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13:24 – A Compelling Look at Childhood Trauma

Releasing on April 1, M. Dolon Hickmon’s chilling story introduces a riveting and accessible approach to the issues of child abuse and recovery. At the same time, 13:24 – A Story of Faith and Obsession is a stay-up-all-night crime thriller.

“I have written and published research on child abuse and excessive corporal punishment since 2006,” Hickmon says. “I eventually realized that although studies were being done and papers being written, the latest advances in our understanding of early trauma were not reaching the public. My solution was to create a fast-paced crime thriller that would combine my own experiences as a victim and survivor with true crime headlines and cutting-edge research into the neurobiological basis of PTSD.”

The result is an acclaimed novel that sensitively guides readers through the spiritual, physical, and emotional consequences of child abuse and the lifelong process of overcoming it.

“Mr. Hickmon writes with the clarity, power and passion of someone who really knows what he is writing about, and who understands the wide range of responses human beings experience when trying to deal with lives affected by ongoing trauma,” declared Bristol University trauma researcher and emeritus professor Dr. Kim Etherington, in her pre-publication review; “There are textbooks that explain the scientific mechanisms that underpin post traumatic stress disorder, but this book tells a story that reaches out to help us all understand.”

The novel opens with a troubled teenager named Chris. Struggling with a flood of emotions toward his mother’s ex-boyfriend, he chooses to resolve things with lethal violence. When Chris’s mother is also found brutally murdered, Detective William Hursel is left with only a handful of clues. While the media obsesses over Chris’s infatuation with the violent lyrics of a popular heavy-metal band, Detective Hursel searches for a deeper motive.

Links between Chris and the band’s lead singer, Josh, soon emerge, drawing the detective into a web of crime and past family violence. Framed by scenes of rock-star glamour, political intrigue, and police adventure, Chris and Josh’s stories converge at the intersections of religion and psychology, love and revenge, destruction and redemption.

M. Dolon Hickmon is a writer, activist, and a survivor of religious child maltreatment. His writings can be found on news websites like AlterNet, Salon, and the Spiritual Abuse Survivor’s Blog Network, and his opinion pieces have appeared in newspapers such as the Scotsman, the South Lake Press, and the Bainbridge (GA) Post-Searchlight.

Hickmon’s original research continues to be cited by many and was included in a 2010 civil rights presentation to a committee of the US Congress. His hobbies include reading, songwriting, and playing acoustic and electric guitar. He lives with his wife and their daughter.

For more, please visit the website: http://1324book.com

13:24 – A Story of Faith and Obsession
Rehoboam Press
Paperback now available for pre-purchase on Amazon.com
Beginning April 1, available at all fine booksellers and as an e-book through Apple iTunes, Nook, and the Kindle store.
ISBN-13: 978-09911066-0-8

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ADVANCE PRAISE FOR 13:24

Kirkus Reviews: “Hickmon’s taut, gripping fiction debut journeys into a world of subversive rock-and-roll, dark perversions and deep emotional scars. . . . Hickmon weaves these separate plots together with an unforced ease… The narrative’s lean, unadorned prose becomes intensely involving as the plot hastens to its climax.”

D. Donovan, Midwest Book Review: “For some readers, this account of obsession, abuse, and redemption could strike too close to home; but those who want a hard-hitting, emotionally charged crime story should place this near the top of their reading list. 13:24′s emotional impact is solid and compelling, dark though it is, and it will keep readers guessing about all the connections and results right up to the blistering conclusion.”

Valerie Tarico (Goodreads): “A forensic thriller with heart and soul—and a brain….13:24 weaves together the stories of two anti-heroes, one a tattooed and muscled singer who specializes in Satanic heavy metal with violent lyrics; the other a teen fan on a murder spree. But just beneath the surface, both are achingly vulnerable. As they struggle to claim some modicum of sanity, dignity, and love from a dark web that has consumed their lives, the reader is dragged into a sordid subculture made all the more disturbing because we suspect it may be real.”

Robin Parrish (Goodreads): “… I knew immediately that this was going to be a book that would stay with me for the rest of my life….This is a courageous look at the world. … a must read…”

Nadine Block, author of This Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You: “The author obviously has a personal understanding of the harm that can result from corporal punishment, of the effects of biblical interpretations in perpetuating it, and of the pain and shame of children who are abused.

“The author manages to include a powerful amount of information about the science of corporal punishment, fetishisms, evangelical parenting teaching, and more…A poignant statement in a format that is certain to appeal to a wide audience.”

 

Trish Stevens – Ascot Media Group – Public Relations (PR)

 

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