Praise for The Phoenix

The constant pressures from the men she dared to love caused Melanie to crumble under their attacks. She is now soaring on the wings of an eagle, flying high into the deep blue sky, moving forward to fulfill her destiny. A must-read!

-Minister Vickie Robertson,

The Fellowship of Faith Church, Huntsville, AL

Uniquely Christian, uniquely honest - this book amazes, delights, saddens and ultimately encourages each reader who knows the joy and pain inside a marriage. With shocking honesty, author Dian Griffin Jackson tells a story of love, abuse and the hard work of rebuilding. A must read book for pastor and parishioner alike - anyone ready to know the reality of resurrection.

-Rev. Dr. Nancy Ellett Allison,

Pastor, Holy Covenant United Church of Christ, Charlotte, NC

Melanie Bell-a university graduate, devoted wife and mother, pastor, and many things in between-searches for the love and acceptance that has eluded her since birth.

The Phoenix - Rising from the Ashes follows Melanie’s struggles as a teenage mom who became a wife and mother of two early in life and as a woman who loved her husband and desired to please him above all else and make him happy. During therapy, she learns there’s a thirsty, hungry, needy little girl inside who is looking for her parents’ love and acceptance. After leaving her abusive husband, she sets out to find a man who will love her enough to help her right the wrongs both she and her mother experienced. She is also determined to reconcile the disenfranchised little girl with the beautiful, phenomenal woman she is certain the Creator has made her to be.

A story of growing up too soon, this novel shares the journey of a woman who has been through the fires and storms of life and realized that-despite the teachings of the church intended to dehumanize her by telling her she is dirty, wretched, and unclean-she has had God’s favor her entire life.