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.

Why?

Since "Walking Between The Raindrops" went on sale and the television interview was done on KVUE-TV 24, I've had lots of reactions and all of them supportive. Many look at this as a way for Paul and I to heal. Many tell me how brave I am for sharing the story publicly. It has helped the healing process but that's not why I wanted to publish the book. I'm not brave either.

The reason for the book going public is that I see what happened to us as endemic to what is happening around the world. Whether it's religious fanatics, organized crime gangs, political terrorists or any other brand of thug, they are all the same. They are all BULLIES. What I want from publishing this book - what I pray for - is for all of us to stop the bullies who think stealing a PERSON, their sense of self, their family's sense of security and peace is acceptable in any sense. If we don't stand up to them now, we all are liable to be victims to one bully gang or another.

Standing up to bullies is scary, but living in fear is worse. I know.

Where are you on this chart?


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

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.