Blood On A Pew Review & *Giveaway*

Blood On A Pew by W.S. Gaines

About The Book:

On June 18, 2003, at two thirty in the morning, my eldest son, Billy, fell through the tile ceiling of a church, crashing into a hard, wooden pew thirty feet below. At the time, he was temporarily staying in the shuttered convent of this Catholic church located just outside Pittsburgh and was attending a late-night party in the church rectory with a few of his University of Pittsburgh football teammates and the parish priest. The priest hosted the event and provided the alcohol. Every one of the football players in attendance, including my son, was underage. Tragically, later the same day, Billy was pronounced brain dead at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was nineteen years old. Billy Gaines was a gifted athlete and promising wide receiver on the University of Pittsburgh football team. His untimely death shook his father, Bill Gaines, to the core. He felt grief as any parent would after the loss of a child. He also felt anger, not just toward the priest who provided alcohol to Billy that tragic night, but also toward God for letting Billy die. As the details surrounding his son's death surfaced, Bill faced some tough questions: What was Billy doing in a church crawlspace at two thirty in the morning? Who was responsible for Billy's death? What could he as a father have done to prevent Billy's death? Why did God allow Billy to die? As Bill Gaines puts the pieces together and tries to find answers to his questions, he finds himself on a spiritual journey. Join him as he finds healing and forgiveness in his faith and learn what led to Blood on a Pew. 

My Thoughts:

If you can get through this book without tears and anger, then...well I just don't know. This story is heartbreaking and tragic, and the photo gallery in the book makes it all the more real. The author tells his side of the story with great emotion and grace. I like the scripture passages before each chapter, for they are completely relevant. This is a fast and quick read, but it will leave you thinking of the story long after you finish it.

About The Author:

Bill Gaines was born in Washington DC on Veterans Day, November 11, 1961. The eldest of four, he grew up about twenty minutes east of Washington, DC, in Lanham, MD. He married his high school sweetheart Kim in 1983 and their first son Billy was born in February 1984. Bill, Kim and Billy moved to Germantown, MD in 1985, where the family grew with Michael, born October of 1986, and Nicholas born December of 1988. In the fall of 1995, the Gaines family moved to Ijamsville, MD, a small town about forty-five minutes north of Washington DC and west of Baltimore. On June 18, 2003, at four thirty in the morning, life changed for the Gaines family with a knock on their front door. A police officer woke the family with the shocking news that Billy fell through a ceiling of a church and was in critical condition. Tragically, later the same day, Billy was pronounced brain dead at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was nineteen years old. To learn more, please visit Blood On A Pew.

The author is generously offering one reader the chance to win a copy of this book. Here's how to enter:

1. Follow this blog via GFC, the newsletter, or Networked Blogs.

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3. Promote this giveaway.

Giveaway ends October 18th. Good luck!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.