A Different Kind of Hero

plus The Raven’s Call Update

It’s Friday here and this week ran all over me! Instead of preparing any posts for The Raven’s Call, life took over – every single day. Yesterday, I drove into town with my son Joseph (he’s on his learner’s license) for him to take some videos at a business. He’ll be nineteen soon, and you might wonder why I’m still supervising his driving at this age. Well, Joseph’s journey has been anything but typical.

Three years ago, he sustained a severe back injury that turned his active life upside down. At 16, he was a karate black belt, a National Champion, an avid fisherman, a chess competitor, and a bass player in the church band. After his injury, he could only sit up for five minutes at a time, couldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t train or drive. School had to be completed lying down, shifting positions every few minutes. For a time, I had to lay on the floor of our lounge room next to him, to hold his laptop so he could study.

Socialising meant finding friends online – something I’d kept my children away from, but for Joseph it became a lifeline. Through it all, his father and I worried, not just about his physical recovery but about his mental health. Would he tell us if he was struggling? He’s my quietest child, after all. But Joseph amazed us with his quiet strength and determination.

Three years later, his recovery is still slow, but he can sit up more, go on outings, and most importantly, he’s happy and is building a future. He completed his studies last year and has started two work-from-home businesses (videography/content creation and phone repairs).

Instead of finding a book-related image to share today, I thought I’d share a photo of Joseph - a quiet, stoic hero in my eyes - on his way here to film at a local business. Life is full of unexpected challenges, but it’s also full of victories, big and small.

As for The Raven’s Call, there was a hiccup with the pre-order not being live for 2 days this week. This is sorted out now and I will extend the 99c deal for three extra days after this Saturday. Also, a big thank you to Marina Costa for sharing in her own newsletter about the book. Word of mouth is such a powerful way to share about books. Please help me spread the word about The Raven’s Call by telling your friends or family about it and send them the link - either for the free review copy or the pre-order.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

Emma