Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Prologue


They were just young men, boys really, but they reminded him of a pack of wolves, dangerous predators protecting their turf. And red, even in the low light of the afternoon sun he saw lots of red. It was the colors of the gang—The Core Street Crew. Sid Drake glanced over his shoulder at the little canvas tent on the other end of the street. Bright and white, bustling with human activity, it seemed to glow with hopeful innocence. He thought of running back to it, but something drove him forward. Was it obligation? Duty? No, nothing so honorable as that. There was a young man he wanted to talk to. A good kid mixed up in a bad situation. He tucked his Bible under his arm and started down Core Street into the heart of East Beach ghetto, quoting scriptures, gathering strength as he walked, but as he emerged from the shadows and saw their eyes turn his way he felt as if a bright spotlight had fallen on him.
“Hey, yo!”
The tall kid in the center of the group—a muscular looking young man with long arms and a thick weight-lifter’s chest—flung his cigarette butt aside and started up the street toward him.
“Yo!”
Sid felt his legs go weak.
“You lost, bro?”
The last time Sid had seen William “J-Rock” Jackson he had been unconscious, barely breathing, with a syringe sticking in his arm and enough saliva backed up in his throat to choke a mule. Sid saved his life by injecting two milligrams of narcan into his vein, reversing the effects of heroin and preventing certain respiratory arrest, but today things were different. J-Rock was breathing just fine. He walked with power and pride, a fully alert fighter with a thousand dollars worth of gold jewelry around his neck and the look of a killer on his face.
“Yo, white boy, you lost or just plain crazy, man?”
J-Rock slowed his pace to a leisurely strut and stopped close enough for Sid to smell his breath, his body odor, and the aromas of fresh weed and sweat. The other gang members encircled them. Sid was trapped. J-Rock held out his hands in a display of disbelief.
“You must be some kinda fool, bro. You know where you are?”
Sid nodded and squeezed his Bible with both hands to keep them from shaking. “Don’t you remember me, J-Rock? I’m the paramedic that saved your life last summer. You were—”
“You a paramedic? Where your ambulance?”
“I’m not on the truck tonight.”
“Whatchu doin’ here then?”
“I’m looking for someone.” Sid glanced at the other gang members. “His name’s Zee. I thought he might—”
“Zee? Whatchu want with Zee?”
“He came into the revival tent about an hour ago looking for help, but—”
“You a preacher?”
Sid shook his head. “I already told you, I, I’m a paramedic with East Beach. I just a volunteer at the tent…sometimes.”
“What’s your name?”
“Sid Drake.”
Sid stared into the cold, shark-like eyes. He saw no sign of warmth, no hint of acceptance, no indication that J-Rock either remembered or cared that the small man before him had recently saved his life, just a cold curiosity that left him feeling like a foreign specimen beneath the lens of a microscope. J-Rock stood over him like a general. The chieftain of a mighty horde. Sid took a deep breath to steady himself and then exhaled slowly as he tried to explain.
“Look, I just want to talk to him, that’s all. He came into the tent asking questions. I showed him some passages from the Bible and it seemed like he understood, but when I mentioned Jesus he stood up and—”
Jesus!”
A stinging hand slapped across Sid’s face, jerking his head sideways and instantly numbing his cheek. He tried to shake away the shock of the blow but his eyes filled with tears, his mind with panic and disorientation.

*

Want to read more? Click on the link provided to the right, then click on the book cover. I hope you enjoy! 

Sunday, August 12, 2012


Synopsis:

Paramedic Jim Stockbridge doesn’t need God, he’s a fighter, and as far as he’s concerned the world is his toy. But when he responds to an EMS call in the ghetto and finds his best friend brutally stabbed and shot, he suddenly realizes he’s in for the fight of his life.

Mad with rage he hunts down Sid Drake’s killers and renders his own form of justice, but he soon finds himself lost, tangling with a vicious street gang and its ruthless warlord, William “J-Rock” Jackson. And so it begins, a long dark journey that pushes Jim deep into his own personal world of bitterness and revenge, and ultimately to the brink of disaster. 

Haunting nightmares ensue. Endless nights. A brutal biker gang nearly kills him. An angry detective wants him behind bars. And Jim’s girlfriend, Dr. Valerie Vick, the only woman he’s ever truly loved, has just made a painful announcement: She’s leaving. Suddenly Jim’s entire world seems to be falling apart, but through the leadership of two remarkable men he finds a new relationship with the Lord and new purpose for his life. But Jim’s enemy hasn’t forgotten him. J-Rock is out for blood…and Jim is his prey.

J-Rock’s trap is both elaborate and cruel, and when Jim falls into it, he ends up in a hospital bed with a bullet in his spine, his willpower broken, and his proud spirit crushed. He finally reaches his lowest point and in a moment of quiet desperation cries out to God. And his prayers are heard.

But Jim’s ultimate fight is yet to come—a fight to the death on the deck of a sinking boat with Valerie secured in the hold below. Will he succeed? Can he defeat J-Rock once and for all? Can he save the beautiful love of his life from a cold drowning death, and carry the gospel back to the ghetto street where his best friend died? He must, but to do so will require strength he never knew, the kind of God-given power known only to a man who has truly been…Tested By Fire.

Inspirational Devotions from a Tested Paramedic. Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." The First Responders in your community do just that. They sacrifice comfort and safety to protect the lives of others, always waiting, and always wondering when they will find themselves answering the next call. I wrote this book for them, but it applies to anyone who searches for courage and hope, struggles with a difficult relationship, or suffers through pain or loss.

Answering the Call is a collection of inspirational stories based on my experiences as a street paramedic in Durham, North Carolina. Each unique story was written as a devotional with an insightful application section that offers the reader a glimpse into God's Word. Use it for your daily devotions. As a guide for your group study. Or simply to share in my experiences and better understand the lives of paramedics and other First Responders.

Are you seeking a closer walk with God? Wondering what comes next? Answering the Call can help you find your way. It reveals the simple truth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that to follow Him is to find true meaning in life. Christ is calling you now. Will you be Answering the Call?

"The promise is unto you and your children and for all who are far off...for all the Lord our God will call." Acts 2:39