Unconditional Love is the story of Dr. Querida Talbert, a Christian veterinarian whose life is upended one November night when she’s viciously raped outside her Bend, Oregon, clinic. Almost a decade later, she continues to battle the demons from her assault, including a phobia of men that brings on a panic attack if any gets too close. Since the rape, Querida has run from men...and romance. Even her relationship with God suffers because He didn’t save her from that horrible night. She trusts no man—not even God. With her rapist still at large, free to strike again, Querida’s greatest fear is that the next man she meets could bring her face to face with her rapist. Enter Xavier Barlow, a single father who came late to faith and daily tries to live down the shame of his sordid past. Xavier begins to help Querida’s heart to feel again, but the fear that he may be her rapist never abates. When she learns the truth of that night, will it help set her free or be her undoing? About the Author A.J. Strickland, a native of Palo Alto, California, recently moved with her grandmother, for whom she acts as sole caregiver, but the event with the greatest impact in her life was the unexpected death of her mother in 2018. Throughout my life, I faced many changes, but my one constant was my mom. When she died, I felt untethered, adrift at sea without the one person in my life who knew me best and loved me unconditionally. Losing her really tested my relationship with God. It was from my mom that I learned how special the mother-daughter bond is. To honor her, I try to bring out that loving bond in this book. A.J. loves crafts, gardening, cooking, reading, and designing. She collects anything dealing with fashion or interior design—specialties in which she has degrees. She is currently at work on her next novel. Please visit her at www.ajstrickland.com.
