Cara Putman is our guest today.

She wrote a book called Delayed Justice. She’s here to share the story behind her story.

She had long given up the desire to be loved. Now she only needed to be heard.

Jaime Nichols went to law school to find the voice she never had as a child, and her determination to protect girls and women in the path of harm drives her in ways both spoken and unspoken. As Jaime, now a criminal defense attorney, prepares to press charges against someone who wronged her long ago, she must face not only her demons but also the unimaginable forces that protect the powerful man who tore her childhood apart.

Chandler Bolton, a retired veteran, is tasked with helping a young victim who must testify in court—and along with his therapy dog, Aslan, he’s up for the task. When he first meets Jaime, all brains, beauty, and brashness, he can’t help but be intrigued. As Chandler works to break through the wall Jaime has built around herself, the two of them discover that they may have more to offer one another than they ever could have guessed—and that together, they may be able to help this endangered child.

This thrilling installment of the Hidden Justice series explores the healing power of resolution and the weight of words given voice. And as Jaime pursues delayed justice of her own, she unearths eternal truths that will change the course of her life.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

What inspired you to write this book?

Like most of my books, Delayed Justice started with a headline that turned into a what if. This story was about a woman, now in her late 20s, who had been abused by her uncle when she was eight. She had decided to become a police officer so that she could go after this man who should have loved and protected her but instead, hurt her. Then in her late 20s, she got him to confess his actions while the conversation was being recorded.

I read that article, and all I could think was how incredibly strong she was. It takes strength to decide on a career based on your pain. It takes even more strength to go after the one who has hurt you and shattered your trust.

As I thought about that, I realized this was Jaime’s journey. She’d shown up with an attitude and guardedness from her first scene in Beyond Justice, but I didn’t know why. She was … a little shy to share her story. At first, I didn’t worry because I knew she wasn’t the lead heroine in the first two books, but when my publisher decided her story should be third, I may have panicked a little.

I needed to find her journey, and as I did she was still reluctant to share more than she was an overcomer. And as I wrote Delayed Justice, I understood why. Her story is hard. H.A.R.D.

Yet her story is laced with hope and she discovers the Source of Hope. I wanted to make sure I honored her journey because too many women experience the same sorts of trauma. So I talked to those who work with survivors. I read books on the long-term impacts of trauma. And I prayed over to how to write a book that would illuminate without triggering. The result is Delayed Justice.

Sounds like you tackled a tough topic with thoughtfulness and grace! Thanks for sharing your story.

Cara Putman is the award-winning author of more than thirty legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s Best Award.

Cara graduated high school at sixteen, college at twenty, completed her law degree at twenty-seven, and recently received her MBA.

She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a busy mom of four.

Cara lives with her husband and children in Indiana.

Follow Cara on social media: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, BookBub, and Goodreads

Cara is giving away a copy of Delayed Justice. *Only continental residents of the United States residents may enter this book giveaway contest.

Follow the directions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway