Between making up stories about Spiderman and dinosaurs with my grandson, I was able to read some books by writers who have aroused my curiosity as we’ve rubbed elbows on the web. Interestingly, three men with seemingly very different books all penned life-affirming messages in their unique ways. Here’s a little snapshot of each work:

VOYAGE OF PURPOSE by David Bennett is so much more than a NDE (near death experience) recap, although going to the Light, the Life Review and all that jazz is always fascinating. Bennett lives in a place of high spiritual awareness as a result of extreme challenges. The book chronicles his journey through a disjointed childhood, his workaholic engineer days, the NDE experience that changed everything and the excruciating cancer that sharpened all his spiritual sensibilities.  He’s a man living out his Purpose and shining the Light for others to follow.

I may be the only person in America who has read DREAM ANGEL, written by my new Aussie Friend, Pat Ritter. A few weeks ago I received a personal message from Mr. Ritter via Facebook introducing himself as a fellow author from Downunder who has enjoyed my books. I decided to return the favor and see what this fellow was all about. The cover of the book is quite misleading. A Noir-type detective theme with a Columbo cover might be more appropriate, for Mr. Ritter is a retired Australian detective. This autobiography depicts a gentlemen of quality who devoted himself to others through the various avenues of police work that presented itself over the course of forty years. You can almost hear the Aussie lilt as his life unfolds with a sense of destiny underlying it all. The devotion to his work and family shines through. Dream Angel tells the story of a life well-lived.

Finally, DROP OUT by Neil D. Ostroff capped off my male-author reading adventures. Neil has dropped by the Indie Romance Author thread at Kindle Boards to promote his book and piqued my curiosity. A romance that begins in the disaster of the World Trade Center? The opening of this novella is riveting and disturbing as the author takes us inside the burning, imploding buildings. His vivid portrayal of the chaos and incredulity of those moments will not soon be forgotten. The story centers on Nathan and the two women who touch his soul. This is a short piece and can be heart-wrenching at times. Ultimately, Nathan has to choose between embracing life or continuing a living death.

All of these books have spiritual underpinnings to challenge readers to look deeper into their own lives. Are you embracing life or just letting it pass on by? I recommend all of them for entertainment and life-affirming inspiration.