In the United States, a 50% divorce rate; 1,385 female child abuse victims reported daily; 1 to 3% diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder; and 1 in 8 identified alcoholic, the audience for Are You My Father? is vast.  I felt compelled to write this story to address these issues and more.  With vivid accounts of family dysfunction and child abandonment, life does not run smoothly in this novel.  It is an adult love story asking hard questions and not fearing the answers.

Janet Williams is traveling through life at record speeds, from sleeping in an outside shower with a stray black Labrador Retriever to running a multi-million-dollar real estate brokerage firm. She struggles to define who she is and, more importantly, who she is becoming. Her famous father, a Navy Admiral, demands family secrecy for his indiscretion and chooses a clandestine relationship with Janet. But are the family secrets really better left in the attic? "Are You My Father?" takes us on a world adventure, from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to the Alps of Switzerland. It begs the question, are you part of the problem, or part of the solution?

Please check out my website https://www.areyoumyfather.net/ !

I am a suicide survivor, a victim of child abuse, a person living with a mental illness, and someone with 34 years of sobriety; I share not only my experiences but also the wisdom of many who have walked the same pathway. Furthermore, I am a retired Licensed Professional Counselor and spent over two decades gratefully listening to hundreds of clients share their stories. I have published editorials in trade journals, newspaper articles, letters to the editor, and stories in recovery magazines. Serving as Program Coordinator of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), past President of my church, and active member of a Recovery Program, I have a large base of followers who compelled me to author this novel. Breeding Labrador Retrievers for twenty-four years and training many to become Therapy Dogs is a vocation that I love. I thoroughly enjoy serving my community by volunteering with the Therapy Dogs at schools, churches, libraries, hospitals, and other facilities. My black Labrador, Trooper, and a new Labradoodle puppy, Chloe, continue to provide a service in the New River Valley of Virginia. I am an avid golfer and try to hit the links twice a week. My handicap does not seem to improve with age but I am going to continue chasing the scores of my youth. My other hobby is kayaking in Southwest Virginia, particularly on the New River. Once a year my canoe club, which is comprised of 29 women, head south to Florida to paddle on selected rivers which are challenging and alluring. My life is complete being a grandmother. I have three grandsons and one granddaughter who put a smile on my face. The accomplishments of my children and my grandchildren are amazing and I am so proud to be a part of their lives.