My friends call me Jensen, at least my close friends do. I live in San Francisco. Dr. Michael Benson, a leading theoretical physicist, had contacted me about a very strange experience I had in New Orleans nearly a year ago. The secrets of the event were kept from the press and the public, but Dr. Benson had learned of them and wanted to know more about what really took place.I had traveled to New Orleans, and out of curiosity, took a detour to the swamps of Louisiana where I learned that the bayous could be both fascinating and terrifying. At the end of the road, in the heart of Cajun country and the heat of the swamp, I met an "o-wom'n"-Mothe' Moses-a clear-minded woman of the swamp who introduced me to her "li'l babies," and my life changed forever. I left the swamp with a load that is far heavier than I ever thought I could carry. The load was accompanied with a hiss and rattle that pierced my nerves and made my hair stand on end.Back in New Orleans, and without realizing it, I dragged my best friend, Bob, and his wife, Anne, into a terrifying balancing act; in this case, it was the balance of the scales of justice. After a week in the city, they saw first-hand that the application of Cajun justice is far different than the justice meted out by the United States judicial system. We all learned we are a composite of our experiences and choices, and that justice might be applied in ways and means that are completely undreamt of, and certainly unexpected. I will never forget the sights and sounds of the living bayou, including its slithering creatures, the musky scent of foggy, black swamp water, and the questionably joyous revelers on Bourbon Street. Had you been there, it would have grayed your hair and left you in a cold sweat. I had explored a world of previously unknown punishment and encountered the concept of mercy in a way that was unexpected, terrifying, but, in the end, justifying. The information that Dr. Benson gained from our interview became powerful evidence to the premise of his theory and research because I told him the entire story.
About the Author: Lee R. Hadley is a leader in thought and action and no blind follower, who draws from his diversity in mixing truth, fiction, and genre types into unusually fascinating tales. He describes growing up on his father's Idaho farms as an animating paradise. Exploring the endless banks of the Payette River, riding horses along the Snake River, and driving fast cars over open roads were some of the formative backdrops for his young imagination. In his youthful wonderment, he never imagined the wide range of his future interests and delights. Creativity is Lee's natural instinct, yet he was drawn into a career of sales and marketing. Outside of work, Lee relishes DIY projects. He redesigned and built the home where he currently lives and has rebuilt car engines for both driving and racing. Along with landscaping and gardening at home, Lee processed film and printed photographs in his personal darkroom. He became a videographer, creating superb amateur videos. Lee is a modern Renaissance man, winning awards in Retold Story, music composition, engineering, and music video production. Traveling to forty-six states, China, Europe, and the countries of North America, he has seen much of the world. His diverse interests often caused him to joke about what he might do when he finally grows up. At the center of Lee's happiness is his marriage of forty-three years. He and his loving wife, Sandra, have five upstanding children and seven delightful grandchildren. His life is filled with the joy of family, teaching religion classes on Sundays, the roar of Hemi-, and the interplay of light, matter, music, and emotion in photography and videography. Lee is known for his heart, compassion, and in seeing the good in others. Nearly fifty years after leaving the family farm, Lee began writing a novel. Today, it is a trilogy known as The Towers Series. Book One, Origins, imagines an apocalyptic scenario, all too timely for our day. Book Two, Morning of Despair, and Book Three, Providence, carry the story forward in a geopolitical thriller with a supernatural conclusion. Morning of Despair and Providence are in final edit, with releases scheduled for September and December of 2016. Towers of Peace, the trilogy that follows The Tower Series, is in composition. Lee attacks his writing with vision and passion and has clearly answered the questions of his vocation.