Why I Wrote Essence of Illusion

By R.F. Whong

During my student days, I dedicated a summer to serving as a volunteer at Ambassadors for
Christ (AFC, a Christian organization) in the picturesque town of Paradise, Pennsylvania.
Immersed in the serene beauty of this idyllic location, I often walked to nearby Amish farms to
engage with their unique way of life and procure fresh eggs and various other necessities. I also
discovered that the vast tract of land on which AFC now stands was originally owned by the
Leaman family. In 1874, Charles Leaman and his wife answered the Lord’s calling and went to
China to serve as missionaries. Charles’s two daughters, Mary and Lucy, later also served as
missionaries in Nanjing.

Now, many years later, I serve as a board member at AFC and visit Paradise every year for the
board meetings. I’m still in awe today about God’s wonderful work in the formation of AFC and
the Leaman family’s legacy. They inspired me to write a book series set in Paradise,
Pennsylvania. This is Book 2 in the series.

I am currently assembling a launch team for this book (to be released in late September 2024)
and would like to invite you to join. You can download an advanced reader copy, exclusively
available to launch team members. By joining, you will receive updates about this book and my
upcoming raffle event (scheduled for September 2024. Three winners will receive a $50 Amazon
gift card each).

If interested, click the link below to download. https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wnbrzcv0y3
Thank you for considering this opportunity. I look forward to having you on board!

Here is some information about this book:
Words: 57,000
Blurb:
A perfect murder… until it isn’t.
In tribute to Agatha Christie, this modern-day Mystery Series braids together a mesmerizing
tapestry of illusion and enigma set in the idyllic Amish town of Paradise, PA. In Book 1, Tina
Sheng and her eccentric friend, Amelia Pak, unravel a human trafficking case.
Now, a year later, Tina Sheng works as a fraud investigator in Paradise, Pennsylvania. She and
Amelia find a series of internet posts about a faceless doll that appears with each occurrence of
death. The writer warns that a serial killer is at large.

After a beloved friend passes, a similar doll is discovered in his hospital room. Law enforcement
reveals no evidence of foul play. Then a few locals are found dead, each with a faceless doll
lying beside the bodies. The case takes a twist when the spouse of one of the victims submits an
insurance claim.

Tina is pulled into the investigation. To solve the mystery, she and her friends must navigate a
web of deceit, greed, and power. As the drama unfolds, the truth may be even more twisted than
anyone could have imagined.
Can justice be served?

Author bio:
Dr. Ruth Wuwong (PhD in biochemistry, MBA in finance) has published 120+ scientific books
and papers (under her legal name) and a few Christian fiction books (Love at the Garden Tomb,
The Way We Forgive, Blazing China, and Detour to Agape, under R. F. Whong). She lives in the
Midwest with her husband, a retired pastor. They served together at three churches from 1987 to 2020. Her grown son works in a nearby city.
She currently runs a small biotech company (www.vidasym.com) and has raised more than
twenty million US dollars during the past few years for Vidasym.
In addition to her weekly newsletter and the platform (www.ruthforchrist.com), she’s active in
several writers’ groups, including ACFW, Word Weavers, Facebook, and Goodreads. Through
these connections, she plans newsletter/promotion swaps with others and has writers endorse her
books, write forewords, and host her on guest blogs.