Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Interesting that so many television shows are now writing episodes that concern PTSD and how it affects lives. "Madame Secretary's" latest offering centered around Tea Leoni's character being caught in an ambush as she visited a dignitary in his home. The writers did a pretty good job of showing what PTSD can look like from outside. I thought the confusion of her family and the growing impatience within the sympathy of her coworkers, while only slightly touched on, was still accurate. But, they only had an hour so the writers seem took the easy way out and, after getting a pep talk, a therapist's business card and telling her husband what really happened "over there" after a game of Halo, everything was right in her world again. It's not that neat. Healing doesn't happen within a prescribed amount of time. Sometimes it doesn't happen at all and that's a shame.

We are committed to giving $1 of every copy of "Walking Between The Raindrops" to the Wounded Warrior Project PTSD. That's just us. You don't have to buy a book to support the incredible work these people are doing to help our soldiers. Please help support them in any way that you can.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland on sale at Amazon.com in paperback and eBook.

BOOK UPDATE

$1 from EVERY sale of "Walking Between The Raindrops" between 3-15-15 and 4-15-15 (paperback or eBook) will be donated to The Warrior Survivor Project PTSD. Help spread the word! Help the Healing!

On sale at: https://lnkd.in/bGbeJW3

"$500,000 by tonight or all you'll need that money for is his funeral." February 27, 2008

That's what the voice on the other end of the phone demanded of my brother-in-law at 6:45AM on Wednesday, February 27, 2008. Paul's been gone just minutes short of 24 hours.Now, we know he's alive. As an added incentive to move quickly, the kidnapper told Tom that Paul was "in a bad way...needs a doctor; maybe a hospital." My stomach lurches at the images of torture and terror that Paul's going through.

Horror turns to panic as the realization hits us that we have less than a day to find HALF A MILLION DOLLARS! Thankfully, a team is growing and assembling in Georgetown, Texas to save the day:

Sergeant Pete Hughey, Detective James Maugham, Texas Ranger Matt Lindemann and First Assistant District Attorney, Jana McKown.

Will they get there in time? Where, on earth, will we ever be able to find that kind of money? Why did this happen?

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland - An American couple's true story of kidnap-for-ransom in the United States by the most Vicious drug cartel in Mexico - on sale now at Amazon.com.

"No one could have ever invented a story like this. I was especially gratified for their honesty ...", February 22, 2015
By Bridget (Tarentum, PA USA)

"A book of true courage," February 5, 2015
By sharon

"This is a very good book. Follows the victims and suspects from the beginning to the end - seeing the suspect in jail and the victims recovering." February 26, 2015, By Barbara

Anniversary of Evil

Abduction happened here.


This Thursday, February 26, 2015, marks 7 years since the morning that turned our world upside down and changed, not only the course, but our whole lives forever. It's been said over and over that our lives can change forever in an instant. Most of us, I know I did, smile and nod as if we know what that means. But I truly believe that until it happens to you, we never really understand and, I don't think we really understand "the Grace of God" until we have only survived because of it. At least, I didn't.

I'll be posting several times over the next several days with photos (some never seen here or in the book) some video and excerpts from "Walking Between The Raindrops" to commemorate this infamous anniversary; ending where we are today.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland - An American couple's true story of kidnap-for-ransom in the United States as directed by the most vicious drug cartel in Mexico. (Now available worldwide on Amazon.com)

Some reviews -

"Excellent read! This could have happened to anyone." Mark Flickinger
"Incredible true story! Very hard to put the book down." Lance Self
"Incredible story! So well written that I find myself rechecking the locks on all my doors at night. The cooperation of all law enforcement agencies restores my faith in the system. Very impressed with the dedication and capability of Investigative and District Attorney personnel in such a small community." Darlene Miller

This is how they roll...

In writing "Walking Between The Raindrops", one of the most interesting parts of the research and discovery process, for me, was reading transcripts of interrogations, as well as, watching and listening to video of the five arrested criminals being interviewed. Portions of these interviews, the best parts, are in the book. Most of the interviews took many, many hours and were repeated over time, either to corroborate stories or to assist other agencies in specific aspects of their own investigations. Paul told the officers who'd rescued him that there were many more people involved than the three initially arrested or the five here and he was more right than anyone ever expected! Although 5 were arrested, tried and convicted in his case, there were at least 6-8 more people in Texas who were named by these 5 who may have been arrested later on felony charges of credit card theft, auto grand theft and other crimes in other jurisdictions because of the investigative work done on this case. Or, they're still out there - for now. Still others, in Mexico, are either in prison, dead or at large.

I don't know what I expected the first time I watched the interviews. They each had their own "shtick" which Det. Maugham and Ranger Lindemann easily handled. AB was a talker. Bart was the tough guy (in his own head). Samantha played little lost stoner-girl. Bobby played stupid white guy. Jorge tried to play dumb on many levels. Yet, they each rolled, in one way or another, hoping to get out of the trouble they'd so cavalierly landed themselves into. Some of their words are chilling, some are ironic and, in Jorge's case, some are nearly laughable. In each case, "Walking Between The Raindrops" allows readers to sit inside the room and hear their words exactly as they said them.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" by Mary and Paul Roland is available in print and Kindle, in the US, Canada, Mexico and Europe on Amazon.com.

Strong and Beautiful - Jana McCown

It was wonderful to see Jana McCown outside the somber setting of a criminal courtroom and present her with a copy of "Walking Between The Raindrops." The former First Assistant District Attorney for Williamson County graciously wrote the forward to the book. Over the years since the last sentencing hearing, she has become a dear friend and was an early supporter of our writing the book.

Readers will not only get a glimpse of Jana's amazing talent as a prosecutor in "Walking Between The Raindrops," but will see, as we saw, Jana bravely sitting in the courtroom for hours with the same sharp, plastic zip-cuff taken from around Paul's hands binding her hands tightly and uncomfortably behind her and the same red bandanna blindfold that was found on Paul wrapped around her head, covering her eyes to represent to the jury, and everyone else in the courtroom, a glimpse of what it was like for Paul during his captivity. This powerful visual will stay with me forever. No Hollywood courtroom drama could have been as compelling.

"Walking Between The Raindrops" is available in print and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

The book...

Everything is moving forward toward publishing "Walking Between The Raindrops". The first session of editing is underway, which is to say, my own proofing and tightening. Flaws and errors jump off the pages! I am a very harsh self-critic committed to cutting the first draft to manageable size. So far, I'm through the first section and well into the second. Once these cuts and corrections are made, the whole manuscript will go to another person to edit to final release form. After that, the book will be available in e-book and printed formats.

It's hard to believe.  This project has consumed me for the past year and it is almost completely finished.

Sooner than that, though, will be the unveiling of the book's cover art! Target date for that is June 1. I feel so fortunate to have the cover art that's going on this book. It's more than perfect to me - it totally captures what Paul and I saw in our minds.

Thank you for reading my words and God bless you for your support.