The Windwalkers [Paperback]

Diane Fanning (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2000

In The Windwalkers, a psychologist battles her inner demons to find the strength she needs to eliminate a new form of dependency that has permeated every facet of society. It is an intriguing blend of satisfying story line and a serious social consciousness that weaves together the quirky possibilities of a Dean Koontz novel with a feminine sensitivity.

The story begins when Psychologist Liz Starling and Jack Thompson, ad agency executive, form a partnership to create an educational advertising campaign for Mental Health Awareness Month. During the course of their work, their focus turns to windwalkers, the temporary physical beings created psychically by people’s needs and wants. Their existence is destroying any sense of personal responsibility and eliminating the need for genuine human interaction. The nightmare of a society driven by individual desire seems destined to become a reality. A strong proponent of this way of life is Psychiatrist Tennyson Pickett, Liz’s supervisor and chief antagonist. All that stands in the way of this ugly inevitability are Liz, Jack, and Cherisse Scatliffe, an ancient woman sequestered in the wilds of the Virgin Islands. The provocative questions raised about human nature are certain to generate introspection and conversation.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Diane Fanning's next book, Through the Window(St. Martin's Press True Crime Library), is coming out in April 2003. It is the true story of the crimes of serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells. She is now researching her second true crime book for the same publisher. In addition to writing, she is the Executive Director of Another Way Texas Shares, a non-profit statewide federation. The Governor has recently appointed her to her third term on the State Advisory Committee for the State Employee Charitable Campaign. She also serves as Secretary on the Executive Committee of the National Alliance for Choice and Giving (NACG), and is a member of the Writer's League of Texas, the National Writers Union and the Heart of Texas Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She is the recipient of the 2001 NACG Freedom Fighter Award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Writers Club Press (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595125883
• ISBN-13: 978-0595125883
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,495,655 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absorbing and original, December 14, 2000

By 

Wicked Company (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Windwalkers (Paperback)

In the hills of the Virgin Islands, trouble commenced with Cherisse Scatliffe. Years ago as her brother thrashed in the ocean, she conjured up the first windwalker to save his life. Now at the age of ninety, her believers rumor she can pass this power to others.

People summoned windwalkers, a psychic entity that appears human, to fill their desires. Fears increased as crime escalated and jobs filled with windwalkers. Murders predominated as confusion of people and

windwalkers soared.

Jack Thompson, an advertising executive, knew everyone tried "this windwalker stuff," but he was uncomfortable with the idea. From the moment Jack met petite, intelligent Liz Starling, he was captivated. Liz, a psychologist versed in the use of behavior modification, felt the mental health campaign she planned with Jack should advertise the windwalker problem. She felt people escaped their responsibilities and relationships through windwalker use.

Liz expressed her concern about the windwalkers at her clinic's weekly meeting, but everyone else refused to acknowledge a problem. They said she was behind times and needed mental health counseling herself. Her boss, Tennyson Pickett, threatened to fire her and would block her from working in Texas again. He used windwalkers for sexual gratification and relieved his anger by abusing female windwalkers. Rumors abounded of Dr.Pickett's past in Dallas.

A windwalker appeared as the busboy in the restaurant where Jack and Liz dined. No one else noticed. "I think the growth of windwalker use makes the drug abuse problem look insignificant," said Liz. They decided to investigate and fight the use of windwalkers.

Someone left threatening notes on Liz's desk and destroyed her personal effects. The investigation lead to psychologist, Dr.Cohle who told Liz how her life was just about destroyed by her attempt to fight the windwalker idea before she recanted her statements. Jack searched for information on how to fight windwalkers and found the name of Cherisse, but is she still alive and can she help? Or is she only a rumor? Can Jack and Liz fight the world and the growing dependency on windwalkers? What dangers will they incur along the way?

Diane Fanning has plowed into the souls of human desire, fulfilling our fancy of having it all. But can people stop at want and need without hurting each other? Her thrilling psychodrama tied the city of San Antonio, Texas to the mystical world of St. John, Virgin Islands with lively human characters and realistic locations. With the exception of the occasional grammatical or printing error, this story can make the reader imagine a life filled with every convenience, advantages far greater than the advent of the microwave oven.

Nancy B. Leake, Reviewer

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A World Obsessed!, November 14, 2000

By 

STEVEN J. MANN (MADISON HEIGHTS, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Windwalkers (Paperback)

Where do you draw the line between convenience, and obsession? What starts out as a gift of love, over time, dissolves into a putrid and twisted maelstrom of chaos, born out of the decadent and selfish desires of mankind. A young psychologist, and an ad agency executive are all that stands in the way of a society driven to the brink of collapse; a world where individuals are slaves to their own fantasies. In The Windwalkers, Diane Fanning paints a profoundly thought provoking portrait of suspense, that grips the reader from it's mysterious beginning, to it's explosive seat gripping climax!! A must read for any thriller fan. You won't be able to put it down.