Gary Atkins Announces the Release of 'Thank You, Lord' to the Public

In his debut book, author Gary Atkins looks back on his life, illuminating the path that led him to writing “Thank You, Lord” (published by Xlibris AU). Readers hopes to be inspired as he retells his triumph from homelessness and social condemnation. To purchase and learn more about the book, readers may visit https://www.amazon.com/Thank-You-Lord-Gary-Atkins/dp/1984501291.

“Thank You, Lord” is the story of a man who fought back, re-established relationships with his sons after his marriage failed, and the government took his children from him. In trying to cope as a father with three sons and as a husband whose wife had a chronic mental illness, Atkins reached the point when he could no longer continue as a folksinger to earn a good living and keep up with the mortgage payments. In 1981, his wife obtained custody of their sons and moved out. His land was sold leaving him homeless and destitute. It was only after a while that he began to seek legal action to get the right to see his sons.

Written in a candid tone, Atkins recounts how God and the Bible inspired him to fight for what he lost as he eventually reunites with his children and regains financial stability. “I thank the Lord that I was able to survive the experience of being a defendant in the Family Court of Australia, and that I was able to fight back and clear my name, and that I was able to recover from financial collapse and subsequently write this book,” he states.

Atkins hopes that by sharing his personal journey, readers will feel assured that having faith in God and inspiration from the Bible will enable victory in impossible situations.

“Thank You, Lord”
By Gary Atkins
Softcover | 6 x 9in | 268 pages | ISBN 9781984501295
E-Book | 268 pages | ISBN 9781984501301
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author
Gary Atkins was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1945 and brought up in a Methodist family. He completed high school, trained to be a teacher on a scholarship and then served the South Australian Education Department for four years as a teacher. He was married in 1971 and became a father of three sons. Following the birth of their first son, his wife was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. At that time, he began earning a living as a professional folksinger, songwriter and publisher, and after seven successful years, they were able to make a deposit on a 60-acre block of land in a rural area near Adelaide. However, things did not go smoothly and Atkins could no longer continue to earn a good living and keep up the mortgage payments. In 1980, he became a born-again Christian. In 1981, his wife obtained custody of their sons and moved out. The land was sold leaving him homeless. After many difficult years, he was successful in getting the legal right to see his sons, during which time he lived alone in the opal-mining town of Coober Pedy for 30 years, building an underground home by hand. He worked as dogcatcher, prospector, opal miner, driver and contractor’s offsider. He was also the editor/publisher of the local newspaper, Coober Pedy News, for three years. After 10 years, he reunites with his sons and at peace with his former wife. Atkins remarried in 2012.

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