Voices By: Richard V. Ryan Voices is a psychological thriller from the perspective of Johnnie Walls, starting from his childhood. He was an abused child, mentally and physically, forced to wear the dresses and undergarments his seamstress mother created for her clients. He began hearing voices very early in life due to the mental stress created by his tumultuous upbringing. He desperately wants love. This desire causes intense self-hatred that feeds his progressive madness, culminating in a spree of truly horrible violence. At the center of Johnnie's self-hatred is his sexual orientation denial and the lack of maternal love he experienced as a child. About the Author Richard V. Ryan is a retired psychiatric nurse with over seventy years of experience. He has always been an advocate for the mentally ill. He has also always been an advocate of any person or group discredited by others for being different. Born in the South, Mr. Ryan was raised a Southern boy, then moved to the Midwest before finally settling on the East Coast. He has been exposed to many different people and this has served him well to develop a broad view of opinions and acceptance. Mr. Ryan's biggest support came from his late husband of forty-three years. Love is love, but it must first start with one's self.