Robert McNamara has led quite the lifeand death. The former Navy veteran has acted on stage, television and in movies, directed a feature film, and died of a heart attack, went to hell, and was later revived by paramedics. He has had life and death experiences which motivated this novel, The Houses of Elliot.

"My trip to hell and the suicide of a Christian man changed the direction of my life," says Elliot. "The main theme of this book is influenced by these experiences." The Houses of Elliot is told in three parts and each "house" represents an act. In the first House, Bertrand Reed hatches an absurd idea to negotiate a deal with nurse, Ida Wilcox, to raise his infant child after his wife, Susan, dies while giving birth. Their arrangement is for five years.

Ida raises the child, Elliot Reed, in a warm and loving environment, and he proves to be a gifted learner and receives incredibly vivid dreams. In one such dream, he sees a new friend with "black and white bandages" around her head. The day after his fifth birthday, a large black limousine appears on the horizon. A chauffer dutifully knocks on Ida's door and whisks the child away to a Catholic military academy.

It is in the second House where Elliot meets his new friend, Sister Teresa, who watches over him for the next dozen years. Through dreams and visions from God, Elliot changes the lives of four adults and seven cadets through a series of miracles. All is well until, the dreams of Sister Teresa's grow dark.

Before his senior year ends, Elliot will leave the academy and move in with his extended family in a mansion, which includes an aunt and uncle, two cousins, a great-aunt and several servants. In the third House, through his dreams and open heart, Elliot brings his dysfunctional family together in a series of miracles, all the while giving the glory to God. Elliot then meets Rachel, who captures his heart.

About the author: After graduating from high school in Northern California, Robert McNamara served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. Upon his return, he completed his B.A. in Dramatic Literature. He immediately went into acting on stage, T.V. and films for several years. He also wrote and directed a film, One More Shot. For the last twenty years, McNamara has been teaching and interpreting dreams. He resides in Irvine, California.