forgiveness

Neil Johnstone’s soul is heading for eternal torture in Hell when he dies thanks to some dark magic in his employment contract.
For the past twenty years he has worked as an office administrator in Bleak & Fargon, a demonic multinational company that hunts and traps people, and their souls, by signing them up to their sole product called Peace. Peace renders the unlucky recipient practically invisible to the world, wholly insignificant, and forgotten by anyone who ever knew them.
Neil hates his job. His employers make him a tempting offer, a way out of his misery. Either he remains trapped in Peace or he can be freed provided he does the unimaginable and swaps his place in Hell with his own mother.
He’s thinking about it. Neil has some serious mother issues, but can he really do what it takes to save his own damned soul?
He seems to think so.

Targeted Age Group:: 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The core idea of the book was influenced by a few factors. In the 1980s there was a speculative TV show called The Twilight Zone. As a teenager I was inspired by the memorable, creative and extreme what-if scenarios. I didn't think back then about writing my own speculative fiction story, that didn't happen until I began this novel a few years ago and discovered that The Twilight Zone's influence had stood the test of time.
For years I worked in various administrative roles in several companies and was saddened at times observing how mindless negative behaviours or actions would conveniently be jotted off to 'just business'. Trapped in Peace at its core is a good vs evil story based in a multinational company and my work experience lended credibility to the setting, and the 'just-business' cop-out attitude, well, that stuck to my psyche just like the Zone. Lastly, the overarching influence and continuing guiding light for this project was a spiritual element, specifically the theme of forgiveness, one that on my own personal spiritual path I have found both intriguing and, admittedly, at times a struggle to apply on a practical level. I've read plenty of non-fiction on the subject but wanted to explore through fiction just how damaging it can be to hold on to anger, fear, resentment and unforgiveness.

The Shipyard Man by Ann Streetman

The late summer Sunday morning in 1905 appeared to be as boring as ever for Mary Johns Leonard until a stranger slid into the pew in front of her and her daughter Callie.

When the prayer ended, Mary stole a glance at the stranger before turning to the right page in the hymnal. She began to sing. The tenor voice of the stranger singing “Love Devine All Loves Excelling” was the most beautiful male voice she had ever heard. Could he be a professional singer passing through?

Mary’s eyes strayed to his broad shoulders more than once during the sermon. The collar on his shirt was clean, but frayed. Surely no traveling performer would have such a frayed collar. His straight black hair was clean but a bit too long at the nape of his neck. Working too hard to stop for a haircut?

The next day Mary looked up from the counter in her pappa’s general store to see the stranger. By the time he left, she knew he had grown up in Oregon where he worked at a sawmill and later helped build ships. A shipyard man. Clearly not like anyone she had ever known. A very interesting stranger.

Come along with Mary and Bill in their rocky journey of learning more about themselves and each other. This book does not easily fit into a neat category. Mary’s journey of self-discovery is Women’s Fiction. The love story of Mary and Bill is unmistakable Romance. It could be called Christian fiction since their faith is a significant part of their love story. Call it what you will and enjoy the journey of Mary and Bill.