Bestselling author and master storyteller R WK Clark presents this gripping and remarkable novel about a damaged young man who embarks on an impulsive kidnapping plot - a work as taut and riveting as anything he has ever written.A simple, yet complicated, tale of two people who find love in the most unlikely of places. It is a story about cages, and how all of us live in them in one way or another.
An unforgettable story tinged with love and suspense.
Author CommentaryComing from the perspective of someone who creates, I believe I can say with confidence that my book, 'Requiem for the Caged,' may not be for everyone. I knew this from the start, and even as I sat down to write it, I simply wanted to tell a story I hadn't told before, and it happened to fall into a far different category. But just like I believe that it's not for everyone, I can also say there are going to be those who enjoy it thoroughly.
First of all, this is a love story, pure and simple. Unconventional? Of course. But love is never really conventional in any way, now is it? So, why should it be conventional in the pages of a book?
First, I would like to begin by discussing the premise. Jason Brandtley has just returned from being a prisoner of war overseas. He is a young man with a gentle spirit and full of integrity, but he has suffered many recent traumas. Andrea is a polar opposite to Jason, as readers will see. Unlike Jason, a much-loved only child, Andrea comes from a family that is harsh and uncaring; her mother has essentially turned her back on the girl, forcing her to be strong and emotionally detached when it comes to life. The pair does have one thing in common, however: they both have suffered heartbreak several times at the hands of love interests. The thing that sets them apart is how they have chosen to respond to the pain. While Jason is able to somewhat put it behind him, Andrea's every action and reaction is based on the abuse she has suffered from men.
Why did I decide to write such a story, especially when most of my works are thrillers? Well, I would have to say that, in my opinion, and from my experience, love can be the strangest and scariest thing of all. I wanted to try romantic suspense and see how two people from totally different backgrounds react to each other's pain. I wanted to play with the idea that, even if someone 'flips their lid,' so to speak, they can still love and be loved. I also wanted to express the deep importance of communication in learning to love and accept one another for all that each of us is. This involves understanding that each of us is made up of all of our happiness and heartaches. Each laugh and every tear are what we consist of. Most of the time, these things can cause us to act in a manner that is repulsive or frightening, or painful, to those around us, just like in the cases of both Jason and Andrea. But these things can also be overcome if the other is willing to look at the whole person instead of just the ugly parts. That is where the beauty of love comes in.
Yes, Dear Readers, this is what you may label a 'romance' or 'love story,' and that may be a jagged pill for some of you to swallow coming from me. But the fact is, love is just as much a part of life as our fear of the monster in the closet or the stalker outside the window. It is, even more, a part of life than any of these because it is the basis for our sanity and survival.
It is my sincere hope that you all enjoy this book for what it is: A simple, yet complicated, tale of two people who find love in the most unlikely of places. It is the story about cages, and how all of us live in them in one way or another. Most of all, it is about acceptance of the person trapped in the cage across from yours.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
An unforgettable story tinged with love and suspense.
Author CommentaryComing from the perspective of someone who creates, I believe I can say with confidence that my book, 'Requiem for the Caged,' may not be for everyone. I knew this from the start, and even as I sat down to write it, I simply wanted to tell a story I hadn't told before, and it happened to fall into a far different category. But just like I believe that it's not for everyone, I can also say there are going to be those who enjoy it thoroughly.
First of all, this is a love story, pure and simple. Unconventional? Of course. But love is never really conventional in any way, now is it? So, why should it be conventional in the pages of a book?
First, I would like to begin by discussing the premise. Jason Brandtley has just returned from being a prisoner of war overseas. He is a young man with a gentle spirit and full of integrity, but he has suffered many recent traumas. Andrea is a polar opposite to Jason, as readers will see. Unlike Jason, a much-loved only child, Andrea comes from a family that is harsh and uncaring; her mother has essentially turned her back on the girl, forcing her to be strong and emotionally detached when it comes to life. The pair does have one thing in common, however: they both have suffered heartbreak several times at the hands of love interests. The thing that sets them apart is how they have chosen to respond to the pain. While Jason is able to somewhat put it behind him, Andrea's every action and reaction is based on the abuse she has suffered from men.
Why did I decide to write such a story, especially when most of my works are thrillers? Well, I would have to say that, in my opinion, and from my experience, love can be the strangest and scariest thing of all. I wanted to try romantic suspense and see how two people from totally different backgrounds react to each other's pain. I wanted to play with the idea that, even if someone 'flips their lid,' so to speak, they can still love and be loved. I also wanted to express the deep importance of communication in learning to love and accept one another for all that each of us is. This involves understanding that each of us is made up of all of our happiness and heartaches. Each laugh and every tear are what we consist of. Most of the time, these things can cause us to act in a manner that is repulsive or frightening, or painful, to those around us, just like in the cases of both Jason and Andrea. But these things can also be overcome if the other is willing to look at the whole person instead of just the ugly parts. That is where the beauty of love comes in.
Yes, Dear Readers, this is what you may label a 'romance' or 'love story,' and that may be a jagged pill for some of you to swallow coming from me. But the fact is, love is just as much a part of life as our fear of the monster in the closet or the stalker outside the window. It is, even more, a part of life than any of these because it is the basis for our sanity and survival.
It is my sincere hope that you all enjoy this book for what it is: A simple, yet complicated, tale of two people who find love in the most unlikely of places. It is the story about cages, and how all of us live in them in one way or another. Most of all, it is about acceptance of the person trapped in the cage across from yours.
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Used availability for R W K Clark's Requiem for the Caged