Lin Wilder Shares Personal Search for Findng the Narrow Path...

Lin Wilder is a former Hospital Director and presently a self-employed writer who works from her home in northern Nevada. She finds peace and channels her creativity in the remote valley that offers her just the right amount of silence, stillness and solitude. She has written throughout her entire adult life but made the switch from non-fiction to fiction in 2006.

“I found, long ago, that the best way for me to understand something is to write about it.” Lin explains. Writing helps her to better comprehend even the most challenging subjects. Lin feels her line of work should be viewed like any other business, advising others, “In the beginning, expect to be in the red.” After years in the industry, she has learned the value of a good editor, finding that editing is far more than proofreading. “Writing is hard work and requires exceptionally thick skin. Once we decide to publish our work, we’re in the public domain where others can criticize, perhaps even in a hurtful way.” Wilder states.

Prior to her decision to switch to fiction, Lin Weeks Wilder had published over 40 articles and book chapters as well as a textbook. She was also written four self-help books. Lin’s first novel, The Fragrance Shed by a Violet, was published in July of 2015. The second edition, The Fragrance Shed by a Violet: Murder in the Medical Center and the sequel, Do You Solemnly Swear are available to purchase on Amazon. When asked why she chose to create a second edition, Lin quotes Chesterton, “Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly” and explains that the multiple errors in the first edition begged to be fixed. The third in her series, A Price for Genius, was planned for a spring release but has been trumped by a non-fiction account of an “unplanned surprise” story of the return to faith, Finding the Narrow Road; A Love Story. Her series of medical thrillers are situated in Houston, Texas with many references to the local Medical Center where Lin worked for over 23 years.

In her free time, Lin Wilder enjoys exercising, hiking, listening to beautiful music, gardening and last but certainly not least, reading. She is married to a former Marine and psychologist with 25 years of experience counseling ex- combat veterans. They reside in Nevada with their two dogs.

Finding the Narrow Path:

Patterns, Faith and Searching

By Lin Wilder

A bit of serendipity occurred when, upon receiving two requests for reviews, I said yes, without really realizing that both were from just one author. When they were received, I automatically add on my TBR stack, so that, as I read, the first selection was the fiction book. That review will come next. Once I realized that the next book was nonfiction, I approach it differently and check out the credentials on the back, where I realized that this book was from the same author. I decided I wanted to share this review first.

Finding the Narrow Path is a partial memoir and as I read her book, I remembered back to a discussion with a Visiting Professor in Physics with whom I got into a discussion about faith. He proceeded to very competently express his intellectual reasons for being an atheist and I would return with a faith-based response. It was so frustrating to him for it was quite clear that he could not win with his presented argument... I was curious to see what this intellectual scientist would be sharing...

Lin had walked away from religion and had worked hard to move ahead in her professional career and then on into marriage at one point... She broke glass ceilings and successfully received the accolades of others. I'm not going to go into much of that time. Instead, I will comment that this book is an excellent story for those who have worked in academe and/or medical fields where the moves upward and onward are not an easy task--it requires dedication, studying and research to maintain the latest knowledge available. Often that profession becomes the primary thing in your life... If you have been in that situation, even if it was not your choice, as happened to me, and know that something is wrong when the job is what consumes your life, I urge you to read this book.

Yet it was because of her intellectual drive, her love of her professional goals that, I believe, carried into her personal search for something more. She studied and read much about different religions, different options such as meditation, or traveling to Greece to absorb the atmosphere of ancient gods such as Zeus, whose stories still remain with us. It seemed to me that her final choices were based upon her personal life processes, she applied the same drive into finding her place. It happened to be the Catholic Church, but I thought it important to mention that she in no way limits what is possible for you, each and every reader...she simply says this is what happened to me...

The journey to Greece changed me. Not in ways I could readily describe when I returned or even now, looking back...My last night in this breathtaking land of crumbled ruins, mystery, and ancient wisdom was listening to a concert high above the ruins...The music ended and I sat there alone...The miracles of them, the privilege of being here...The moonlight was brilliant and the silence so immense that I was confident I could hear the whispered prayers of the many hundreds of thousands who had worshiped in this place. This sacred place.

A particularly poignant scene was when her mother was dying... She realized that she should have stayed with her at that time, but...she didn't know how to pray... Like Lin did with her professional career, she moved rapidly in her search for faith. 

I must tell you of my own God Incident with the book... In the middle of the night after I had finished the book, I woke up and "The lights" came into my mind... I knew immediately that I was to emphasize that the light came three times to Lin but with no understanding experience, it took her three times to realize exactly what was happening. Immediately an old song came to my mind! She had found the light...I  had been thinking about how to approach the book and simply was told... How many others might be approached by God in some way, and not realize that He is there, ready. How cool! God took Lin exactly where she was in her life and reached out to her in her search...

At our last meeting in the cafeteria of the hospital, it all came back, like a tidal wave of horror. What I had done all those years ago...I begun to sob right there in the cafeteria. Quietly, Clark suggested we go somewhere private and continued in my office for a long time...

I do not remember the words he used during the prayer because of the powerful light that appeared suddenly in my office, filling it. I kept asking Clark why he could not see the bright light which shone so brightly over our heads that I had to squint at him to see him. That light followed us as I walked him to his car, thankful for his loving concern. I asked again if he didn't see that light, pointing up at it. But he could not...

Only much later, after I saw that same light a third time did I figure out I have seen the Holy Spirit.

It is only through reading her entire story will you see the long time period it took for Lin Wilder Finding the Narrow Path. One of her early reviewers questioned the book cover, indicated it was "too preachy." I laughed after I finished the book, because I have never read a less preachy story yet the cover worked perfectly for me. It is open, factual, and, yes, presented as a true intellectual would. She shares her readings, her research, her trips made in her search. But it has been done in what I considered an unemotional manner similar to, I am sure, her other professional writings.

Still, she includes her poetic emotional responses so that we see how "the light" touched her...

St. Benedict's Abbey

Suddenly I was there

On my knees with

Quiet tears coursing down

My cheeks in response

To feelings which were

So long suppressed and

Now foreign and exquisitely

Incisive as they pierced

Through the years of

Protective armor donned so

Long ago when I

Walked away from God

How did I arrive here?

And why was I deserving

Of such pure faith appearing

Without preamble or good works?

And why, God, have you found

Me worthy enough to know you?

Once more forgiving this oh, so

Grateful recipient of unmerited grace.

~~~

Lin ends her book telling about how she has come to love the psalms and Gospel passages, so I will end with just one of my favorites done in musical form.

I think that I must add a note about her fiction. Watch for my review. You will experience the results of Lin Wilder's search in her stories... Highly recommended for both those searching as well as those who have found the light, but seek refreshment...

GABixlerReviews

William Sirls' The Reason Presents Miraculous Story...

"From directly in front of them, Jim heard what
sounded like small pieces of wood cracking, as
if a large animal were walking across fallen branches
in the distance on a quiet night in the woods.
"Charlie gasped and put both his arms around him
at the same time the noise stopped.
"Jim sensed that Charlie was trying to protect him
from something. "It's okay, son. It's okay."
"You guys all right over there?" Kenneth yelled.
"What was that noise?" Jim asked.
"Hang on!" Kenneth yelled. "James, why don't you
and Charlie cover your ears? This will be done a
little quicker than most expected."
"Do like this Charlie," Jim said, holding a hand over
each ear, showing his son what to do.
"But Charlie wouldn't let go of him until he took
Charlie's hands and put them over his ears for him.
"The noise grew louder.
"Jim could hear the stress of bending wood. It
sounded like someone was pulling on or trying to
break a thick limb off of a tree. "What is that?"
he yelled, hanging on to Charlie.
"Charlie grunted and then shrieked in terror at
the first snap. Jim instinctively ducked and covered
his head as if something were about to fall on them.
"Snap! Crack! Snap! The wood seemed to cry out as
the carpenter stretched, split, broke, and...What
is that sound?
"Charlie picked Jim up by the armpits and swiftly
carried him back at least another thirty feet.
"Charlie!"...

The Reason

By William Sirls

Encouraging...
Inspiring...
Healing...


Have you ever had a book come just at the right time? The Reason did for me... A truly awesome and timely story. About a man named Kenneth... Or was it about all the others in the book who were touched by him... When you discover The Reason, you'll know...

It happened at a small country church... A storm had come through and lightning struck the giant cross that stood on the hill smiling down on those who would come to visit when the doors were opened. Jim, the pastor, was a caring, believing man, although his eyes were clouded over in white, ensuring that he could see nothing...

But all who were there that day heard what happened as lightning tore straight down through that cross and part fell to the ground...

Pastor and his wife and son huddled inside and heard that terrible tear of wood. So were Brooke and Alex who had become part of their family, though having separate living quarters...Each were affected by the damage done to the cross and Jim quickly worried what the congregation would say and how they would afford to fix or replace it... Alex was Brooke's son, who was best friends with the Pastor's son, Charlie, although they were far different in age and appearance...

In some ways, Macey Lewis could be called one of the main characters, because of her part in not only meeting Kenneth and then, later, in challenging him, almost to a duel--her medical skills against Kenneth's power--for she knew, she just knew that there was something special about Kenneth.

So it was that Macey, when she heard about the cross being hit by lightning, initiated the necessary help that would be needed by the church members to handle the problem. Macey had already decided that if it couldn't be repaired that she would replace it herself. She talked a doctor and nurse into helping and had tried to get the workers who were handling the construction project at the hospital to offer their skills. Only Kenneth, a carpenter, had volunteered from that group. All were to meet Sunday morning after church to evaluate the damage and plan...

But Kenneth came that day with his tools and materials needed to handle the job...

And while everybody was in the parsonage except Jim, a blind man, and Charlie, a grown-up child who couldn't speak, Kenneth fixed the cross...

Do you believe in miracles? If not, do you still enjoy seeing miracles take place in fiction? As Kenneth came to know each of the characters in the book, he only asked or suggested one thing, "Only Believe..."

This is a debut novel for William Sirls...Christian fiction readers--only believe one thing I say...it's a must-read. I think there are few books I would claim that were either directed or guided by the Holy Spirit. For me, there was only one thing I could claim...I believed...

Readers will see the changed lives of people in this book. Some may be similar to people in your own lives. For instance, Carla who was an alcoholic who ultimately jumped off a bridge... And Zack who was trying to win back the woman he loved, but didn't see in himself, what she was turning away from. And, especially, Macey, who believed she had trained long and hard and felt she was the best doctor around to handle the cases for which she was responsible--until she could do nothing for a little boy who she had come to love...

I challenge those who doubt God's power or that he even exists...Read this book. Allow it to speak to you...

All you have to do is believe...


GABixlerReviews

Over the course of his life, William Sirls has experienced both great highs and tremendous lows--some born of chance, some born of choice. Once a senior vice president at a major investment firm, he was incarcerated in 2007 for wire fraud and money laundering, where he learned a great deal more than he ever bargained for. Life lessons involving faith, grace, patience, and forgiveness are evident in his writing. He is the father of two and makes his home in southern Michigan. Visit his site at: www.williamsirls.com