Bøker av Bill Heitland

Three friends are reunited through unlikely circumstances five years after their high school graduation in Jasper, Illinois.A violent storm causes Jody Hansen to make some ill-fated decisions that land him in jail, accused of car theft, possession of an illegal firearm and assaulting a police officer who later died. Although he is innocent, Jody's family lacks the funds to hire a seasoned criminal attorney, settling instead for one used to handling simple domestic cases. His opponent is a high-priced prosecuting attorney who relishes an easy conviction.Anna Sanchez returns to Jasper, Illinois from her home in Chicago to help her father Miguel who suffered a stroke during the storm. When she learns Jody is also in town, she realizes the feelings she had for him in high school are still very much alive. Anna's amorous feelings intensify when Jody informs her that he planned to begin a marketing internship in Chicago prior to his arrest.When Jody sees how Anna has transformed herself into an attractive woman with the physique of a competitive runner, he can't stop thinking about her.Aaron Cole, who makes up the third member of the trio dubbed fuerzas especiales or special forces, returns to Jasper from his home in New York to come to the aid of his brother, who was arrested while protesting the George Floyd murder.Jody's legal predicament isn't the only conflict in his life. When he learns it's been his father's dream to work as a fatther/son tandem at a local hardware store he now owns, Jody feels torn. Does he honor his father's wishes or act on a desire to move to Chicago to be with Anna, the woman he now loves?It will take a galvanized effort from all three, plus an overmatched lawyer's determination to right a wrong for the group to have any chance at proving Jody's innocence.If he can secure his freedom, Jody must now choose between breaking his father's heart or his own.

Adversity can teach as well as torment. It forces us to become introspective. It tests the length and breadth of our will, our inventive spirit, and our drive to thrive. It is the clay that shapes character.With the hope of illuminating a thoughtful way forward, Bill Heitland shares nine short stories that offer a glimpse into the lives of diverse characters navigating their way through loss, health issues, heartache, separation, and much more. A father reunites with his estranged daughter with help from a running club whose members hail from India and the US. A handicapped boy wishing for a silver tongue finds a more golden gift on Christmas day. An individual learns that his brother's life, though fraught with complex issues, held redeemable value. A young man fearing his maturation process is being stunted pushes toward the threshold of adulthood amid a key rite of passage. A married couple coping with the loss of their daughter find a way to rekindle the ardent love that marked their courtship.In this volume of short tales, individuals and families who must deal with tests of their strength of character find something rich-a light that translates into hope.