Author Description

A smart, sensitive child, Jim Eskelson grew up in two disparate worlds. The world inside his family was warm and supportive. School, however, was another planet entirely. The bullying he experienced in that world twisted his soul and hardened his heart. Now, as a young man, Jim longs for justice and yearns to heal deep-seated wounds. Convinced that his mental health and future happiness are at stake, he consults an internet psychologist who encourages him to “bully up” and act like a predator instead of prey. Jim acts on this advice by hunting former bullies. Before each hunt, he calculates how much the bully owes him and then devises a debt-collection strategy that mimics the crimes the bully committed against him. Each successive hunt frustrates Jim’s expectations. Increasingly, he finds it necessary to deny his values, act out of character, and dismiss the wisdom he receives from friends and professionals. Ultimately, the hunts force Jim to confront a diabolical bully who attempts to harm the love of his life. That battle places Jim on the horns of a moral and romantic dilemma, and he must choose whether to stay the course or reject the role he thought would help him find healing and justice.GARY LADD is a professor of psychology who has spent four decades studying human relationships, including childhood friendships, bully-victim interactions, and parent-child relationships. He lives in Fountain Hills, AZ, with his wife of over 20 years. He began writing this novel of fantasized revenge against his own school bullies –a late in life attempt to find peace and healing. However, God had other plans for him--and this, his first novel, appears to be part of that plan.