A Family's Heartbreaking Struggle with Drug Addiction
Chasing the Dark is a story of loss, regrets, missed chances, and wrong choices. It lays the heart of a parent and survivor bear for the world.
About Book
Explore the most appropriate story of a drug addiction
Chasing the Dark narrates the story of Joleen and Justin and how the two individuals found each other through continued struggle and misfortune. It explores teenage pregnancy, the pains of single mothers, drug addiction, mental health, and the lifelong effects of violence on the human mind. Both authors share their individual experiences in a dual perspective to facilitate the overarching theme of love, loss, and recovery.
What’s Inside the Book
Chapter- 01
Dennis shares his background, career inspirations, and how he came to join the military. He describes the first time he met Joleen and how that changed the trajectory of his life once again.
Chapter- 02
Maries shares the story of her parent’s love and discusses the struggles of growing up in poverty. She learns the challenges of being a single mother through her mother’s experiences and shares how she ended up being a single mother herself.
Chapter- 03
Marie is tricked by a married and older man into a toxic relationship who takes advantage of her unfortunate teen years. She is later abandoned by the father of her baby and can survive the pregnancy through a strong support system.
Chapter- 04
Maries learns to be a single mother and starts working as a pizza girl and later in a factory six days a week to take care of her daughter. She was put in a tight spot when her sister decided to stay at her house.
Chapter- 05
Marie turns to substance abuse to cope with her financial problems and eventually falls in love with a drug dealer. Another pregnancy follows, yet the man she thought was different than all her exes leaves her for another woman.
Chapter- 06
As Marie gets investigated by the Department of Children and Families for neglecting her child, she reflects on her past mistakes and decides to turn her life around.
Chapter- 07
Despite her reservations, Marie falls in love again, but her relationship falls apart in the shadow of a national tragedy. Her partner is deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq for training one after the other, yet Marie braves through it all only to fall victim to his PTSD-induced abuse.
Chapter- 08
Amidst a failing marriage, Marie met Dennis, and the two immediately hit it off. Still, Marie was hesitant to trust yet another man in uniform and go through the motions again, especially when her daughter was still in foster care. Dennis’ resilience paid off, and Marie said yes to his proposal after putting it off for two years. The couple enjoyed a decade of happiness before being thrown into another emotional melee.
Chapter- 09
Marie’s youngest daughter was pregnant, and the teen didn’t want anything to do with her child. Her partner had bailed on her, and while Marie took care of her grandchild as her own, her daughter got pregnant again with another sketchy man’s child.
Chapter- 10
Marie and Dennis hope to reconnect with their daughter and help her find her happiness through motherhood. Marie’s eldest daughter has adopted her sister’s first child, and Marie and Dennis are in the process of taking custody of her second child.
Introduction
Motivation Behind the Book
Justin and Joleen have survived the horrors of their youth and are determined to make their relationship work.
Joleen is a mother and a survivor hoping to reach her struggling and lost daughter through her heartfelt. She has co-authored the book with her partner, Justin, who has seen his fair share of violence in the military. Joleen and Justin are in the process of adopting their grandson and hope to help others heal through their story.
Create Something Big
Let’s Get to Work & Create Something
Chasing the Dark is a story of resilience and survival through the worst of life’s curveballs. Joleen and Justin share their experiences to advocate for mental health and help single mothers and veterans see the light at the end of the tunnel. Join them in their campaign and help them create a better world for the next generation.