In Passing is a dark, yet romantic, paranormal tale, which thrusts two adolescent, suicide victims into a haunting afterlife odyssey where they find love and meaning.
From Linkville Press: Trying to bring closure to her haunted youth, Mary Elizabeth Stroll's past and present converge during a haunting, day-long interview. In Passing is a dark, yet romantic, paranormal tale, which thrusts two adolescent, suicide victims into a haunting afterlife odyssey where they find love and meaning. The journey leads them to intervene in the lives of other distressed young people, all the while amorous feelings grow. The two are then reunited with their lifeless bodies to search for the truth and their lost love. Nine years gone, Mary, now in her early twenties, agrees to an interview with a seminary student, Alex Renteria. Alex is completing his thesis on divine interventions, and near death experiences. Mary recalls her extraordinary afterlife adventure during the course of a daylong interview, which quickly morphs into an equally-haunting, parallel adventure. In Passing flows between first person (narrated by Mary as a youth [Lizzy]) and third person, creating an intense immediacy that will take the reader on a breath-stealing adventure, and race against death; all the while tackling a variety of controversial issues including: suicide, runaways, school violence, abortion, child abuse, substance abuse, etc.
Excerpt
As promised, I open my eyes to a new dramatic scene. It is cold and sterile here, surrounded by walls of steel. Musty, quiet, and dark is the room where we stand. It must be night where we are, but where are we? I feel an overwhelming sense of gloom in this metal container. The air is thick, and reeks of death. Are we in the future? I wonder. Have we been transported to some post-apocalyptic safe room?
“Where have we been transported?” to Bart, I ask. “This place frightens me.”
Bart hears the apprehension in my voice. He pulls me close to blanket my fear. He now puts his finger to my lips and whispers, “Never fear, my love, I will always protect you.”
His physical and verbal touch refreshes my canvas, whitewashing this face of fear. Yet, from the endings of my nerves, the tremors from within do not completely subside. The shivers of dread, I feel, loom just beyond my spinal cord’s reach, waiting to pounce at the drop of a feather.
Bart releases his grip and turns his attention to this room of despair. And though I feel in dire straits, and in need of his constant, reassuring touch, I must let the scene develop. Bart must find the reason for our mission at this location. And, I dare say, we have yet to find the reason for our being together on this extended adventure.
Before he completely disengages, I squeeze Bart’s body one last time. I now allow him to uncouple and examine the room.
Bart walks about the frigid, uncaring, concrete floor. He has that detective look again. I trust he will uncover the place, and reason, for our arrival.
Professional Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars In Life as In Passing, February 3, 2016
Mary Elizabeth Stroll arrives at an interview she’s volunteered for regarding “near death” experiences. As she primps for the interview, in a church parking lot, Mary drifts toward the memories of the night where she met death. The night of terror, yet enchantment, is told, with superb eloquence, by our heroine (who went by Lizzy in her youth), in first person. Simultaneously, we are shown the lives of other youth who, as the story goes, are intertwined and it all makes sense.
However, during the interview itself, Mary matches wits with the interviewer, Brother Alex Renteria, who is doing his thesis on near death experiences. JR Wirth lets us in on the thinking and motives of Mary and Alex as they dance their way through a day long fight with death and darkness that has seemingly followed Mary back from the dead. It is almost like reading two separate stories, yet each emotional roller coaster is dependent on the other. Well done, JR, well done!
5.0 out of 5 stars In Passing Review, March 30, 2016
Great book! Well written and suspenseful!
Willa Goodheart, honest and hard-working white collar worker finds herself connected to a police investigation for a serial killer; and she hasn't a clue why - that is, until she begins digging.
