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Tough Questions
Of Saints and Rivers follows the McClellan family across multiple generations, told through the eyes of the youngest son, who embarks on a relentless quest for purpose and healing that sends him far from home and back again. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A number of real-life family incidents shaped portions of the novel. My great-grandfather witnessed the killing of his family by Indians as a boy before serving as a Texas Ranger, deputy U.S. Marshal, riding the Western Cattle Trail, and homesteading on the Canadian River in western Oklahoma. A daughter was banned from the family for marrying someone from outside the church. The family land was lost during the Depression. As a young man, my grandfather served prison time for hitting and killing a pedestrian while driving when intoxicated.
For many years, I had a troubled relationship with my father, a decorated naval dive-bomber pilot, who once hit me hard in the face for arguing when I was young. My last words to him as he died were that I loved him. I seriously considered the ministry before changing my mind over troubling theological issues. War took a heavy toll on my family. As for early romantic misadventures, I’ll just say that—among my brothers, myself, and others—our family has seen its share.
While a degree of creative license was taken for the sake of story, much of Jordan’s journey was borrowed from my family’s history, and many of his personal reflections mirror my own. To paraphrase the writer, Wallace Stegner: sometimes truth is best told as fiction.
What were some of the trials that you felt were important to highlight Jordan’s development?
At the story’s core is his conflict with a celebrated father, as both men grapple with their pasts and Jordan struggles with the shadow of his older brother. Among his trials is a tragic family accident that leads to alcohol as a means of coping with guilt. Another is youthful desire that culminates in a forbidden love with a married woman—and, in its wake, more alcohol and even greater tragedy—followed by the unthinkable. The novel is, in many ways, a forty-year coming-of-age story of a gifted-but-troubled son’s ongoing struggle with guilt, moral dilemmas, religious doubt, and his search for meaning, atonement, healing, and love.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Aside from the above-mentioned parental conflict, addiction, and religious doubt, I wanted to address prejudice (both racial and gender-related), marital abuse, grief, forgiveness, the role of chance in our lives, and how love and loss so often travel together. I wanted also to ask some tough questions of God and ourselves.
What is the next book you’re working on, and when can we expect it to be available?
I consider myself to be primarily a magazine writer of historical articles. Of Saints and Rivers is my first novel. What began as a simple wish to leave behind, for my family, something of our family roots and what I felt, loved, and believed grew somehow into a book. While I have some ideas for another, at this point they’re still just ideas. I prefer to see how readers like this one before saying more. Thank you so much for your thoughtful interest.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
From the wild frontier days of the late 1800s to the post-war reckoning of the 1950s, Of Saints and Rivers follows three generations of the McClellan family through the eyes of the youngest son. Growing up in the shadow of his celebrated father and brother, Jordan is more into books than farmwork or sports. But when tragedy strikes, guilt drives him spiraling down a path with dire consequences.
His relentless search for meaning and atonement sends him far from home to places as far ranging as the Caribbean, a small Mexican village, and seminary. Yet, no matter how far he runs, the shadows follow. As Jordan grapples with his past and its impact on those he loves, he discovers a new understanding of his father and himself.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and William Kent Krueger, Of Saints and Rivers is a sweeping historical saga of faith, doubt, resilience, and the unbreakable ties of family.
Creating Community
In The Break, you share with readers your experiences battling addiction and codependency and offer an intimate look into the unraveling of your marriage. Why was it important for you to write this book?
It was important for me to write The Break and share my experiences with codependency as my ex-husband and I came to terms with his alcoholism because I remember how alone I felt as I looked for community and understanding. I found more stories of people becoming sober than I found of those caring for someone going through alcoholism. The examples of alcoholism that were readily available were stories of various forms of abuse, mood swings, police interactions, empty bank accounts and houses built on fear. None of that was my story and I wanted to show others what high functioning alcoholism can look like. As I looked for my community, I realized there were more programs to assist the individual going through addiction than there were to help guide the loved ones. Alcoholism is a full life disease – it affects family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances – so I found it very odd that there was not just as much support for those around the alcoholic. I wanted to add to that community and that conversation because we, the co-dependents, need a strong support system as well.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest part for me to write about was our wedding and accepting the fact that I really didn’t want to get married at the age of 25. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry my now ex-husband, it’s simply that I felt like I was up against societal standards and I was behind. I felt like I needed to get married because it was the next right step. Yes, I loved my now ex-husband and I should not have gotten married. While it was the next right step based upon societal measures, it was not the next right step for me and I was too young and too scared to recognize that truth.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
There is a lot of advice that I wish my younger self had been told, however it does not mean I would have been ready to accept it. If someone had told me that I didn’t have to get married, that there is always another way and to make sure I take the time to listen to myself, I can’t say I would have fully listened to them or understood what they meant. Especially since all the women close to me modeled a very different belief system. Even the women in the news were heralded more for their looks and who they were dating, than the accomplishments they created on their own.
What is one thing you hope readers are able to take away from The Break?
The biggest take away that I hope readers carry with them after reading The Break,is to give that inner voice space. Take the time to listen to the quiet nudging and pulling that says Try this or Are you sure?. It can be scary to give that voice a chance to be heard, especially if she’s been quieted for so long, AND it will be very worth it.
Author Links: GoodReads | Websites
This quieting leads us towards a life out of alignment with our truest and most authentic selves. This leaves us feeling anger, exhaustion and constantly stuck. A life the author was too familiar with as she struggled to accept her then husband’s alcoholism and the part she played in the cycle.
The Break is a story of Brandee’s unlearning, seeking truth and finally allowing herself to trust her inner own knowing. The journey back to herself was not easy and it was completely necessary. This story is shared with the hope it will guide you back to your own inner knowing as well.
Themes in this book include:
Addiction
Separation
Learning to trust ones self
Strengthening your inner knowing
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The Break: Rediscovering Our Inner Knowing
The Break is a raw and soul-baring memoir about the unraveling of a marriage caught in the quiet storm of high-functioning alcoholism and the slow rebirth of a woman learning to trust her own voice. Brandee Melcher takes readers on an intimate, winding journey through love, codependency, addiction, motherhood, and self-liberation. The book is structured in short, potent chapters that trace the trajectory of her life — from a childhood shaped by domestic violence to a marriage strained by denial and rules designed to fix what couldn’t be fixed. With startling honesty, Melcher offers readers not a step-by-step how-to, but a companion in the dark. This is a book about listening to the gut, especially when the heart wants to pretend everything is fine.
I enjoyed Melcher’s writing. I liked how sharp and tender it is all at once. She doesn’t hide from the uncomfortable. She walks right into it, like in Chapter 7, “The Long Ending,” where she describes the heartbreak of discovering that her husband had lied about drinking. Her rage, disbelief, and exhaustion are palpable. And yet, she never lets herself or the reader off easy. She owns her part, too — the enabling, the rationalizing, the excuses, the countless “rules” in Chapter 4 that were made and broken. There’s no polish here. No clean endings. Just someone standing in the ruins of what she thought marriage should be, slowly sweeping up the truth. I felt her weariness. I felt her clarity when she says, “It became too much to keep up with… and I was tired of the discussions.” That kind of fatigue isn’t just emotional — it’s physical. And she writes it like it is.
And then there’s the bravery — not just in leaving, but in staying so long and still trying. In Chapter 10, “Soul Break,” Melcher recounts the moment her partner admitted he drank simply because “he wanted to.” There’s no villain here, only a man in pain and a woman who couldn’t carry both of their stories anymore. I admired how she didn’t demonize him. She held grief in one hand and compassion in the other. And in doing that, she gave readers permission to feel both at once, too. Melcher’s ability to distill big, messy truths into plainspoken sentences is one of her greatest strengths.
This isn’t a book for people looking for easy answers or perfect closure. But if you’ve ever doubted your own instincts, if you’ve stayed too long, if you’ve bargained your way through a relationship thinking “at least he doesn’t…” — then The Break will feel like a mirror and a lifeline. I’d recommend this book to anyone healing from emotional exhaustion, codependency, or the quiet heartbreak of unspoken truths. Especially women. Especially mothers. Melcher’s voice is a steady hand on the shoulder — one that says, “You’re not crazy. And you’re not alone.”
Pages: 83 | ASIN : B0CH94Q63N
Improbable and Extraordinary: A Transformation of Mental Illness and Addiction
Improbable and Extraordinary is a raw, heart-wrenching memoir that navigates the turbulent waters of Saul Horwitz’s life, shaped by mental illness, family dynamics, and personal transformation. Co-written with his sister Erika, the book delves into Saul’s struggles with bipolar disorder and his journey toward recovery, offering an unflinching portrayal of his darkest moments and the flickering hope that guided him toward light. Spanning decades of emotional highs and lows, this story is as much about healing as it is about understanding and resilience.
What struck me first was the brutal honesty with which Saul recounts his experiences. The opening chapter vividly describes recurring suicidal ideations, setting the tone for a narrative steeped in pain but striving for clarity. Saul’s vivid descriptions, like his withdrawal from baseball—a childhood obsession abandoned mid-game due to a crushing wave of apathy—were especially poignant. These moments highlight how mental illness can abruptly hijack even the most joyful or driven endeavors, turning triumphs into fleeting mirages. As someone who has often heard sanitized versions of similar struggles, this unapologetic candor felt like a brave and necessary invitation to empathize with a reality many shy away from acknowledging.
The book is also deeply reflective. Saul doesn’t shy away from dissecting his childhood trauma, including his father’s harsh disciplinary methods and the emotional aftermath of his parents’ divorce. Yet, he resists the temptation to solely blame others for his plight. For instance, while he shares heart-wrenching accounts of being beaten and emotionally neglected, he also acknowledges the genetic and biochemical facets of bipolar disorder. I found this balance refreshing; it allowed the book to transcend the realm of grievance and step into the space of accountability and growth. His revelation about the impact of his mood swings on his loved ones, particularly his children, was both heartbreaking and enlightening.
One of the most impactful sections is the exploration of Saul’s recovery process, notably his involvement in 12-step programs and group therapy. The “Miracles That Saved Me” chapter is a standout for me. These reflections are laced with humility and wisdom, showcasing how Saul transformed his pain into tools for survival and, eventually, service to others. It reminded me that recovery is not a straight road but a winding path dotted with small, often imperceptible victories.
Improbable and Extraordinary is a stirring account of survival and self-discovery. Saul’s journey reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit, even when confronted with unimaginable odds. This book will resonate with those battling mental illness, their loved ones, and anyone seeking inspiration from real-life transformations.
Pages: 311
Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever
Unhooked by Dr. Adi Jaffe is a revolutionary take on addiction that redefines its root causes and offers a new path to recovery. Challenging conventional beliefs, Jaffe shifts the narrative from helplessness to empowerment, equipping readers with tools to identify the “hooks” that fuel their compulsive behaviors and replace destructive habits with constructive ones.
Drawing from his own journey as a former addict, Jaffe intertwines personal stories with the experiences of others to uncover the deeper truths about addiction. His candid reflections, coupled with extensive research, lay the foundation for the “Unhooked Method”—an innovative approach that moves beyond the traditional “disease model.” This method emphasizes uncovering emotional and psychological triggers, focusing on addressing the underlying causes rather than merely treating symptoms. The result is a practical, transformative guide for achieving lasting freedom from addiction. Jaffe broadens the scope beyond drugs and alcohol to include caffeine, food, video games, social media, and more. This inclusive perspective underscores how addiction touches nearly every facet of modern life, affecting far more people than commonly acknowledged.
Through vivid storytelling and real-life examples, Jaffe brings readers into the minds of those struggling, fostering understanding and empathy for their battles. This book is a catalyst for change. By reframing addiction as a widespread and surmountable challenge, Jaffe takes critical steps toward destigmatizing it. His message resonates not just with those battling addiction but also with their loved ones, offering hope and actionable strategies.
Unhooked is a must-read for anyone seeking insight into the nature of addiction or searching for a path to recovery. It’s a profound and accessible resource that redefines how we view and approach this pervasive issue.
Pages: 274 | ASIN: B0D2VFNF7N
A Haunting Deception
Micah Briarmoon’s A Haunting Deception begins with an electrifying dive into the supernatural, as Damarkus Jones battles not only external forces but also the creeping darkness within himself. Set against the backdrop of the atomic devastation of Nagasaki, the story immediately immerses the reader in its high stakes and morally ambiguous characters. The narrative swiftly pivots to the present day, introducing a tapestry of interconnected lives grappling with mystery, loss, and the lingering echoes of the supernatural.
Briarmoon’s writing is atmospheric and evocative, and the opening scene is a masterclass in tension. The surreal juxtaposition of Nagasaki’s atomic aftermath with Damarkus’s sinister abilities sets the tone for the novel’s exploration of power and redemption. The middle chapters shine brightest when they explore the human side of the supernatural. Nong Ekamai’s despair and defiance resonate deeply, especially during her anguished rebellion against her unseen captor. These moments ground the fantastical elements in raw, relatable emotion. I did find some transitions between storylines abrupt, leaving me momentarily disoriented as new characters and settings emerged without much preamble.
What truly elevates A Haunting Deception is its thematic depth. The novel grapples with profound questions about morality, addiction, and the boundaries of free will. Jared’s struggles with his past and Brandon’s pursuit of justice in the Mitchell case offer parallel narratives that subtly echo Damarkus’s battle against the consuming darkness.
A Haunting Deception is an ambitious and thought-provoking tale. It blends urban fantasy with thriller elements, making it perfect for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of the supernatural. Fans of morally complex heroes and intricate, multi-layered plots will find much to appreciate. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves supernatural mysteries with heart and isn’t afraid to wrestle with some big, existential questions along the way.
Pages: 500
Oblivion Black
Oblivion Black, by Christa Wojciechowski, is a gritty, darkly compelling story of addiction, trauma, and the quest for redemption. It follows Ona Price, an art school dropout navigating the brutal realities of heroin addiction and the emotional spiral it causes. Set in the seedy underbelly of New York City and later in the rural calm of her aunt’s bed-and-breakfast, Ona’s journey is one of self-destruction, survival, and the long, painful process of trying to reclaim her life.
The book weaves vivid descriptions of withdrawal and heroin highs with Ona’s inner turmoil, delving into themes of love, obsession, and despair. What struck me first about this book was the raw, unapologetic portrayal of addiction. Wojciechowski doesn’t sugarcoat the experience. In fact, she plunges you straight into the darkness of it. The vivid, almost cinematic scenes made me feel like I was right there with her, suffocating under the weight of her choices.
The writing hits hard and fast, often as disorienting as the life Ona is living. I found myself both repulsed and captivated by her self-destruction, wanting to reach through the pages and shake her awake. Wojciechowski’s ability to depict inner conflict is stunning. Ona’s thoughts are chaotic yet painfully introspective, such as when she reflects on her artistic ambitions and how her addiction has derailed them. The way the narrative delves into Ona’s psyche made me both pity and admire her. Her contradictions make her feel incredibly real—she’s someone who knows she’s broken, but she can’t quite summon the strength to pull herself together.
The book’s pacing takes on a slower, more reflective tone in the middle. This shift allows the reader to truly immerse in the painstaking nature of the healing process, capturing the realistic ebb and flow of emotions. The portrayal of Ona’s daily struggle creates a sense of authenticity, highlighting the repetitive yet essential small victories and setbacks of recovery. And just when the routine starts to feel too settled, Wojciechowski injects powerful moments of raw emotion that reignite the intensity and keep the reader deeply engaged.
Oblivion Black is not for the faint of heart. It’s a gritty, disturbing, and often uncomfortable read, but it’s also beautifully crafted, with characters that linger long after the last page. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological fiction that doesn’t shy away from dark, complex themes. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate stories that explore the depths of human suffering and the possibility of redemption, even when the odds seem insurmountable.
Pages: 387 | ASIN : B09YWKRLG6
A Delicate Balance
In Shelter of the Monument, you share with readers the personal growth you experienced while in a relationship tainted by addiction. Why was it important for you to share your story?
When I was young, shy, and incredibly insecure, the man at the center of this story, gave me the courage to have my own voice, my own place in this world. I didn’t believe I was worthy of that and thus, his gift was huge. I have always credited him with the life I live now. I believe if not for him, I would be someone very different and someone not very happy. Despite this, his reputation didn’t align with what I knew him to be. I felt I owed it to him to share the incredible gift he gave me and to offer a much more positive spin on who he was at heart.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
Once I decided to tell this story, the memories came pouring out. I believe for a memoir to touch others, it must be completely honest. But stories cross into other lives. Thus the hardest part for me was how to tell this story in the way I remember it without hurting others, especially those closest to me. It was a delicate balance and ultimately I accomplished this by changing names and toning down some of my more emotionally charged reflections when possible so as not to hurt others.
What is a common misconception you feel people have about living with a partner battling addiction?
That the person struggling may not want sobriety enough or isn’t trying hard enough, or that the support of one person can fix it all. I learned those lessons the hard way and even though it was often painful, it was yet another gift. Recovery is complicated and for those who love someone battling addiction, the answers may not be as simple as trying harder or supporting more. But the world understands addiction better than when the events of this story took place and thankfully help is more widely available now.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your experience?
People are much more than their addictions.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Sometimes the wrong person says the right thing, and it makes all the difference.
In this coming-of-age memoir we meet Richard, a handsome, charming, mischievous, great guy with a fondness for the 1980s party drug of choice, cocaine. Yvonne is 11 years younger, awkward, terrified of her own shadow and even more frightened by the idea of disappointing anyone in her life.
Their attraction makes no sense.
Despite obstacles beyond their control, they are exactly what each other is drawn to as they set about doing the best they can, in all four seasons of their beautiful, one season town, Provincetown, MA. Their connection remains the one thing that can save Yvonne from herself, even while Richard struggles under the weight of his own self-imposed demons.
What they develop is a relationship that unbeknownst to both of them, would last a lifetime and change Yvonne in ways she never thought possible.
They were not supposed to be together.
Yet, they refused to stay apart.
