Trial by Fire

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award winner (Adult Nonfiction: True Crime) (Silver) (2017)THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THE MADNESS IS IN When Kaia Anderson, twenty-three and newly married, turns to her future, she doesn't see it coming—the ruthless hunt of a deranged stalker that, spanning three decades, will shatter her life and terrorize her family. He'd been a college classmate, a casual acquaintance. But mental illness swiftly takes hold and so does his obsession.Their lives under siege, Kaia fights fiercely for safety and justice until—consumed by fear, tormented by the insanity of the courts—she stands at a crossroads and only one thing is clear: Either she will lose herself or find herself, but she must change direction.Desperate for answers, she embarks on a path of self-discovery, a psycho-spiritual journey unlike any she's known. Guided by a counselor, lured by clues revealed in her ongoing battle, Kaia travels to the furthest reaches of her unconscious mind: deep, shadowy places where long-buried secrets of the soul reside; forgotten places that beckon her to remember; places where she unearths hidden wisdom that, step upon step, transforms her and so, her experience.Rife with the suspense of a legal thriller and the depth of an existential quest, Trial by Fire boldly cleaves the boundary of the true crime memoir. With stirring prose and a thread of wry humor, the author intertwines her harrowing ordeal, introspection, dreams, visions, and courtroom drama, pulling us inescapably into this gripping work. An unforgettable story of terror, heartbreak, loss, and ultimately, profound healing and hope, Trial by Fire casts a piercing light on the long dark night, illuminating the wisdom and power in each of us, begging to emerge.Kaia's case spurred the overhaul of Colorado's stalking law. Investigation Discovery's documentary series, Stalked, featured her story.