Interesting responses from readers...

I sent the book to two of my sisters last week. I wasn't sure if reading the parts about our childhood would evoke alot of emotions for them, maybe even make them angry if they didn't remember things the same way. But their reaction was actually the opposite of that - they called me and said "that's exactly the way it was!" They both said that to see it in print really helped clarify alot of things for them and asked if their husbands could read it to gain a better understanding of issues they may have even today.

I also shared copies with a few of my neighbors. It seems like everyone reads it in just one day, so I guess it keeps the reader's attention. My running partner told me that I have "an obligation" to share this story with the women who need to hear it. She totally agrees that emotional abuse is overlooked and that this book could help women know what to look for.

I'm just so happy that I am finally able to share my story and know that it could change someone's life for the better. I hope I hear from more readers because it touches my heart every time I know that someone can relate to what I went through and that maybe I have somehow offered them a beacon of hope.

It's still hard for me to believe how much my life has changed since I was with Sam. Michael and I have been married for almost 10 years now, and he is still my best friend in the world. He still shows me the same respect and kindness as he did when we were dating. I thank God for him every day!

The day has finally arrived!

I'm sitting here with my first copy of my book, "In His Eyes," in my hands. I can't believe this day has finally arrived. I first started writing almost 14 years ago when I had just left Sam. At first it was just a notebook I carried around with me, jotting down feelings as they surfaced. As time went on, I started remembering more and more things Sam had done or said that were abusive, so I'd jot those down too. Before I knew it, I was putting all these thoughts into categories. Oh, here's another one for how he treated me in public, or this is what our holidays together were like. Slowly but surely, a book was starting to form.

At the time, I was also reading everything I could get my hands on to learn about other women's experiences with emotional abuse. But I was so disappointed that there wasn't much out there on this type of abuse. Lots and lots on women who were battered physically, but the emotional battering seemed secondary and almost dismissed. That was when I knew I wanted to turn my rambling thoughts into a book.

I wanted other women to know that they weren't alone and they weren't crazy! I wanted them to know that their partner's treatment of them was unacceptable and that they weren't the cause of it. I wanted them to know that loving someone does not have to involve emotional pain and mental agony.

So here I sit, 14 years later, with this book in my hand... praying that anyone who feels today the way I was feeling then, will read it and know that they are not alone and that there is hope and happiness available to them.

More later...

Today'sTest

So.... this is yet another test!

test 1