“…a beacon for others caught in a web of behaviors and values that feel alien to their soul.”
— Thomas Rain Crowe, author of Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods
Portals of Transcendence
A Memoir Of Spiritual Awakening
By Sue Scarborough
Publication Date: October 13, 2026
Sue Scarborough’s luminous memoir starts with her lonely, harrowing childhood and early teens in the Green Swamp of Central Florida that echoes a real-life version of “Where the Crawdads Sing.” As the youngest child in her dysfunctional family, she’s largely left to fend for herself after her siblings leave home. Her angry, gun-toting father embraces the lawless life in the Swamp while her ultra-religious, gossiping mother complicates the multiple abusive behaviors the young girl—nicknamed Ginger—experiences by pretending nothing has ever happened.
After Scarborough’s lifelong search for God and meaning, a world beyond our earthly existence is revealed when a Near Death Experience (NDE) catapults her into a divine realm of love and acceptance and opens her to a path of spiritual discoveries. Her journey includes a vision in a dream, a family tragedy, the unexpected way a miracle list was fulfilled. She shares the stories of spiritual teachers who became a part of her life, including a psychic, a medium, natal astrologers, and a pranic healer. Her stories reveal dimensions that are joyful, healing, and put life’s pieces together like completing a puzzle. Scarborough begins to see her human condition with new understanding.
Seeking answers to her life’s challenges, she experiences spiritual awakenings, receiving messages of love through light energy, guides, and the spirits that surround and sometimes save her. Within this framework is an epic story of love for her partner, Tim, whom she cares for after a debilitating stroke and who joins her in her spiritual journey. Written with honesty and insight, Scarborough’s memoir is a meditation on what it means to be both human and divine.
Genre/category: Memoirs/Survival, Family Relationships/Abuse, Mind, Body, Spirit/Supernatural & Unexplained
WHERE TO BUY:
Library of Congress Control Number: 2026935221
Paperback ISBN: 9781950495894
e-book ISBN: 9781950495917
Direct from Lucid House Publishing coming soon.
Print and epub available worldwide to booksellers and libraries via Ingram. Request from your favorite independent bookseller or your library.
Pre-order now:
Meet The Author
Review Quotes:
“From one of the toughest scenarios I’ve ever read in a non-fiction memoir, Sue Scarborough has survived and thrived. Portals of Transcendence is so compelling and so visual, that it reads like a film script. A natural story-teller, Scarborough takes us along with her on the rugged ride through her childhood only to come out on the other side with a compassionate heart and a higher consciousness that is usually reserved for psychics and saints. A profile in courage for any and all who have gone through the labyrinth of adversity and emotional abuse, Scarborough is lifted up and out of herself with various mystical experiences that open up a new world of lightworkers, intuitives, orbs, miracles and magic. Beautifully rendered, descriptive, and engaging, with cinematic detail, the compassionate heart and higher consciousness make this story a beacon for others caught in a web of behaviors and values that feel alien to their soul.” —Thomas Rain Crowe, author of the award-winning nature memoir, Zoro’s Field: My Life in the Appalachian Woods
“The ultimate inspirational story of taking pain and turning it into purpose. Through sharing her soul’s unfolding and multi-layered awakening, Scarborough captivates the reader by weaving her many challenging experiences of her human condition into a beautiful tapestry of new awareness, connection and understanding of the divine. As her soul evolves, she captures the gift embedded in each difficulty and applies a meaning that truly transcends what most would consider another defeat. Engaging, inspiring and enchanting, Portals of Transcendence offers hope and intrigue to anyone who seeks a path to finding their true self – their soul. — Katherine T. Kelly, PhD, M.S.P.H., licensed psychologist, soul-healing specialist and bestselling author of Soul Health: Aligning with Spirit for Radiant Living
“Portals of Transcendence is not a typical memoir. It is a wild, unexpected ride through trauma and resilience that ultimately becomes an invitation to awaken. Sue Scarborough courageously opens the door to her life’s most painful experiences, not to dwell in suffering, but to reveal the extraordinary truth that lies beyond it. With grace, wisdom, and remarkable vulnerability, she reminds us that our greatest hardships are often sacred portals through which the soul remembers its divine nature.
“With uncommon depth and authenticity, this memoir becomes a profound exploration of spiritual awakening and the recognition that we are infinitely more than the circumstances we have endured. As light dissolves the shadows of illusion, Sue reminds us that healing is not about becoming someone new, but about remembering who we have always been.
“Rich with heartfelt insight, mystical depth, and unwavering authenticity, Portals of Transcendence offers hope to anyone seeking meaning beyond life’s challenges. It is a luminous testament to the truth that love, light, and the soul's infinite wisdom are never absent: They are simply waiting to be recognized. This is more than a profound read, it is an invitation to remember, awaken, and see beyond the illusion of limitation.” — Halley Élise, B Div, C Ht, sacred alchemist & intuitive luminary
“my mind’s eye, I can see the Masonic ring worn by her father. And through Sue’s storytelling skill, I feel his wrath as well as the frustration that shaped him. I love knowing her as a mystic. And I cherish her journey in growing from a highly intuitive child into a strongly empathic adult. Sue shares her fascinating journey of her own healing in a way that is deeply healing to all who read this book. Thank you, Sue (Ginger), for sharing this journey.” — Maya White, astrologer and intuitive guide
“A testament to the resilience of spirit. From the harrowing tales of a difficult childhood to her spiritual growth and quest as an adult, this book is a page-turner that will inspire you to never give up and always be open to all that the universe has to offer.” — Karen Frazier, PhD, metaphysical parapsychology, medical intuitive and energy healer, and bestselling author of Crystals for Beginners
“This book isn’t just a story of endurance; it is a spiritual roadmap showing how the hardest human suffering can serve as the precise soil needed to anchor a divine, luminous awakening. Sue Scarborough proves that no matter how dense the mud of our past is, our souls are always intrinsically fortified to bloom, like the lotus flower, toward the light. Sue’s vulnerable, visually stunning memoir proves that the human spirit cannot be crushed when it is aligned with the light. Captivating, healing, and genuinely transformative, this story is a profound profile in courage and empowerment, and a beautiful illustration of a spiritual awakening.” — Geoffrey Jowett, intuitive medium, teacher, author and spiritual artist
“…captures the reader with deep details on how family dynamics, along with intuitive self-discovery, affect a person throughout life. This memoir shows a path from treacherous to divine. Sue invites you inside her patterns of ups and downs, as well as engages the reader with her inner knowing that leads to her spiritual awakening. This story moves you, intrigues you, and connects you to wanting to know more about life and what is beyond.” — Jolie DeMarco, professional psychic-medium channeling Archangel Michael, and Llewellyn Worldwide author of High-Vibe Crystal Healing, How to Meditate with Crystals, and Soul Talking & Relationships