When the Wood Is Dry: An Edgy Catholic Thriller

Special Catholic Edition*

"Sometimes we must suffer if we are to save souls." 

Jesus' words echo in a recurring dream to Lali Russo, a seventeen-year-old Catholic school girl. 

Lali wakes and asks, "Why that dream again?" 

Two thousand years ago, the scourged and bloody form of a man who claimed to be God carried the wood on which he would be crucified.

Coming upon some distraught women, He says, "Women of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves and your children.  For if these things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?"  The novel, When the Wood Is Dry by Joseph Cillo, Jr. attempts to answer this question.  When the Wood Is Dry will be published in three parts:  I. Call of the Innocent, II. Crucifixion, and III. Resurrection.  But now, you can get all three parts together in a single volume!

Lali Russo is called to walk a path of suffering that she struggles to understand. Praying at an abortion clinic, she encounters the pregnant girlfriend of a notorious gang leader. She confronts the girl's boyfriend, the ruthless Ralo as he sharpens his machete.

"Go away, little girl, this is no' ju beesness."  

Walk the full path with Lali, in this edition, which includes all three parts of the novel, and learn the surprising fates of those impacted by her journey. But beware, Part II: Crucifixion. Included in this edition is an appendix with a synopsis of Part II so that readers who are troubled by the suffering of an innocent can enjoy the story without intimately experiencing the disturbing events of the second part of the novel.  As the subtitle, An Edgy Catholic Thriller suggests, When the Wood Is Dry is Edgy - Intended only for mature audiences, Catholic - includes overtly Catholic religious imagery and perspectives, and Thrilling - "full of twists and turns, action and heart-wrenching moments," as one reader commented.

"The storyline is like nothing I've ever read before."

"...a chilling, unpredictable, fascinating story which I couldn't put down."

"...a well thought out, complex story with strong, diverse characters and a unique concept. The story was easy to read and follow. Full of twists and turns, action and heart-wrenching moments."

*Special Cathoic Edition - The content has been modified from the original to remove offensive language and special discussion questions are included that point to deeper meanings and implications for Catholics.