As my book nears publication, I’m sharing with you a few portions to give you a better idea of who my story is for. Here’s the PREFACE which tells prospective readers how the book came about and why they should buy it ~
Preface – “Faced My Fears in Portland”
This book’s been written with you in mind. I believe you’re the kind of person who’s always trying to sort through the tough issues of life. Most people aren’t curious about a homicide, but you’re reading these pages, so you’re different.
I’ve wanted to have this conversation with you about crime because I believe America is at a crossroads and needs more discussion on the topic of violence. This book may help you evaluate what’s going on in our current cultural flux. We have traditionalists saying life has precious value and some on Twitter saying “cancel culture, write new norms”. The paradigm shift needs to be resisted and met with a definitive reply!
There’s a dialogue going on inside you about crime, violence. A few years back it used to be everyone had nightmares about being attacked by ‘Jaws’. Then our culture went through a period where people wondered how they’d deal with the threat of a mass shooter. In this era of civil strife in some sectors, many of us are becoming immobilized by fears of riots, arson or worse in nearby neighborhoods.
I wrote this book to expand the story in my blog marcsjustice.com, which I started soon after my son Marc was murdered in Portland, OR in October 2014. I originally wanted to write about the case to keep family and friends informed on its progress, but the ritual soon became a much-needed conduit that helped me deal with life and death issues of my own. I’ve shared what I went through that made my life more authentic than ever. I emerged from my son’s tragedy free from several deep fears I carried all my life.
Another reason I felt the need to share this story is that I felt it was urgent to show that the love between family members will remain the most important ones God gives in this world, and love will prevail even over violence and death. I also wanted to share the kind of life that goes on behind the face of violence, so those who are worried about our families and our nation can know there’s much good in America..
I’m hoping you’re a reader who’s looking for sanity for yourself, and our nation. You don’t need to be part of any religion or political party to “get” the message in this book. This story, I believe, resonates with anyone who has a conscience, and value for life ~
~ Diane M. De Han