SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Working as a paramedic for 27 years, I was well-versed in handling potentially violent scenes. We had a protocol: stage at a safe distance, ensure the scene was secure, and then proceed. I’ve responded to hundreds of actual and potentially violent incidents—domestic disputes, knife fights, shootings, and even the execution of a police officer on the streets near Seattle. I’ve witnessed violence that most people can’t begin to imagine. So, when I see our president and elected officials rallying their gun-toting supporters and speaking about the “enemy within,” I take it very seriously. Violence often begins with words and escalates to action, as countless survivors of domestic abuse can attest.
That is why I canceled my book launch on February 28th at the Tahoe Art League Gallery. My novel, Ambush: On the Streets of the Pacific Northwest, is a work of fiction that explores the impact of right-wing extremism on first responders. When violence erupts, first responders are on the front lines—sometimes as targets, sometimes as collateral damage, as we saw on January 6, 2021.
Though Ambush is a mystery thriller, it sheds light on the darker sides of our society through a gripping narrative. The protagonist, Maya Murphy, is a paramedic responding to emergency calls while being hunted by right-wing extremists. To make matters worse, she can’t trust some of her colleagues, which makes an already dangerous job even more precarious. Facing that level of danger requires extraordinary courage—courage that comes at a cost.
After 27 years in the field, I no longer have that kind of bravery or the luxury of naivety. Probably due to my extensive exposure to violence, I no longer feel safe in my own country. This new fear isn’t rooted in my past experiences as a paramedic—it’s in the looming sense that we are spiraling toward fascism. That is why I have chosen to “stage” outside the United States, to assess the safety of the situation.
For more information visit: www.lisaparsonsauthor.net.