Thread of Deceit (28 page)

Many things can happen to a book before it is opened by a reader.
Thread of Deceit
went through the refiner’s fire, a process that involved abandonment by one publisher, many years languishing on a shelf, a careful revision process and finally the embrace of a true champion, Joan Marlow Golan, Executive Editor at Steeple Hill. I’m so grateful for her belief in the subject matter of this book and her willingness to publish it.

Others also played important roles in bringing
Thread of Deceit
to life. My thanks goes to each of them. While any errors in the book are my own, I particularly wish to acknowledge the time and information given to me by David Hansen, assistant attorney general in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. A former prosecutor in the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, David willingly assisted me in my effort to understand the mind and behavior of the sexual predator. I also wish to thank Angela Hirsch, former victim advocate in the Sexually Violent Predator Unit, for helping me grasp the effect that sexual crimes have on victims. Most important, she gave me the profile of a victim who is successfully dealing with the past and working toward health.

I wish also to thank the many women who shared their personal stories with me before, during and after the writing of this book. Though your names remain publicly anonymous, God knows each of you intimately. He is a God of justice. Whatever was done to you was done to Him. Knowing that, take comfort and find healing.

As always, I thank my husband, Tim, whose numerous readings and careful editing of this manuscript have helped see it into print. I love you. And, of course, I am grateful for my patient and loving sons, Geoffrey and Andrei.

1. What is Ana Burns’s assignment at the start of the story? What is her life’s goal? How does that change by the end of the book?
   
2. What is Sam Hawke’s primary goal for Haven at the start of the book? How does he hope to accomplish it?
   
3. How do Sam and Terell know each other? What kind of relationship do they have? Do you have someone in your life like that? How have they affected you?
   
4. What two primary life experiences shaped Ana?
   
5. What two significant life experiences shaped Sam?
   
6. How are Sam and Ana alike and how are they different in their approach to daily life?
   
7. What does Ana believe about the nature of God? Why? Do you agree with her stance?
   
8. What does Sam believe about the nature of God? Why? Do you agree with his stance?
   
9. Each of the main characters in
   Thread of Deceit
   has experienced something life-altering. What happened to Terell? Raydell? Flora? Can you relate to any of their experiences?
   
10. Can you identify one or two elements that shaped who you are today? How have these experiences affected your view of God?
    
11. What do you now know about the behavior of the sexual predator? Name several characteristics. Could you recognize a sexual predator in your midst?
    
12. Has Ana healed from her childhood experience? What things does she learn in the course of the story that can help her move further along the path toward healing?