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In Passing
From Linkville Press: Trying to bring closure to her haunted youth, Mary Elizabeth Stroll's past and present converge during a haunting, day-long interview. In Passing is a dark, yet romantic, paranormal tale, which thrusts two adolescent, suicide victims into a haunting afterlife odyssey where they find love and meaning. The journey leads them to intervene in the lives of other distressed young people, all the while amorous feelings grow. The two are then reunited with their lifeless bodies to search for the truth and their lost love. Nine years gone, Mary, now in her early twenties, agrees to an interview with a seminary student, Alex Renteria. Alex is completing his thesis on divine interventions, and near death experiences. Mary recalls her extraordinary afterlife adventure during the course of a daylong interview, which quickly morphs into an equally-haunting, parallel adventure. In Passing flows between first person (narrated by Mary as a youth [Lizzy]) and third person, creating an intense immediacy that will take the reader on a breath-stealing adventure, and race against death; all the while tackling a variety of controversial issues including: suicide, runaways, school violence, abortion, child abuse, substance abuse, etc.
- GenresRomance
322 pages, Paperback
Published December 26, 2015
1 person is currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Wirth
25 books33 followersJ.R. Wirth is an award-winning author and native of Southern California. J.R. Wirth was raised in the town of Azusa and now resides in the Inland Empire, very close to his family.
Recently released: The Institute is perhaps his best work to date. Soon to be released: When the Cold Wind Blows is a dramatic and, at times, disturbing look at alternative life and struggles to overcome the worst of odds.
J.R. has been on a bit of a hiatus. He had some health-related issues, and then, recently, spent thirteen months working as a supervisor at a 24/7 psychiatric treatment facility. This position had him busy every day—including Christmas. He’s since moved on and has been able to focus more on his writing.
The Institute has been a long-coming labor of love. With multiple edits and additions, it has been in the works for several years it seems. Finally satisfied with the manuscript, and with great reviews, it is up and active in paperback, hard cover, and Kindle with a limited time deal editions. The full-length novel offers thrills, secret experiments using brain chips, suspense, and supernatural elements, all the while keeping J.R.’s signature character and plot development.
J.R. remains dedicated to the craft of writing, highlighting the conflict, frailty, and hero in all of us. In his spare time, JR is a licensed psychotherapist with a long list of accomplishments, including a stint as a university professor.
In all his works, J.R. combines ordinary people with extraordinary circumstances, to create characters that jump off the page and straight into the readers’ heart and psyche. He remains dedicated to the craft of writing, highlighting the conflict, frailty, and hero in all of us.
Recently released: The Institute is perhaps his best work to date. Soon to be released: When the Cold Wind Blows is a dramatic and, at times, disturbing look at alternative life and struggles to overcome the worst of odds.
J.R. has been on a bit of a hiatus. He had some health-related issues, and then, recently, spent thirteen months working as a supervisor at a 24/7 psychiatric treatment facility. This position had him busy every day—including Christmas. He’s since moved on and has been able to focus more on his writing.
The Institute has been a long-coming labor of love. With multiple edits and additions, it has been in the works for several years it seems. Finally satisfied with the manuscript, and with great reviews, it is up and active in paperback, hard cover, and Kindle with a limited time deal editions. The full-length novel offers thrills, secret experiments using brain chips, suspense, and supernatural elements, all the while keeping J.R.’s signature character and plot development.
J.R. remains dedicated to the craft of writing, highlighting the conflict, frailty, and hero in all of us. In his spare time, JR is a licensed psychotherapist with a long list of accomplishments, including a stint as a university professor.
In all his works, J.R. combines ordinary people with extraordinary circumstances, to create characters that jump off the page and straight into the readers’ heart and psyche. He remains dedicated to the craft of writing, highlighting the conflict, frailty, and hero in all of us.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 17, 2019
J. R. Wirth’s "In Passing" is labelled Fiction - Suspense and rightly so, but it could easily be tagged as Paranormal or Fantasy. Mary Elizabeth Stroll, in the first person sections of the story is known as Lizzie, a fourteen-year-old and in the third person parts as Mary, now in her early twenties. Lizzie has a disturbing life as a teenager — a drunken mother, an abusive step-father and a life so grim that even at that age she decides to end it by overdosing on her mother’s pills. In the afterlife she meets Bart, another suicide victim and they embark on a paranormal journey of discovery, along the way confronting other youths with equally disturbing backgrounds. In current day Mary meets Alex, a trainee Catholic priest and psychotherapist who is preparing a thesis on NDEs — near death experiences — and she agrees to a day long interview. It is during this interview that she relates to Alex her haunting experiences with Bart and the reader is treated to a first hand description of those events as her fascinating narration unfolds. As the story draws to a close there is the inevitable twist in the tale, and the various questions that scream at the reader from the earlier pages are finally answered. Interwoven throughout the story, in both the ‘before’ and ‘after’ sections, are such controversial issues as suicide, runaways, school bullying, abortion, child and substance abuse, all treated with due respect.
There is a sense of mystery and enchantment throughout "In Passing". A licensed psychotherapist himself, J. R. Wirth obviously knows his stuff and in this, his first full length novel, he is not afraid to delve into issues that some might prefer to avoid. Excellent prose is used in the telling of this story, the narrative expressed in flawless, descriptive text that brings the characters to life. Paranormal they may be, but the scenes are easily visualised, the dialogue carrying the story forward like a suspenseful movie script. In the earlier parts of the novel I was a little confused as to what was going on and who was who but as I read on the fog began to clear and before long I realised what a treat this work really is. As the blurb for this book says, here we have a story that is both dark, yet romantic, paranormal yet somehow real. "In Passing" is a unique tale of love that endures even beyond death.
There is a sense of mystery and enchantment throughout "In Passing". A licensed psychotherapist himself, J. R. Wirth obviously knows his stuff and in this, his first full length novel, he is not afraid to delve into issues that some might prefer to avoid. Excellent prose is used in the telling of this story, the narrative expressed in flawless, descriptive text that brings the characters to life. Paranormal they may be, but the scenes are easily visualised, the dialogue carrying the story forward like a suspenseful movie script. In the earlier parts of the novel I was a little confused as to what was going on and who was who but as I read on the fog began to clear and before long I realised what a treat this work really is. As the blurb for this book says, here we have a story that is both dark, yet romantic, paranormal yet somehow real. "In Passing" is a unique tale of love that endures even beyond death.
September 21, 2016
JR Wirth’s In Passing is an oddly absorbing paranormal romantic suspense that blends teen tragic fiction with a Dickensian Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life. The mix of narrators, times and places is unsettling at the start, but once the story gets going, once Mary begins to narrate her near death experience to the listening priest-in-training, this book is hard to put down.
Terrors and tragedies of childhood come to the fore in this novel—the physical, emotional and sexual abuses that result in suicide or worse, and the search for redemption. Lizzy (or Mary) and her helper may or may not be angels, and may or may not be seen as they slip through the scenes. But their words can change lives, and their lessons are wise.
Meanwhile, the lesson that we help ourselves through helping others is pleasingly taught. Lizzy might not die. And Mary might not be forever scarred. Plus, love might be real. The “might be” scenarios carry the reader forward, guessing, hoping, dreaming and wondering until “divine intervention” proves its human point. I enjoyed this book.
Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review.
Terrors and tragedies of childhood come to the fore in this novel—the physical, emotional and sexual abuses that result in suicide or worse, and the search for redemption. Lizzy (or Mary) and her helper may or may not be angels, and may or may not be seen as they slip through the scenes. But their words can change lives, and their lessons are wise.
Meanwhile, the lesson that we help ourselves through helping others is pleasingly taught. Lizzy might not die. And Mary might not be forever scarred. Plus, love might be real. The “might be” scenarios carry the reader forward, guessing, hoping, dreaming and wondering until “divine intervention” proves its human point. I enjoyed this book.
Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review.
September 13, 2016
Reviewed by Darryl Greer for Readers' Favorite
J.R. Wirth’s In Passing is labelled fiction suspense and rightly so, but it could easily be tagged as paranormal or fantasy. Mary Elizabeth Stroll, in the first person sections of the story, is known as Lizzie, a fourteen-year-old, and in the third person parts as Mary, now in her early twenties. Lizzie has a disturbing life as a teenager — a drunken mother, an abusive step-father, and a life so grim that even at that age she decides to end it by overdosing on her mother’s pills. In the afterlife, she meets Bart, another suicide victim, and they embark on a paranormal journey of discovery, along the way confronting other youths with equally disturbing backgrounds. In current day, Mary meets Alex, a trainee Catholic priest and psychotherapist, who is preparing a thesis on NDEs — near death experiences — and she agrees to a day-long interview. It is during this interview that she relates to Alex her haunting experiences with Bart and the reader is treated to a first hand description of those events as her fascinating narration unfolds. As the story draws to a close, there is the inevitable twist in the tale, and the various questions that scream at the reader from the earlier pages are finally answered. Interwoven throughout the story, in both the ‘before’ and ‘after’ sections, are such controversial issues as suicide, runaways, school bullying, abortion, child and substance abuse, all treated with due respect.
There is a sense of mystery and enchantment throughout In Passing. A licensed psychotherapist himself, J.R. Wirth obviously knows his stuff and in this, his first full length novel, he is not afraid to delve into issues that some might prefer to avoid. Excellent prose is used in the telling of this story, the narrative expressed in flawless, descriptive text that brings the characters to life. Paranormal they may be, but the scenes are easily visualised, the dialogue carrying the story forward like a suspenseful movie script. In the earlier parts of the novel, I was a little confused as to what was going on and who was who, but as I read on the fog began to clear and before long I realised what a treat this work really is. As the blurb for this book says, here we have a story that is both dark, yet romantic, paranormal yet somehow real. In Passing is a unique tale of love that endures even beyond death.
J.R. Wirth’s In Passing is labelled fiction suspense and rightly so, but it could easily be tagged as paranormal or fantasy. Mary Elizabeth Stroll, in the first person sections of the story, is known as Lizzie, a fourteen-year-old, and in the third person parts as Mary, now in her early twenties. Lizzie has a disturbing life as a teenager — a drunken mother, an abusive step-father, and a life so grim that even at that age she decides to end it by overdosing on her mother’s pills. In the afterlife, she meets Bart, another suicide victim, and they embark on a paranormal journey of discovery, along the way confronting other youths with equally disturbing backgrounds. In current day, Mary meets Alex, a trainee Catholic priest and psychotherapist, who is preparing a thesis on NDEs — near death experiences — and she agrees to a day-long interview. It is during this interview that she relates to Alex her haunting experiences with Bart and the reader is treated to a first hand description of those events as her fascinating narration unfolds. As the story draws to a close, there is the inevitable twist in the tale, and the various questions that scream at the reader from the earlier pages are finally answered. Interwoven throughout the story, in both the ‘before’ and ‘after’ sections, are such controversial issues as suicide, runaways, school bullying, abortion, child and substance abuse, all treated with due respect.
There is a sense of mystery and enchantment throughout In Passing. A licensed psychotherapist himself, J.R. Wirth obviously knows his stuff and in this, his first full length novel, he is not afraid to delve into issues that some might prefer to avoid. Excellent prose is used in the telling of this story, the narrative expressed in flawless, descriptive text that brings the characters to life. Paranormal they may be, but the scenes are easily visualised, the dialogue carrying the story forward like a suspenseful movie script. In the earlier parts of the novel, I was a little confused as to what was going on and who was who, but as I read on the fog began to clear and before long I realised what a treat this work really is. As the blurb for this book says, here we have a story that is both dark, yet romantic, paranormal yet somehow real. In Passing is a unique tale of love that endures even beyond death.
February 4, 2016
In Life as In Passing
Mary Elizabeth Stroll arrives at an interview she’s volunteered for regarding “near death” experiences. As she primps for the interview, in a church parking lot, Mary drifts toward the memories of the night where she met death. The night of terror, yet enchantment, is told, with superb eloquence, by our heroine (who went by Lizzy in her youth), in first person. Simultaneously, we are shown the lives of other youth who, as the story goes, are intertwined and it all makes sense.
However, during the interview itself, Mary matches wits with the interviewer, Brother Alex Renteria, who is doing his thesis on near death experiences. JR Wirth lets us in on the thinking and motives of Mary and Alex as they dance their way through a day long fight with death and darkness that has seemingly followed Mary back from the dead. It is almost like reading two separate stories, yet each emotional roller coaster is dependent on the other. Well done, JR, well done!
Mary Elizabeth Stroll arrives at an interview she’s volunteered for regarding “near death” experiences. As she primps for the interview, in a church parking lot, Mary drifts toward the memories of the night where she met death. The night of terror, yet enchantment, is told, with superb eloquence, by our heroine (who went by Lizzy in her youth), in first person. Simultaneously, we are shown the lives of other youth who, as the story goes, are intertwined and it all makes sense.
However, during the interview itself, Mary matches wits with the interviewer, Brother Alex Renteria, who is doing his thesis on near death experiences. JR Wirth lets us in on the thinking and motives of Mary and Alex as they dance their way through a day long fight with death and darkness that has seemingly followed Mary back from the dead. It is almost like reading two separate stories, yet each emotional roller coaster is dependent on the other. Well done, JR, well done!
April 11, 2017
In Passing is a paranormal love story with hints of darkness. It explores the possibility of an after life and the existence of ‘angels’, or people who are able to stop others before they make dire mistakes. The book is not afraid to take on gritty social issues, such as child abuse, substance abuse and abortion, and does so in a positive manner. Well worth a read for those who enjoy paranormal romance and books with a religious theme.
3.5 stars
...read the complete review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org
3.5 stars
...read the complete review at UndergroundBookReviews(dot)org
July 5, 2016
A Truly Inspiring and Heartwarming Book
This book is one of many I have read as of late, but one that will remain with me for a long time to come. I will recommend to everyone I know!
This book is one of many I have read as of late, but one that will remain with me for a long time to come. I will recommend to everyone I know!
July 3, 2016
Received this from a GoodReads giveaway. Interesting story. It's was like 2 stories that finally come together.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews