LONGWOOD, FL?Life for the Demers family is no walk in the park. With the addition of a troublesome new neighbor to their quiet, idyllic town, their home becomes a prison and their lives a living hell. One night, the fight culminates with explosive results?the shooting of the family?s neighbor, Steven Lee, by Darwin Demers. As the Demers family struggle to find the answer that will finally set them free, they discover that though life isn?t fair, it is a gift. Watch as Darwin Demers?s true-life drama, Walkin the Dog (paperback, 978-1-60034-991-1), unfolds through both trial and tribulation. Go behind the scenes of this highly publicized trial and meet the real family and how they survived and grew throughout this experience.
The story began when a new neighbor started harassing Demer, his wife, and eight children. Demers found his peaceful home existence changed drastically. ?My children were afraid to go outside; and my wife was threatened daily by this man that seemingly took joy in torturing our family.? After seeking a resolution for over two years and finding none, it finally became too much and the situation escalated to the point of no return. As the papers described it, Silly Feud Sparks Debate, but it was so much more than that and as you read further you get the inside details of what happens when things go too far.
The turbulent events that take place in the story taught author Demers the meaning of love and forgiveness, a lesson he is eager to share with readers. ?This could have happened to you as easily as it did to me,? says Demers. Born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, he retired from a successful career with B.C. Telephone Company after 36 years. He then turned to writing, and in Walkin the Dog he sets out to prove that God can take our failures and turn them into victory if we let Him. ?Our heavenly Father loves us and demonstrates that love through forgiveness,? says Demers. ?We must learn to deal with and overcome trial and tribulation in this life.?
The details of the trial, mistrial, and aftermath are candidly recounted by the author, who paints a realistic picture of life before the incident: Lee, as a man who pushed Demers into chronic depression, and Demers himself as a man suffering from a disassociated state of mind. The slow build-up of trauma is recreated through the elaborate courtroom drama in painstaking detail.
To hear more of Demer?s story you can listen to his interview with Joe Carroccio of the Author?s Voice at http://achieveradio.com/~goodlife/ and also on Cyberears.com http://cyberears.com/index.php/Show/audio/172 in an interview with Stacy Harp. Also, Substance Books will be presenting Demers? information cards at the upcoming BEA in New York.
Demer is available for media interviews by contacting him at darwindemers@shaw.ca. Walking the Dog is available through Xulon Press at http://www.xulonpress.com/book_detail.php?id=3860.
