trust along the way. If you enjoy character - driven stories, road trip adventures, suspense and a nostalgic glimpse of the early 70s, Blind Birds of Youth is well worth picking up.
Sharon Kuiken
"Journey into adulthood"
Blind Birds of Youth is a tale of young adults trying to navigate in the new world of adulthood. It's the story of three friends on a camping trip from the east coast to the west and the characters they meet along the way. Funny, heartbreaking and heartwarming. A story of people we meet that briefly enter our journey of life and the people that will always remain a part of our life. A fun read that will keep you turning the pages as you tag along on their next adventure.
Arleen Mariotti
"I wish I had gone with them."
Reading Blind Birds of Youth was like taking a trip back in time to my own youth. In this memoir, names have been changed except for the author, I found myself connecting with Jane, the main character, particularly in her sense of loneliness and feeling left behind. As she writes, "Everyone had moved on except me."
And so, a road trip begins.
Jane enlists her good friends, a newly married couple, and the three set off for "parts unknown" in search of a new life. In 1973 they pile into Jane's VW Bug and head toward Empire, Colorado. Along the way they encounter a fascinating cast of characters, some fun, some quirky and some downright dangerous.
Their adventures drew me in completely. More than once, I found myself thinking, I wish I had gone with them!
Blind Birds of Youth is a well-crafted and engaging remembrance of a time gone by. If you're like me, by the end of the book you'll be wishing you had tagged along for the ride.
Jean Shaw
"A voyage into the past"
Blind Birds of Youth is a voyage into the past, complete with the sights and sounds of a rapidly changing world. I could almost imagine myself in the a Volkswagen Bug, worried about nothing except gas money for the long trip. Exhilarating, funny and thought provoking, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Barbara Kennedy
"Friendship, life and the experiences woven in history that shape us."
I thoroughly enjoyed Blind Birds of Youth. It was an adventurous and heartwarming story that beautifully captured the relationship between friends as they set off on a new adventure from Vermont to Colorado. Along the way, they encountered a variety of unexpected circumstances that made the journey interesting, thought provoking, and a lot of fun.
What made the book even more fascinating was the history woven throughout the story. It gave me a glimpse into the era and made the experiences feel even more real and relatable. I loved the combination of friendship, adventure, history and the unexpected twists along the way. It truly felt like I was along for the ride.
It was an enjoyable and memorable read I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good adventure and a story about friendship, life and the experiences that shape us.
