Title: Healed
Author: Dean Skinner
Genre: One-Hour Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Short Reads
Book Blurb:
A modern-day tale of the Book of Job that reads as if it were written by both Steven King and M. Night Shyamalan. This 45-minute read was recently on SIX of Amazon’s #1 Best Seller lists for over four weeks and as one reader put it, “Will have you cheering out loud at the end.” Part mystery, part thriller, part horror.
Excerpt:
I’ve somehow made it to the bridge. My bridge. My favorite bridge in all of the city. The Guardians, as we call it here in Cleveland. Four, giant, god-like figures, two on each end, that stand at the entrance of the Hope Memorial Bridge. How ironic. Hope. How funny because nobody is looking out for me. Guarding me. Being my guardian. How sad. How so fucking sad that this is the bridge where I end it all and finally…find some peace.
I somehow climb on the chest-high, stone guard rail that separates the pedestrians and cyclists from the ninety-three-foot fall to either the Cuyahoga River, an assortment of parking lots, steel yards, lumber yards and your typical abandoned lots that you find in a midsized industrial city. As I make my way to the top of my death perch, I sway…a lot…look down and realize I have chosen right. Parking lot. Ha! Perfect. Lucky me…no coming back from that.
As I try to muster up the courage to truly do what I came here to do, the rush of it all fills my head and fills my eyes. I begin to weep. Howl. I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe my life has come to this. I never imagined it would end this way and don’t want this…but I just can’t…can’t do this anymore.
“It’s OK. Nobody will blame you. The battle is just too tough. Come to me, Job. Come to me and finally be at peace.”
I open my eyes to see where this voice is coming from and see a small, hooded figure, staring up at me…down in the parking lot. Spot #39. I…ummm…what?! There’s no way I could have heard that guy from all the way down there but at the exact moment I think this, I know that I did. Did he just speak to me telepathically?
As I continue to sway and stare down at this man in a nondescript hoodie, he begins to wave his hand toward me, as if to say, “C’mon. You can do it. Take the step. Come down here. Come down here and join me, Job.”
I try to shake off what I’m seeing verses what is apparently one hell-of-a brew of booze and barbiturates. I try to focus. Try to see who – what – is summoning me…ninety-three feet down to the ground.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
What makes your featured book a must-read?
I’ll let one of my reviews help convey this point, which I’m incredibly grateful for…
“In this brilliantly written novella, Dean simultaneously shows us how our struggles and our gifts are often intertwined. That if we let the bad outweigh the good in our minds - we fall prey to the dark and miss all of the light. How at times we miss our own grace because fear is so much louder. You won't regret a page of this book, or the opportunity to heal that follows.” – Amazon Reviewer
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $33 Amazon gift card:
Open Internationally. You must have a valid Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to win.
Runs December 28 – January 4, 2022.
Winner will be drawn on January 5, 2022.
Author Biography:
Dean is an author of supernatural thrillers. His latest book, Healed, was recently on SIX of Amazon’s #1 Best Seller lists for over four weeks. Dean is also an artist who has created over 100 large-format, abstract portraits and has had his work displayed in galleries and exhibits throughout the US and UK over the past eight years.
Dean is originally from Bridgeport, West Virginian but now resides in Cleveland, Ohio with his wife, two children and giant, fluffy Sheepadoodle. To see Dean’s artwork, please visit www.Instagram.com/deanskinner
Social Media Links: