David Rawlings – författare

Lost luggage can ruin any trip. But what if it could change your life?

A mother of three hoping to survive the days at her perfect sister''s perfect house before her niece’s wedding.A hothead businessman coming to the city for a showdown meeting to save his job.A young artist pursuing his father’s sports dream so he can keep his own alive.

When Gillian, David, and Michael each take the wrong suitcase from baggage claim, the airline directs them to retrieve their bags at a mysterious facility in a deserted part of the city. There they meet the enigmatic Baggage Handler, who shows them there''s more in their baggage than they''ve packed, and carrying it with them slows them down in ways they can’t imagine. And they must deal with it before they can leave.

In a similar vein to The Traveler’s Gift and Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, The Baggage Handler is a modern-day parable about the burdens that weigh us down—and an inspiring invitation to lighten the load.

Praise for The Baggage Handler:

“The Baggage Handler is a tale that will resonate deeply with those who have held on too tightly, for too long, to the things hold them captive. That’s me. That’s you. Pick it up and prepare to have your world turned upside down, then turned right side up.” —James L. Rubart, bestselling author of The Man He Never Was

One marriage. So many secrets. Can a camera that captures those secrets, exposing them through pictures, save the marriage or send it crashing into the sea?

Kelly Whitely is at the height of her career, selling the latest miracle drug to doctors and pharmacies across the country. But concerns about the side effects have her longing for the day when she can quit her high-paying job and really focus on saving her marriage and teenage daughter. She keeps trying to talk to her husband, Daniel, about it, but every time she brings it up, he retreats further and further away from her.

Daniel Whitely is a successful marriage counselor and bestselling author, yet secrets from the past have created a chasm between him and Kelly. To make matters worse, the deadline for his second book has come and gone, and he still hasn’t written a single word. But he doesn’t dare tell anyone, not even his wife.

When Daniel inherits an old camera from his grandfather, he notices an inscription on the bottom: “No matter what you think you might see, the camera never lies.” 

Daniel begins using the camera, but every time he develops his photos, they threaten to reveal secrets. Secrets about his own career, but also secrets about those around him, including Kelly. With each click of the camera, he risks exposure as a fraud, but if he doesn’t face the truths the photos reveal, what will happen to his marriage? To his family?  

Praise for The Camera Never Lies:

"In his intriguing novel, The Camera Never Lies, David Rawlings challenges us to wonder what our photographs would look like if our souls, not our faces, were captured by the lens. This fascinating story will capture your imagination and your heart."—Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress

“The camera never lies, and neither does this gripping story about unearthing our deepest secrets in the most fantastical of ways. A message relatable to us all, bottled in an adventure we all love to read.”—Melissa Ferguson, author of The Dating Charade

"A thought-provoking look at the real price that secrets extract—not just from the person keeping them, but from their loved ones, too.You''ll close this story and be compelled to examine your own life . . . and also look at those around you and wonder, ''Who else looks like they have it all together but is drowning on the inside?''"—Jessica Kate, author of Love and Other Mistakes

Four college friends reconnect for a trip of a lifetime in the Australian Outback—only to find themselves on personal journeys of self-discovery.

It''s been fifteen years since their college graduation. Fifteen years of careers, relationships, and lives that didn''t turn out as expected.

Eliza needs to disconnect from her high-powered fashion job to consider the CEO position she’s just been offered. Lincoln hopes to rekindle a past relationship and escape from another one. Bree looks forward to a fun getaway from home and her deeply buried disappointments. Andy wants to disappear from the mess he’s made of his life—possibly forever.

Dropped at a campsite in the middle of nowhere, the friends quickly discover they aren’t the same people they once were, and they begin to confront hard truths about one another—and themselves. Then a bizarre storm sweeps across their camp, scattering them across the desert. Wondering if they are part of some strange escape game, each of the friends meets a guide to help them find exactly what they need: purpose, healing, courage, and redemption.

But they’ve already traveled far down the road of life and course-correcting to become the people they were meant to be won’t be easy.