Conrad “Connie” Keen’s only goal in life is to make it to the next day, which, for him, is no easy feat. Fighting crippling anxiety caused by the death of his older brother — who fell off a pier in San Diego in what was believed to be a horrible accident — he binge drinks and obsesses over what he calls the “dark lottery.” Opposite of the...

Ben Roberts is about to break the biggest newspaper story of his career when he gets laid off from the San Diego Sun. A San Diego City Councilwoman — who wants to be mayor — is being bribed to vote for a $4 billion downtown pro football stadium. But his story won’t see the light of day now that he’s yesterday’s news.

He has only one desperate...

Boy meets girl. Girl has dog. Trouble ensues because girl treats dog like a furry little prince, like many of today’s dog owners. Doggy spa treatments, check. Doggy yoga, check. Doggy gourmet food, check. Boy reaches the end of his rope (leash) from dog’s unruly, spoiled behavior and, accidentally, knocks off dog. Boy tries to cover it up but...