There is a time in Harvey Williams’ life that he’s not proud of.

In the mid-1980s, Williams was living in Palm Beach, Fla., selling marijuana on the street and trying to cope with having lost his family over his illicit profession. He began smoking crack cocaine in 1984, and became addicted.

He beat his addiction after moving back to his home in Georgia in 1986, and has since become a church elder and pastor of the House of Deliverance Church in Willacoochee. He has told his story in his first novel, “From Pusher to Preacher, By The Grace Of God, Part II.”

Williams says that the book, which was published in April, serves both as a cautionary tale for young people and a guide for those addicted to crack who want to get their lives back on track.

“I wrote it for three different reasons,” he says. “First, I wrote it for people who never experienced crack and who may have relatives or loved ones who are addicted to crack so that they will know the signs to look for. Second, I wrote it to serve as a warning for the children — teenagers and those who may be curious as to what crack is — because crack is not something you can pick up and put down so easily. Third, I wrote the book for the people who are addicted, to let them know that there is hope, because I am an example.”

A Georgia native, Williams moved to Palm Beach in the early 1980s to attend college. He was married with three children and was a substance abuse counselor, serving alcoholics primarily. He also sold marijuana on the streets of Palm Beach.

“I started by selling marijuana on the streets, and evolved from a street pusher to a dealer,” he says. “I started with an ounce of marijuana, and kept doubling my money and doubling my money until I worked myself off the streets and just dealt in quantity to street-level dealers.”

His drug dealing cost him his family, and in the aftermath he was introduced to crack by a friend. He was quickly addicted to the drug, and for two years it dominated his life.

He began trafficking drugs to pay for his addiction, and each attempt at reconciliation with his family failed. In 1986, he resolved to move back to Georgia and his mother, a Christian woman who required him to attend church with her and try to work through his addiction with their pastor.

Williams says that once he found his faith, he was able to beat his addiction, and has since become an accomplished pastor in South Georgia who has vowed to tell his story so that others may learn from it.

“For me, it was divine intervention,” Williams says. “What I needed was that change of environment, and that’s what I tell those that I counsel now. You have to change your environment. You can’t hang around the same people and expect to stop because once crack has you, it doesn’t let go easily.”

Williams continues to spread his message, taking his book to talks and signings across South Georgia. He will be signing his book and talking about his life during an open house today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Golden Retreat Senior Center in Albany.

Williams’ book is available in Tifton at Cornerstone Christian Books downtown, and online at www.pushertopreacher.com.