Novel Aids Woman during Health Crisis

Canadian reader finds novel helps her cope during a long hospital wait while doctors try to diagnose her husband's mystery ailment.

LANCASTER, Texas (Sept. 16, 2009) - A Canadian woman credits the first book in the Green Stone of Healing® speculative epic with helping her through a health-related crisis involving her husband.

The fourth book in the series, Outcast, will be published Oct. 1 by Lancaster, Texas-based HealingStone Books in paperback and ebook editions.

Catherine McDiarmid-Watt carried a copy of The Vision with her recently when her husband, Rob Watt, was taken by ambulance to a hospital in southern Ontario.

At first, the doctors thought Watt had suffered a heart attack, then a stroke. "I had long hours ahead of me, sitting and worrying," says his wife, who founded the website Frugal-Freebies.com. "I needed something to occupy my mind other than worrying."

An entire set of the first four books in the series is available at the Frugal Freebies website as a gift.

The Vision was an excellent choice as a waiting-room companion, according to McDiarmid-Watt. "Upon reading the first page, I was swept away by the story of Lt. Helen Andros. With a touch of romance, a dose of action and adventure, a dash of paranormal and a whole lot of palace intrigue, the story kept me involved and reading all day long.

"It's been a very long time since I have read a whole book in just one day," she adds. "I was surprised at how quickly the day passed and how the story gripped me and compelled me to keep reading. I have always been attracted to stories of the future, science fiction, fantasy, past lives, reincarnation, spirituality and healing. And this book series certainly fit them all!"

Her husband, since recovered, ultimately was diagnosed with transient global amnesia that lasted 24 hours. His tests for heart problems and stroke were all normal.

McDiarmid-Watt concludes, "For a day that could have left me crumbed in tears and fear, I was so grateful to have this book to lose myself in. Perhaps the magic of the story even helped me to emotionally and spiritually heal from our scare of possibly losing him."

"Catherine's story moved me," says author C.L. Talmadge. "My intent in writing my series is to bring hope and healing to readers. That is what happened for her and I am delighted for her sake, and that her husband has recovered."

The multigenerational saga's second and third novels, Fallout and The Scorpions Strike, are also in print and available at any online bookseller or by order through physical bookstores.