Lula Darling is a fourteen-year-old slave growing up on a plantation in Natchez, Mississippi. After the untimely deaths of her father, and then brother, her perilous life could not seem to get any worse. Under the watchful eye of the slave owner and his father, an inventor, Lula, along with her mother, Ella Mae, are losing any and all hope of ever being free from the bondages and terrors of slavery. But one day, while hiding in fear in the slave owner's attic Lula makes a startling discovery that transports her through time and space into the future. Finding herself in uncharted territory, Lula is befriended by another young girl named Ariel, whose parents' warm embrace offers Lula hope against the most formidable odds imaginable, allowing her to become a shining and positive example to the youth of today. Filled with inspiration, action and adventure, The Secret Life of Lula Darling is a heartwarming story of a young girl's journey through time, the triumph of the human spirit, an unlikely friendship and the appreciation of life that should be shared by all. ALEX DEAN is also the author of the thrillers: Restraining Order, The Bogeyman Next Door, Stalked, and The Client. He is an entrepreneur, former musician, and somewhat of a health enthusiast who enjoys being creative. He writes mystery and suspense thrillers, as well as other sub-genres of fiction and lives in Illinois with his family.