Synopsis
A devastating terrorist bomb blast at a spiritual retreat outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, sends journalist Kevin Pitcairn and his beloved Emmy on a quixotic quest to understand the roots of violence. Traveling across the country deep into the bowels of Southern Appalachia, their search takes them through a long-standing rift in the American consciousness to confrontations with remarkable and anomalous characters, some of them deeply spiritual, others well-grounded in research and psychology.
In this sequel to the much-acclaimed A Killer’s Grace, Pitcairn and Emmy return to the exploration of innocence while adding to it a deepening understanding of injury and ordeal―and its amazing corollary of Post-Traumatic Growth. As the quest and its dangers rip their lives apart, doors open that lure them back and forth across the country in search of tendrils tying together the events and anguish, as well as bringing the protagonists more deeply together.
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Guest Post
Today we welcome Ron to StoreyBook Reviews as he shares his thoughts on:
Finding Emotional Sobriety – Even in Chaos?
In the past few years more and more people have discovered the idea of emotional sobriety. While the idea began as an advanced practice in twelve-step recovery driven by an article by Bill W., the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, the swirling and often damaging challenges of contemporary society seem to have increased interest beyond the rooms of recovery.
How in the world can we maintain balance amid challenges and difficulties?
First, we have to see that such balance, a psycho-spiritual state that can manage all kinds of disruption, is not free of emotions, does not deny reality, and is not static.
To use a great analogy, it’s as if our lives are lived on a high-wire. At any moment, there may be the movement of wind, distractions that are like birds, changes in our physiology, and the incessant chatter of our minds. What practices can we bring to such a reality that allow us to stay attuned and engaged?
Bill W. proposed that the root of our difficulties with our relationships with others and the world boils down to “faulty dependencies.” He saw that when any of us believe that someone or something else has the means to further or limit our well-being, we are at risk of emotional or psychological upset. If circumstances happen in a way that affirms our well-being, we unconsciously conclude that all is well. On the other hand, when circumstances seem to threaten our well-being, we can lose our balance.
But aren’t we dependent on people and the world?
Well, yes and no. However, the incredible work of Viktor Frankl and the demonstrations of exceptional people, for example Nelson Mandela, suggest that meaning, purpose and self-direction are wholly within us. To paraphrase a mantra or affirmation provided to me by a long-time mentor and teacher:
Thank you that my well-being is not dependent on anyone or anything.
That is the profound perspective of emotional sobriety. Yet, it raises the question of how to internalize that idea, and how to practice in ways that can promote it.
This is the realm of practices such as “letting go,” “allowing,” and even “forgiveness.” Each of these begins by identifying that which somehow threatens us, i.e. a circumstance, a person, a situation, or even the world, then working with it to let go of an attachment, allow a reality to be, or forgive something.
To use yet another analogy, we are like Velcro™. We get stuck to something, or it gets stuck to us. When we identify and deconstruct the hooks that allow for stuckness, magically we are released. The result is emotional sobriety.
You may ask, “Is this realistic?”
I can only speak to my own practice and experience. Over many years the number of upsets that have arisen is quite large. The most disruptive were the points at which to begin, and successes have been significant. With refinement, many smaller challenges have dissipated as well.
The most amazing result has been in my willingness to engage challenges and upsets. Success creates a belief that difficulties are solvable. The benefits and experience only increase that clarity and commitment.
Today, I am surprisingly well much of the time. Today, I know that any upset is a sign that I have inner work to do. Today, I’m remarkably willing to do what is needed to experience emotional sobriety.
After Thought
This psycho-spiritual development is at the heart of the series of novels I have christened as The Chronicles of Grace. Most recently, The Dark Side of Grace was released, which follows on A Killer’s Grace, with several more to follow. Packaging valuable ideas as psycho-spiritual thrillers allows for good stories with compelling characters and action to be a fun and effective way to learn and grow.
About the Author
Ronald Chapman is an author, speaker, and facilitator of approaches that increase well-being-ness and produce breakthroughs when practiced deeply and in a sustained fashion. He is the creator of Seeing True™ and Progressive Recovery, resources dedicated to exploring concepts of engaging, releasing, and transcending blockages in our lives. At the heart of Seeing True and all of his work is the Greek notion of “metanoia,” which could translate as a profound change of heart. Ronald maintains two core businesses as well. Leading Public Health provides facilitation, strategy, and consultation to public health clientele, while Magnetic North delivers similar services to a broader array of clients.
Ron spent many years as a national award-winning radio commentator on KUNM radio in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is an elite Accredited Speaker through Toastmasters International and an accomplished leadership facilitator working with clients from all over the world, including the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. Ron currently resides in Atlanta and spends much of his time immersed in art and beauty wherever his travels take him.
Website * Seeing True Blog * Facebook * Instagram
BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.
Shanessa Gluhm works as a librarian at an elementary school in New Mexico, where she lives with her husband and children. It was during her own elementary days when a teacher encouraged Shanessa to share a story she wrote with the class. She hasn’t stopped writing since.
Author Madison Lawson writes speculative fiction novels full of suspense, social commentary, and complex relationships. She has published a dozen short stories, many of which won awards such as the Koresh Award and the Gordone Award. She received her B.A. in English from Texas A&M University and is currently earning her M.A. in English at North Carolina State University. Born and raised in a small Texas town, Madison began escaping through reading and writing as soon as she could.
Ren DeStefano lives in Connecticut, where she was born and raised. When she’s not writing thrillers, she’s listening to true crime podcasts and crocheting way too many blankets.
DAN ROMANELLO began his career working for a large Florida newspaper before attending law school at the University of Florida. After serving as an assistant state attorney, he entered private practice where he spent more than 20 years as a civil trial lawyer litigating cases in courtrooms throughout Florida. He retired from the active practice of law in 2017 and, before writing PAPERBOY, spent four years coaching college athletics. He lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.
