Distract Me til I... is a collection of powerful short stories that does just that. The characters in these stories are real, they are brutally honest, they are people you know, strangers you pass on the street, and they are, in many ways, you. J Merritt's characters capture our attempt to experience pleasure and the consequential conflict and suffering we often endure as a result. There exists a "partial suicide" (or worse) in the characters of "Distract Me til I..." as they struggle to beat pain and conflict with continued pleasure seeking. But the beauty of "Distract Me til I..." is that the reader will gain a certain hope and inspiration from the naked honesty and broken nature of these characters. We often find comfort and solace in the realization that our fears of loneliness and our sometimes failed attempts to feel "good" and "secure" are actually quite common among each of us. This thing called life is a shared experience, both the pleasure and the pain. We seek to alleviate the various forms of pain through love, lust, drugs, companionship and pursuits towards meaningful identities. These methods of alleviation often cause more pain but also offer continued hope - and therein lies the conflict we often face. J Merritt Lyons artfully delivers this truth in this beautifully crafted collection of short stories. We hope you take the journey into "Distract Me til I..." and share your experience with others.