As a practicing lawyer, I experienced several incidents that have impacted my life. Innocent men and women were convicted of crimes they didn’t commit but lacked the resources necessary to fight for their freedom. The law almost instantly became more passion than a vocation for me, compelling me to challenge the system, right wrongs, seek justice, and provide a voice to the disenfranchised.
My most memorable case, one that has stayed with me through the years, was when a priest had sexually abused two boys. To my surprise and dismay, the church did everything in its power to cover up the crime and deny justice. Back in the 1970s and 80’s when the incident and the case happened, clergy abuse was no more than a dirty, little secret. Children were being abused, and cases were filed and settled with confidentiality agreements. Victims were literally being paid for their future silence.
This made Discovery in the case more difficult. Prior incidents of abuse by the same priest were hidden from view, covered up by respected and adored spiritual leaders in the community. With perseverance, hard work, and a little luck, we succeeded in tearing down the barriers placed in front of us. We proved prior incidents and a conspiracy to cover up these incidents. When the case was over, I promised myself that one day I would write a book about the experience, and thirty years later, in November 2016, the first edition of Betrayal of Faith was released.
Betrayal of Faith fulfilled a bucket list item—I never contemplated writing a second novel. However, in 2016, a presidential candidate emerged who appeared to be an anti-Muslim, anti-Latino, and anti-immigrant bigot. I became concerned that someone with these unconscionable beliefs might be elected president of the United States. Betrayal of Justice, a fictional account of an American presidential election, was written at the time of the 2016 election. It predicts what America might look like with a bigot in control. Many have called the novel a ‘hit job’ on our current president. However, since Betrayal of Justice was written before he was elected, any comparisons between fact and my fictional account would be the president’s fault, true? Fact sometimes imitates fiction.
After completing Justice, various newsworthy social justice events compelled me to write four additional novels and one novella. In order, the titles and topics are:
· Betrayal in Blue (Book 3) - The Blue Wall and White Supremacy
· Betrayal in Black (Book 4) - Black Lives Matter and Police Shootings
· Betrayal High (Book 5) - School Shootings and Bullying
· Supreme Betrayal (Book 6) - Political Fight for a Seat on the U.S. Supreme Court
· L’Dor V’Dor – From Generation to Generation (A Novella) – A story of survival and heroism that inspired a young man’s future
Writing provides me with the means to be a thought leader, someone who uses writing to inspire others to change, do things to benefit society, make the world a better place. My novels attempt to enlighten, educate, inform, or suggest better ways to deal with the compelling social justice issues that continue to plague our nation and our world. I hope people will read them and embrace their intent, even if we differ on proposed solutions. Let’s engage in constructive conversations about these critical topics. Together, we can truly change the world.
For more information about each book in the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller series, visit the "Books" pages.