Lottie has a heart for the less fortunate. As a child, she befriends the poor abused Rastus Webber, whom everyone else rejects. When Rastus' brutal obsession is discovered, he's sent to a mental institution, ending their relationship. Locking Rastus up doesn't stop his preoccupation of 'marking' people. Rastus' psychiatrist insists that his patient is schizophrenic, and not accountable for harmful acts. Law enforcement alleges that Rastus is a psychopath and should be incarcerated before he kills-if he hasn't already. When Rastus receives a class reunion invitation signed by Lottie-return address included-he convinces his psychiatrist that he's rehabilitated. Temporarily freed, Rastus tracks down Lottie at her home. She can't get away and he won't leave. She sends an emergency DURESS signal through her security system, but it's ignored. Why won't the police chief, her best friend's husband respond? Can Lottie figure out how to escape? Past secrets stir up emergencies in the present. Will good triumph or will people succumb to the difficulties? Readers who love the suspense of a God-fearing, damsel-in-distress will want to read DURESS. Claire Spradling was a foods' editor, a party caterer, and a Registered Dietitian in hospitals and nursing homes. She shares her love of cooking and tennis by teaching classes to adults and children. God, family, home, church and friends are important in her life. Claire has a positive, never-give-up attitude that spills over into everything she does. She lives in West Point, Mississsippi, with her husband, Stanley. She is a member of the Mississippi Writers Guild.