Have you ever been wrongfully accused? Jason Brandtley has, and he knows the feeling all too well. After being held captive in a war-torn country for years, he finally makes it back to his family - only to find out so much time has passed. His life is in shambles, but Jason starts to put the pieces back together. He meets a woman who makes him question everything. Suddenly, what was once a clear-cut path becomes blurry. Will Jason let go of his anger and find happiness? Pick up your copy of Requiem for the Caged today! Coming from the perspective of someone who creates, I can confidently say that my book, 'Requiem for the Caged,' may not be for everyone. I knew this from the start, and even as I sat down to write it, I simply wanted to tell a story I hadn't told before. It happened to fall into a far different category. But just like I believe that it's not for everyone, I can also say there will be those who enjoy it thoroughly. First of all, this is a love story, pure and simple. Unconventional? Of course. But love is never really conventional in any way, now is it? So, why should it be traditional in the pages of a book? First, I would like to begin by discussing the premise. Jason Brandtley has just returned from being a prisoner of war overseas. He is a young man with a gentle spirit and full of integrity, but he has suffered many recent traumas. That doesn't change the fact that his heart and soul are clean. The motives of his heart are always based on his desire to do the right thing and help. Lonely and depressed, Jason longs for a wife to share his life. He is eager, and he is willing to do what it takes to find a good woman to walk by his side. Andrea is a waitress who lives and works in Cheyenne, about thirty minutes away. He meets her while having lunch in the park one day, and Jason is stricken with her immediately. Andrea is the polar opposite of Jason, as readers will see. Unlike Jason, a much-loved only child. Andrea comes from a harsh and uncaring family. Her mother has essentially turned her back on the girl, forcing her to be strong and emotionally detached when it comes to life. The pair does have one thing in common, however. They both have suffered heartbreak several times at the hands of love interests. What sets them apart is how they have chosen to respond to the pain. While Jason can somewhat put it behind him. Andrea's every action and reaction is based on her abuse from men. Why did I write such a story, especially when most of my works are frightening? Well, I would have to say that, in my opinion, and from my experience, love can be the strangest and scariest thing of all. I wanted to try a romantic thriller and see how two people from totally different backgrounds react to each other's pain. I wanted to play with the idea that, even if someone 'flips their lid,' so to speak, they can still love and be loved. I also wanted to express the deep importance of communication. Learning to love and accept one another for all we are. This involves understanding that we are made up of all of our happiness and heartaches. Each laugh and every tear are what we consist of. Often these things can cause us to act in a repulsive, frightening, or painful manner to those around us, just like in the cases of both Jason and Andrea. But these things can also be overcome if the other is willing to look at the whole person instead of just the ugly parts. That is where the beauty of love comes in. Yes, Dear Readers, this is what you may label a 'romance' or 'love story,' and that may be a jagged pill for some of you to swallow coming from me. We fear love just as much as the monster in the closet or the stalker outside the window. It is the basis for our sanity and survival. It is my sincere hope that you all enjoy this book for what it is. A simple, yet complicated tale of two people who find love in the most unlikely places. It is a story about cages and how all of us live in them in one way or another. Most of all, it is about acceptance.