Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse, released from Kunati Books on September 1, 2008. It is the story of 15-year-old Ashley Nicole Asher, who, after six years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse from her stepfather, finally finds the courage to reveal the painful details of her experiences with her mother, who refuses to acknowledge the problem and turns her back on her daughter. After confiding in her teacher—the only adult whom Ashley can trust—she is removed from her home and sent to live with her father and his second wife, Beverly, an English teacher. Nurtured by Beverly, an extraordinarily positive influence in her life, Ashley and a summer school class of troubled teens learn to face their fears and discover who they really are. One of the themes in Courage in Patience is religious extremism. I strongly believe that religion should not be used as a tool to tear people down. I think that belief comes through, loud and clear, in my novel. Before she is removed from her home, Ashley experiences what becomes for her a crystallizing moment that colors forever her perception of religiously extreme belief systems. This happens after…