For nine-year-old Mickey, the early fifties were not the Ozzie and Harriet fantasy of love and security. Instead, they were years of abandonment, unimaginable cruelty, and virtual slavery. This memoir reveals Mickey's devastating experiences of being handed off from one abusive person to another ... all in the name of survival.

The Golden Sun follows a rootless protagonist named Cezal as he leaves everything behind and journeys toward his mother’s hometown after her recent passing. Set in the early 20th century, Robert Shafer’s novel largely takes place on a train, and Cezal realizes many of the passengers are there for similar reasons. Some are attempting to run from the meaninglessness that continues to creep into their lives, or heading in the direction of a new life altogether. As late summer turns t...

The Golden Sun follows a rootless protagonist named Cezal as he leaves everything behind and journeys toward his mother's hometown after her recent passing. Set in the early 20th century, Robert Shafer's novel largely takes place on a train, and Cezal realizes many of the passengers are there for similar reasons. Some are attempting to run from the meaninglessness that continues to creep into their lives, or heading in the direction of a new life altogether. As late summer turns t...

A harrowing journey of survival and self-discovery in 1950s America.Mickey, shaped by abandonment and abuse, returns to his estranged mother at age 12, only to face new challenges in her unfamiliar world. Based on a true story, this novel plunges into Mickey's fight for survival amidst poverty and religious intolerance.From the Chicago slums to Mormon country in Ogden, Utah, and finally to the allure of California, Mickey's raw voice guides you through an e...

Should we allow performance-enhancing substances in competitive athletics? The first book of its kind, Well Played answers this question by urging us to a deeper appreciation for the purpose of sport. Giving special reference to performance-enhancing substances, Shafer challenges the incompleteness of the ethical arguments and contributes a Christian voice to the discussion. He initiates a theological conversation that is both scholarly and accessible, arguing that a distinctively Christia...