The United Nations estimates the world orphan population to be over 143 million children. Poverty, war, disease and AIDS are the primary enemies of children across the globe, leaving those who are robbed of their parents at-risk for criminal behavior, prostitution, drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide.

In his debut novel, accomplished author and speaker Tom Davis offers readers a sweeping narrative that explores these most critical social concerns. SCARED: A Novel on the Edge of the World delves into the lives of a photojournalist struggling to redeem his past and an African orphan fighting for survival.

Once a celebrated and award-winning photojournalist, Stuart Daniels is reeling from debt, a broken marriage and crippling depression. The source of Stuart’s grief is his most famous photo, a snapshot of brutality in the dangerous Congo. This haunting image indicts him as a passive witness to gross injustice.

Stuart is given one last chance to redeem his career: A make-or-break assignment covering the AIDS crisis in a small African country. It is here that Stuart meets Adanna, a young orphan fighting for her life in a community ravaged by tragedy and disease. But in the face of overwhelming odds, Adanna finds hope in a special dream, where she is visited by an illuminated man and given a precious gift. Now what seemed like a chance encounter will forever change their lives.

In SCARED, Tom Davis, also the author of RED LETTERS and FIELDS OF THE FATHERLESS, weaves a beautiful story of redemption that takes place in a world far away from our own. Readers will discover, along with Stuart, that, “Sorrow is a part of life, but our tears can leave us with clearer sight, if we look to God.”

True “fiction with a conscience,” Davis’ novel is the first in a planned series of three. Narrated in the first person by both Stuart and Adanna, SCARED offers a unique perspective on the tragedies taking place in Africa today and encourages readers to step out and help the “least of these.”

- Click here to watch a trailer for SCARED.

- Visit the book’s official website, www.scaredthebook.com.

SCARED: A Novel on the Edge of the World © Copyright 2011 by Tom Davis. Reprinted with permission by David C. Cook. All rights reserved.