Here's me on day 2 of my recent 22 for 22 Rucking Challenge.
The rucking challenge was something I thought up, for myself to heal mentally from my war experience as well as to bring awareness to the everyday plight that some face.
It is hard to transition from military life to civilian life, especially if you have any traumas from your service and that's why it is estimated that around 22 veterans a day kill themselves in the United States. This number is of course fluctuating but is very real.
I was rucking with an old Army pack filled with 22 lbs (and wearing my old combat boots) everyday for 2 miles for 22 days. I donated at the end to the National Veterans Foundation to help veterans when they need help dealing with suicidal thoughts and suicidal ideations.
You can help too, by donating - click here to do so -
I love cooking as well as watching movies, usually thrillers that make you think and gasp! (Bird Box, The Killer, Nowhere, are examples). Luckily for my family, my cooking doesn't make them think or gasp!
I am also very outdoorsy! I don't like sitting inside and doing nothing when there's a place I can be exploring!
I hope you're going to like THE ONLY ONES LEFT, and that this inspires you to think about buying my next - A HIDDEN KILLER
My second novel is set in the fictional town of Killorn, Arizona, and again, it is a psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns. The protagonist, Ava, is a mortuary assistant to the only funeral home for miles. Working in such a remote location gives her a unique perspective on her job and the world around her. It is just her and her boss Ernest, who run the funerals, burials, and memorials in this desolate area of the Sonoran Desert. Ava finds herself surrounded by strange circumstances suddenly, at work. She begins to notice someone is messing with her mind and her belongings. As Ernest tries to keep them safe while they conduct funerals on the Toronto O’Odam Nation Reservation, forces beyond their control continue to be at play. Ava confides in her best friend Mary, who is the owner of the towns only cafe, and her ex boyfriend Nick, who happens to be the cafe chef.
Then, the towns rumor mill kicks into overdrive as a body suddenly goes missing from the mortuary.
Killorn’s sheriff, Red, who is the brother to Ernest’s girlfriend, begins a clumsy attempt at investigating who might have done this. Ava begins to have vivid dreams of a wolf and an Indian shaman, which then translate to real life. She meets both in different circumstances as she works funerals. Her mind is set ablaze as her past starts resurfacing alongside a red scarf and a note titled ‘KK’. She finds the notes next to her car, her stolen work bag and even at the mortuary itself. A romance blossoms as Ava meets a helpful and handsome Indian police officer Grey, at a funeral service and he quickly begins to help Ava and the investigation.
In a bid to figure out who is stalking them, Ava and Ernest install hidden cameras inside the funeral home, hoping to catch who keeps breaking in. As the story progresses, a black wig and another suspect begin to emerge. Brent, a local businessman who is attracted to Ava, starts to fit the profile for who is doing these things. Then, a shocking discovery on the Indian reservation sets fire to the investigation. Someone was indeed murdered, and concealed next to the body taken from the mortuary. Grey is there and funnels information to Ava.
While the story begins to wrap up, Ava and Ernest have a brush with death as yet another body is taken, while they are at work. The suspect gets away though and a hunt is on. Ava continues to be harassed and stalked but not by who she thinks. At the books end, she discovers that her past was at play the entire time, and her friends and lover are not who they’ve seemed.