AGAINST
ALL ODDS
Seventy-two hours from eviction. One record deal. One impossible choice.
WHAT WOULD YOU SACRIFICE?
Xavier Jones is seventy-two hours from eviction when the record deal arrives. At twenty-two, he's spent a decade teaching himself music production in a corner of his grandmother's Section 8 apartment, working dead-end jobs, and writing songs nobody hears.
He's talented—everyone says so. But talent doesn't pay rent in East Cleveland.
When Northside Records offers him five thousand dollars and professional studio time, it feels like salvation. There's just one condition: they want to change his sound. Make it more commercial. Turn his raw, honest music into something designed to sell.
The clock is ticking. His grandmother's health is failing. The bills are mounting. And the music industry doesn't care about authenticity—it cares about profit.
As Xavier navigates a world of compromises, betrayals, and impossible choices, he's forced to confront a question that could cost him everything: What's the price of staying true to yourself when survival demands you become someone else?
MEET THE CHARACTERS
XAVIER JONES
THE PRODUCER
Twenty-two years old. Self-taught music producer who's spent ten years mastering his craft in a corner bedroom. Raw talent trapped by circumstance. Three days from losing everything. One chance to make it—or compromise his soul.
MARCUS KING
THE EXECUTIVE
Head of A&R at Northside Records. He's heard every pitch, seen every desperate artist. To him, Xavier is just another investment—modify the product, maximize the profit. He knows what sells, and authenticity isn't it.
MAMA RUTH
THE ANCHOR
The woman who raised Xavier when his mother left. Living on Social Security in Section 8 housing. Her oxygen machine hums constantly. She's proud of his music—the real music. But she's also drowning in medical bills.
TASHA WILLIAMS
THE VOICE
Local singer who's been making it work—backup vocals, wedding gigs, church choir. She sees what Xavier doesn't yet understand: that the industry will take everything if you let it. She's been there. She chose differently.
CORE THEMES
ARTISTIC INTEGRITY
The battle between staying true to your vision and compromising for commercial success.
SURVIVAL VS. SOUL
When survival demands you betray who you are, what choice do you really have?
URBAN STRUGGLE
The raw reality of East Cleveland's streets and the people fighting to escape them.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY
An unflinching look at an industry that commodifies dreams and profits from desperation.
PRESSURE & TIME
Seventy-two hours to make a decision that will define the rest of your life.
IDENTITY
Who are you when everything you've built is based on who others want you to be?
FIRST CHAPTER
EARLY PRAISE
"A raw, unfiltered look at the music industry that pulls no punches. Xavier's journey is heartbreaking and authentic."
— SARAH M., ADVANCE READER
"Jones writes with the authority of someone who's lived it. Every page feels real, every choice feels impossible."
— MICHAEL R., BETA READER
"This isn't just about music—it's about the cost of dreams in a world that doesn't care about your survival."
— JENNIFER K., BOOK BLOGGER
"A raw, unfiltered look at the music industry that pulls no punches. Xavier's journey is heartbreaking and authentic."
— SARAH M., ADVANCE READER
"Jones writes with the authority of someone who's lived it. Every page feels real, every choice feels impossible."
— MICHAEL R., BETA READER
"This isn't just about music—it's about the cost of dreams in a world that doesn't care about your survival."
— JENNIFER K., BOOK BLOGGER
AVAILABLE
JANUARY 27, 2026
Pre-order now and be among the first to experience Xavier's story.
PRE-ORDER ON APPLE BOOKS