I guess Blackie could have taken care of Daddy all by himself, but we wouldn’t have found the stillness if we hadn’t seen our families. Our Guardian Spirit sure is awesome to love us that much. The background check Sheriff Amos did on my daddy turned up some awful things. It seems he wasn’t who he’d told my mama he really was. He’d been in and out of some really bad foster care since he was found as a small boy abandoned in an alley. I reckon now — reckon? See how I’ve picked up some of that fine North Carolina drawl? I guess I understand now where he learned all his cruelty. I’d like to say I’ve forgotten all about him, but I haven’t. I’m working through it though. (This is 12 year-old Sadie talking 10 years after she and her mother and little brother escape her cruel father. You can learn more about my novel, "Guardian Spirit" concerning domestic violence on my website. <www.sarahmartinbyrd.com>) Thanks, IWS Sarah Martin Byrd Follow this link to view a short video trailer about "Guardian Spirit." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_AEq4_D_3s