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Author Robert Arend, who experienced the tragic loss of his baby girl 29 years ago, read my story in the recently released anthology Elements of the Soul. "I had thought it easier for a man to get past such tragedy than for her mother," he told me. "Love & Loss put the lie to that." He wrote this wonderful, heart-wrenching review:

Warning: Love & Loss by Lindsay Maddox, the 4th short story offered in Elements of the Soul, will break your heart.

"Poo," you say. With all the trials and bitter disappointments you’ve endured, your heart is too rigid. It would take a bullet to pierce it.

How about this bullet:

“The nurses quickly wheeled her back to a room at the far end of the labor ward, away from mothers who were delivering their babies alive, away from baby cries and happy families carrying balloons and presents for the new arrivals. They wheeled Lauren away to give birth to a baby whose cries she would never hear.”

Heart still hard? How about another shot:

The sunlight touched a metal frame, sending rays of light in every direction. Lauren reached for the frame. “Our Baby” was engraved in cursive at the top and a light film of dust had begun to collect on it. She blew the dust away, and used the sleeve of her robe to wipe the glass clean. Carefully, she removed the back and slid her daughter’s picture inside. She stared at the picture for a moment, kissed the glass, and left the room, shutting the door behind her.
“Goodbye, Baby Rose,” she whispered, kissing her fingers and touching them lightly to the closed door.”

This bullet will put you on your knees:

“Lauren delicately ran her fingers along a sign hung on the door.
‘Shh! Baby Sleeping,’ the sign read.
The day I put this sign up, was the day my baby stopped moving.”

If you are still unmoved, then God must weep for you.

For this reader, there is nothing more to say. Love & Loss spins the ghost of O’Henry into a tale that is so emotionally crippling it will haunt the reader forever. The gun Lindsay Maddox aims so sure at our hearts makes certain, no matter the number of times Love & Loss be read, tears will swell the eyes and drop like a dripping faucet down your cheeks, even while your heart cries out for mercy.

***

I am so touched, motivated, and encouraged by this review. Thank you, Robert. If you would like to purchase your own copy of Elements of the Soul, you can find it on Amazon.com and directly through the publisher (I recommend purchasing from the publisher for a better price). I hope you consider picking up a copy for yourself or as a gift today.

Pssst! Here's a super good deal... Get Elements of the Soul and the soon-to-be-released Elements of Time (which includes two of my stories) plus matching bookmarks for $19!