The Volunteer
by Barbara Taylor Sissel
“THE VOLUNTEER is a story of so many things that are not talked about … you can only learn about them by noticing the empty shape that people talk around. It’s exactly like negative space in art, when you depict the object by drawing the space around it.” ~ Darla Tagrin, Artist
Jarrett has his own secrets. Most notably, it is rumored he knows the whereabouts of the missing Mayan codex that lies at the heart of his crimes. The U.S. and South America are equally anxious to recover the priceless artifact that scholars believe holds the key to the Mayan-posed mystery of 2012. As pressure increases on Jarrett to give up the location of the ancient codex in exchange for his life, Sophia is drawn into a relationship with his wife and, in particular, with Jarrett’s oldest son, Thomas. There will be consequences, she knows. There will be a price to pay. But not even Sophia is prepared for it when the brutal truth is exposed, the unalloyed facts that, incredibly, deliver Jarrett’s fate straight into Sophia’s hands. The execution clock is ticking. She has the power to save him, if she chooses. If he will let her. And in the end, it could destroy her.
Also by Barbara Sissel
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(About the Author
Barbara Taylor Sissel is a freelance writer, book reviewer, and editor, and the author of two other novels, The Ninth Step and The Last Innocent Hour. A one-time editor for a small regional press, Barbara has written extensively for the public relations field. Her short stories and articles have appeared in a number of venues.
An avid gardener, Barbara is currently working with numerous clients on a variety of projects and writing a new novel. She has two sons and lives in The Woodlands, Texas. For more information on past and forthcoming books, you can visit her website at www.barbarataylorsissel.com
Reading and admiring Wuthering Heights was the book that got her thinking about becoming an author and it was a dream that stayed with her through marriage, life as the wife of a prison warden in Kentucky and the births of two sons. It wasn’t until the last child was off to school that she finally sat down to write and then what came was influenced by her experience living with her family on the grounds of a prison.
Justice is a central issue in her stories. Justice and forgiveness. How far is it to unforgivable? Is it ever too late? These are the themes that resonate. What happens when an ordinary family is impacted by a sudden, extraordinary calamity?
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