P.H. Mountain's Nuns with Shotguns is about a 20-year-old with a passion for writing and his unrestrained, random exploits in the serene town of Eldora, Colorado. While dating someone he loved, Paul wasn't sure about a future with her. Since they belonged to a different, more affluent social group, he felt he wouldn't be accepted by her family. Apart from this, his relationship with other women further complicated his feelings. Meanwhile, Paul hoped to build his career in writing and finish his first book while exploring different story ideas. Besides the women and his writing goals, his days were occupied with drugs and alcohol, which were sometimes combined to maximize their effect. Though he sometimes drank to avoid the difficult decisions, Paul found he must choose his life partner, regardless of his insecurities.

Paul's rich words sing a harmonious blend of poetry, humor, and natural, boyish carefreeness. For example, he mentions that his laughter descended like "rain upon the mountain valley below." The book is amazingly descriptive. I've never read a description of an LSD experience as vivid as Paul's, which is complete with the unusual thoughts he had and his different emotional phases. Nuns with Shotguns is filled with several stories that will leave you visibly shocked, from sexual exploits to substance use. Despite his many physical activities in the book, Paul's story also reveals an internal struggle for acceptance and profound questions about the future—which readers who are or once were yet to choose a lifelong partner or occupation will relate to. Nuns with Shotguns offers a powerful mix of artistic language, history, and passion. I had so much fun with it. I wished it would never end.

P.H. Mountain's Nuns with Shotguns, the second installment of The World is My Ashtray series, is a well-written account of the life of Paul, a working-class man in the Rockies. The tale follows his dealings with relationships, work, and self-discovery as he navigates his way through the harsh mountain winters, money problems, and complex romantic interrelationships. Paul develops significantly throughout the book as he contends with decisions about his love for Lonnie, his desire for Allie, and his fluctuating goals, including his work as a writer-in-waiting. Paul's first-person point of view explores themes like independence, individualism, and choosing non-traditional career routes in spite of obligations and expectations from society.

P.H. Mountain delivers a memoir that embodies sex, drugs, and life's everyday sinkholes through the character of Paul and those who surround him in Nuns with Shotguns. I admit that it was the title that drew me to the book, and while Paul isn't exactly the most likable character, nobody can argue that he isn't intriguing. He is a Lothario who hasn't just lost his way in life; he's one who never really knew which way he was supposed to go to begin with. I enjoyed Paul's internal conflict and the realism of his willingness to have wild affairs with just about anyone. Still, this memoir gives him enough depth for us to want him to thrive, which is a testament to his skill as a writer. The memoir reads perfectly well as a standalone, has a handful of scenes with explicit sex, and is supremely creative as well as totally engrossing. Overall, this is an excellent read for those who enjoy a good, hard, and dirty literary romp. Recommended.