A typical question for a writer is, “Why do you write?” For me, I write because I get pissed off and have to tell a story to make sense of my feelings. Usually, it’s because Power, with intention, data, and impact studies, manipulates our institutions for their own greed to the detriment of the people who both pay for and depend on those institutions for their fundamental rights and needs. These heinous activities are hidden behind a gaslighting screen of societal normalities and have brought us to a Climate Crisis which negatively affects all life on Earth.

I always sensed a disconnect between what I was taught about my world and how it actually was. However, rather than pursue truth, I followed the paths of least resistance—the traditional roles of daughter, wife, mother, and caregiver. And then, Mr. Trump ran for office. In defending his affection for Putin and Russia, the candidate said, “America isn’t perfect either.” What? My head popped out of the sand. There’s something wrong with the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Of course, I couldn’t take his word for it, so I went to the source material. He was right for perhaps the first and last time in his political career. Pale-faced Europeans stepped onto this continent and began the ongoing fight, aka intentional genocidal operations, by “civilized” white men against the barbarians in situ, Native Americans, and extended it to each wave of immigrants.

From the beginning of colonization, white men claimed this land as their own and, in 1776, declared their freedom and independence from England. Fantastic. However, they intentionally omitted to acknowledge that all humans are born with the rights they gave themselves. We, as a country, have been crippled, divided, and cruel as a result.

Why wasn’t I taught that in school? Gaslighting. I was so brainwashed that I didn’t even know what to ask. Societal norms, as set by those in control, “command” us to act, think, follow, behave, and pledge our allegiance in a specific, approved way. Reinforced by corporate-owned news and entertainment media, societally controlled textbooks, curriculum, and approved behavior models. Gaslighting flourishes because the kleptocracy encourages victim blaming for the oppressed and discourages accountability for the oppressors.

Now that I know all this, what do I do? I write, continuously educate myself, follow politics, participate in and host Good Men Project podcasts, and write editorials and novels. While my novels are primarily entertainment, the same kind that I enjoyed throughout my life, their underlying political themes are what drive the characters.

Breaking through the gaslighting led me to the climate crisis, the driving theme in my 6^th novel in the Seduction Thriller series: EXECUTION: Love. Loss. Leverage. Murder.

#1 SEDUCTION’s main theme is dealing with trauma. #2 PERCEPTION centers on influencers. #3 ISOLATION the silencing of opposition. #4 DECEPTION unmasks the perfect life. And now, #5 EXECUTION revolves around profit over people.

And, for me, the biggest question of all: “When will we ever learn?” Pete Seeger, 1955. In my continuing search for the answer, book #6 TRANSITION percolates.

Photo: Matt Howard/Unsplash