THE SECRET SAND CIRCLE

The Secret Sand Circle is the story of Dr. Jo Harkins, an accomplished psychologist dedicated to counseling survivors of abuse and trauma. The book is composed of twenty-seven chapters, twenty-five of which unfold across two intertwined timelines—Now and Then.

Now: Across a single 24-hour period, readers follow Jo through a uniquely unfolding day—each “Now” section marked by an advancing timestamp. Secluded at a retreat center, Jo is writing a book about five patients who have shaped the first decade of her career. Yet beneath the calm surface of her work lingers a gnawing sense that something beyond the writing itself is taking place—both around her and within her self.

Then: Across the first ten years of Jo’s psychiatry practice, readers witness the success of her unconventional counseling settings and cutting-edge therapies—including her signature “secret sand circle.” In these “Then” sections, five patients emerge in individual storylines that reveal their abuses and traumas, and the profound ways each of them shape Jo’s life.

The book’s Now and Then narratives unfold in seven sections divided by six haunting vignettes—Silence, Skeletons, Scabs, Scars, Shame, and Secrets—all of it forcing Jo to turn to the only place she believes is safe: The Secret Sand Circle.

For every copy of The Secret Sand Circle sold in Buffalo/Western New York (WNY), $1 will be donated to The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Buffalo/WNY to help fund a peer-to-peer counseling program for mental health clinicians, caseworkers and first responders who care for our community in times of disasters, crime and trauma.

For copies of The Secret Sand Circle sold outside of Buffalo/WNY, $1 per book will be donated to The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in the area where the book(s) is/are sold, and $1 will be donated to NAMI Buffalo/Western New York, all to help fund peer-to-peer counseling programs for mental health clinicians, caseworkers and first responders who care for their communities in times of disasters, crime and trauma.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the book order form to purchase a signed Copy of The Secret Sand Circle, OR ANY OF CHRISTNA’S BOOKS, including a bookmark.

In ordering, NOTE THE TITLE YOU WANT TO PURCHASE and include your address and the inscription you would like. $20 includes shipping and tax. 

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The Secret Sand Circle Chapter one

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AUTHOR PRESENTATIONS/SIGNINGS

THE SECRET SAND CIRCLE

The Secret Sand Circle is a haunting and evocative journey into the mind of Dr. “Jo” Harkins, a renowned psychologist devoted to guiding survivors of abuse and trauma.

Through two interwoven timelines of  Now and Then, Jo’s patients emerge chapter by chapter, their stories forming a haunting mosaic of cruelty, hidden truths, fragile memories, and the deep human need to heal.

Lyrical and disquieting, The Secret Sand Circle is a story of memory, erasure, and of the cost of bearing witness to another person’s pain¾ told from a space that is safe enough to hold it all…THE SECRET SAND CIRCLE

In this presentation Christina discusses her inspiration for this book, the creative process in writing it and her experience with readers since publishing. She finishes by reading an excerpt from the book.

Christina is available for author presentations on any of her books. If you would like Christina to speak to your business, organization, community group, book club or neighborhood gathering, CONTACT HER HERE.

Why Invite Christina to Speak at Your Next Event?

“Christina spoke twice at the 2019 South Dakota Book Festival and was such a hit that we had to keep adding seats to her presentations!  She also led a discussion on her book, Beauty & Grace for the South Datoka Women’s Prison Book Club. The women loved reading the book and the whole evening with Christina.” --- Vonnie Shields, Former Chair South Dakota Humanities Council, Founder South Dakota Women’s Prison Book Club.

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For The Secret Sand Circle

“This book is a reminder that we rarely know what others are carrying and that the world could be so much kinder if we remembered that. It honors the courage required to face what hurts and celebrates the slow, brave work of becoming whole.

Christina Abt is an exceptional storyteller and an exceptional woman, and her compassion shines through every line. If you want a novel that stays with you, challenges you to see people more gently, and offers genuine hope alongside hard truths, you absolutely need to pick this up. Abt should be on everyone’s radar. She is more than a writer. Christina Abt is the kind of writer whose compassion shapes every page she touches. She listens deeply, writes bravely, and tells stories with a rare blend of honesty and grace. Her insight into human resilience is extraordinary, and it’s clear she understands both the weight people carry and the quiet power of healing. She is an artist, an advocate, and a force of empathy

A portion of the proceeds of this book will be used ‘to help create/help fund peer-to- peer mental health counseling for the counselors who go out into our communities during time of tragedy or disaster and help us get through the trauma of such events. But then when they go back to their desks or to their homes or finish the counseling that the community needs , they carry all that trauma with them with no place to offload it. There are no counselors for the counselors in effect.’ “ ——Teresa Brock, Best Thriller Books Reviewer