Blog Archives
You Can’t Live Your Life From a Place of Fear
Thriving After Sexual Abuse shares your story of recovery and gives other abuse victims a starting place on their own road to recovery. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As part of my healing journey, I did a lot of journaling and poetry writing. My husband always encouraged me to share my story to help other survivors, but I didn’t think I could write a memoir about my experiences. As a survivor of trauma, I have difficulty placing the abuse memories in the context of my life outside of the abuse. This is pretty common for survivors. I didn’t feel I had enough of a storyline to put together a meaningful memoir.
And then the story about Dr. Larry Nassar and his abuse of so many girls and women gymnasts came out, and my heart was broken open by how many were suffering because of this one man. I thought to myself that someone should do something to help these women, and others like them, to heal from the trauma of their abuse. And that is when I realized that I could do that; I could write a book about my experiences in the context of my healing journey. I could share the practices and activities that helped me heal as an inspiration for others to begin, or continue on, their own healing journeys. That was the motivation I needed to write my book.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
It was very challenging to write about how much the abuse affected me before I started my healing journey, to delve back into those years of shame, confusion, anger, and suffering. It was incredibly difficult to put those words on paper and to relive those experiences. But it was also very healing to see how far I’ve come and where I am in my life today compared to where I started.
The other most challenging part to write was the “Who Knew What and When?” chapter. To go back and consider who could have known about the abuse and had not stepped in to help me was tough. And to write that chapter in a way to help others go through the same process took quite a while to piece together. But I think it brought clarity for me to understand how and why I dealt with the relationships with those people they way I did as I moved forward in my healing journey.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
A friend of mine once told me “You can’t live your life from a place of fear.” I was angry at him when he told me that! But I came to realize he was right. That I was keeping myself from living a life of thriving and joy because I was afraid of people finding out about my childhood abuse, afraid of being rejected or pitied, afraid of being my true self. Once I took his message to heart, I was able to be brave in my authenticity and live from a place where no one and no past experiences could control me or the life I wanted to create.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
That healing from sexual abuse is possible.
That you are strong enough to start a healing journey that will take you to a place of thriving, and you deserve every minute of that joyful life!
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Thriving After Sexual Abuse
A walking guide on healing practices and experiences from the victim of sexual abuse, Denise Bossarte’s Thriving After Sexual Abuse intends to help victims break free of the shackles of self-blame and feelings of unworthiness following sexual abuse.
The book is broken into four parts, each of which attempts to introduce and educate the reader about different methods, approaches, and self-analysis they can use to come out and win over abuse, transforming into a confident, more vital being with a sense of self-esteem and being loved.
With its four sections, the first part is the foundation of the healing journey, which includes choice of therapy, meditation, and reading self-help books. These sections encompass the author’s own experiences, options that she has explored and adopted for her healing process in her journey towards choosing from a variety of anxiety-provoking steps for a newcomer off on the path of release from the trauma of abuse.
Part two of the guide concentrates more on practices that are easy to adhere to and adapt and that have been scientifically proven to contribute to an overall feeling of well-being among humans. Here are some fun ways to improve connection with suppressed emotions using interesting, engaging, and convenient options such as yoga & creative art. A therapist’s constant guidance on some trigger-inducing practices is advised, just as in part one of the book.
Part three focuses more on the insecure questions that keep coming to the surface in the survivor’s mind that must be answered for overall healing. It presents explicit information about dealing with body triggers and memories and confronting the blocked memories of abusive experiences to overcome fear and anxiety related to such memories.
The fourth and last part contains the journaling of the author, a healing practice highly recommended by her. It includes the poems, which result from the healing process that allowed the author to identify & address her suppressed traumatic emotions. From a victim filled with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt regarding her worth to a healed, confident survivor who flourished in the world, these poems describe the journey of Dennis Bossarte.
Denise Bossarte, a victim of incest at the hands of her grandfather, shares in an easily perceivable manner the step-by-step process for healing that she applied. The resources such as books, meditation apps, and links to numerous support programs are an added bonus for readers who lack any external guidance. There is a considerate and polite tone to the book that leaves the ultimate delivery of healing to the survivor. Each section ends with a question that allows the survivor to reflect on the entire process and the subsequent effects, giving them complete control over how to proceed.
Thriving After Sexual Abuse is a valuable guide that offers excellent support to a traumatic abuse victim, as they get first-hand knowledge of the process of healing directly from someone who successfully applied it and eventually transcended her journey to thriving.
Pages: 252 | ASIN : B0937GR5MR
I Want to Fix That
Victim 2 Victor shares your true story of your struggle with abuse and trauma and finding your way towards a life of empowerment. Why was this an important book for you to write?
As a woman once stuck in the vicious cycle of abuse myself, I know what it means to survive. Suffering through such difficulty takes a real, harmful, heavy toll on you, and many times it’s hard to figure out how to just be, after you’ve made it out. I want to fix that.
By making my story public, and offering a guide through pain, abuse, and healing, I am hoping that I can be a light to others who are experiencing the same. Through the benefits of self-help methods, determination and mindful healing, women and children everywhere will be able to overcome the hurt and devastation they have experienced so that they too can write their own stories of victory.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from you book?
My hope is to reach out to those who are stuck and looking for a way out and to understand that healing is available.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
I wished that I had been guided to speak out and to not suffer alone. By not speaking about my problems had made me suppressed and not able to communicate effectively as I was growing up. By not being able to express my feelings led to depression in my later life. My life began to unfold and change for the better when I started seeing my therapist as I was then able to communicate about everything that had happened to me.
Do you have plans to write other books?
I do indeed. I want to explore further about the importance of self-worth and self-love. I also want to write further on the development of relationships for a person who has experienced abuse and trauma and the effects these experiences have on them.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Facing the pain hurts, but hiding from it throughout adulthood is worse. Being a victim, it takes a great amount of strength and healing to break the pattern.
This inspiring and brutally honest memoir details the struggle for survival, and the search for healing and happiness.
Raised in abuse and navigating through consequences, a young, broken soul finds the strength to embark on a journey to reclaim her self-worth.
What kind of childhood is possible with sexual assault?
Is there a way to escape from hurt?
How do you shed the victim identity?
This gripping book details the life of a first-generation girl who went through hell. Born in England in 1980 with mixed Asian Indian ancestry, she narrates her story of hardship and resistance.
Dealing with deep traumas from sexual assault endured since the age of three, and the challenges of being a woman, this girl managed not to break.
Her inspiring journey is a life-long struggle to find self-worth on the ruins of self-esteem.
♥ Brutally honest, shocking and riveting – this personal story is an example of a beautiful transformation from living in pain and the journey to happiness.
The author opens her heart and reveals her darkest secrets into these pages, lighting the way so that another damaged soul will find the way to healing.
We do not get to dictate all of life’s events, but we can decide how to deal with them. Sometimes your life takes a bad turn, then sweeps you off your feet. Other times, you may need a reminder to reevaluate it. Through moments of conflict, uncertainty and strength, this book is highly motivational, educational and healing for all.
Not only written as a memoir, this book also consists of three helpful parts. It functions as a valuable guide as well as a do-it-yourself toolkit with many self-help techniques for sufferers of abuse and trauma.
Get this book now and take the first step towards healing, resilience and a new outlook on life.
The Hidden Gifts within the Trauma of Sexual Abuse
The Hidden Gifts Within the Trauma of Sexual Abuse by Keira Poulsen is a non-fiction book intended to help victims of sexual abuse find a path to cope with their pain and provide healing through faith for the trauma they have suffered. Written by a survivor of sexual abuse, this book is a combination of self-help book and journal, with the author speaking directly to the reader and asking them to answer questions about their own personal experiences and feelings. The author shares her own story of abuse and the ongoing effects it has had on her through the rest of her childhood and into adulthood.
This book has an inspiring message of hope that can aid survivors of sexual abuse. Although readers may find many parts of it difficult to read, this book shines a much needed light on this pervasive issue in our society. It is aimed at helping those who have suffered through this specific trauma, but the principles outlined in the book can be beneficial for anyone who has suffered pain and trauma of any kind. I liked the author’s encouraging words and support of others. This book will resonate especially strongly with readers of faith due to the author’s inclusion of verses of scripture that were helpful through her own personal journey of healing.
There are several journal questions at the end of each chapter that can provide insight and guidance to gain strength and hope, if readers truly look inside themselves to answer honestly. I liked that the book provides lined blank pages to write on, rather than just a list of questions to consider, which are often merely skimmed over by readers. There were a few minor editing issues in the book. And I didn’t agree with the author’s assertion that there can be no joy without pain, however, suffering through pain often can make people appreciate more the good things in their lives.
I found The Hidden Gifts Within the Trauma of Sexual Abuse to be inspirational, uplifting and empowering. More inspiration can be found in the author’s next book, Warriors of Light: Stories of Hope and Healing from Survivors of Sexual Abuse, and I liked that a short excerpt was provided at the end of this book.
Pages: 123 | ASIN: B07G3LZFM1
Victim 2 Victor
![Victim 2 Victor: An inspirational true story about a woman's struggle with abuse and overcoming trauma through a journey of empowerment. by [Anu Verma, Melissa Caudle]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VbBH5oKdL.jpg)
Victim 2 Victor, by Anu Verma, is an inspirational book based on a true story depicting how the effects of childhood sexual assault brought fear, frustration and hopelessness to Anu Verma. Through her self-discovery mechanisms she is able to break the cycle and let go of the pent up emotions, childhood trauma, guilt and fear of her dark past and change her life for the better.
In this book Anu Verma integrates her skills with life experiences to help those who have gone through similar traumatic experiences. As a reader who genuinely relates to the character’s feelings, I am particularly amazed with how the author maintains the first character narration. It draws the audience closer to her experiences. The way she builds her childhood memories tries to defend her pure conscience, but the same is suppressed by the very familiar people who should help her guard the norms of chastity. Anu Verma is eager to kill the “demon” of fear, and strives to achieve this through her travelling around the world, practicing of yoga, new friends, learning from the new crazy adventures and cultures all which culminate to her curiosity to discover a ray of hope for her already darkened past.
I applaud the author for having the ability to find her strength and value her self worth. Her teaching methodologies on trauma and help readers come out the other side with a clearer perspective on life. One thing I truly appreciated was her comprehensive counselling therapies at the end of the book. There is no doubt that she devotedly yearns to help the next broken heart. Victim 2 Victor is well equipped to empower and counsel all the readers who are going through a similar experience.
Pages: 239 | ASIN: B08H19PCHP
The Confessional: A Peerless Short Story
![The Confessional: A Peerless Short Story by [Kuykendall, A.K.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41yFUSn%2Bv7L.jpg)
Reinhold Commons Webster likes being in church. His family hopes he will follow the priesthood path, and his only desire is to be an altar boy. However, he is thrust into an abyss of sadistic abuse. He watched his friend penetrated with impunity until he could no longer hold on to life. The same end awaited him. Therefore Reinhold makes a deal that provides him with a little reprieve. With no one else willing to help him or the others, this deal is his only hope. The deal does nothing to erase what has already happened but what comes next will have to be enough.
This story, albeit short, is aggressively evocative. Written in such detail, the candor of it is well justified by the desire to shine a light on this abomination. The author also puts a spotlight on the role of parents and other authority figures in all of this. Their adverse reactions to the damaging situations the victims are plunged into. Figures who choose to ridicule these children rather than save them from their plight.
This is a very purposeful book. It might seem a bit crass, but the painful detail in this story is very necessary and intentional. It works to ingrain an image that would potentially start a movement for the rescue of actual victims. The end is quite alarming and should serve as a warning to perpetrators.
The confessional is a place where people go to seek solace and relief from the burden of sin. However, in this instance the title serves as a reminder that these places represent personal hells for some people. As a reader, one cannot help but weep for the poor boys. One cannot help but advocate for the punishment of the perpetrator. This is the extent of the writer’s to appeal to the reader’s soul by use of words and language.
This story should be used as a rallying call against child abuse everywhere and especially of the sexual sort. It should stand as a war cry for abused children everywhere to appeal to their parents for help. It is evocative and stern in no uncertain terms. The author’s passion for this cause is obvious and this story is engaging and thought provoking.
Pages: 49 | ASIN: B07PGTS8LC
Mortgaged Goods
![Mortgaged Goods by [Cobcroft, Lorraine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lyObV%2BEgL.jpg)
What is the meaning of success; titles, money, family, happiness? These are the questions Nata and Karl must face as their life makes dramatic changes from their carefully planned out future. Nata is fostered by working class parents Joe & Hetty, Karl comes from the upper-class elite. Nata’s biological father was abusive to both her and her mother, leading her to fear men, and especially any and all sexual contact. Despite her reservations Karl works his way into her heart and they marry with the intent of living full professional lives that does not include a family. Nata however finds out she is pregnant and together they must figure out how to adjust their life goals and ambitions to this new situation. While battling with his ideals about his personal life, Karl must make some choices about his professional career as a lawyer. Knowing what is right and knowing what you can make a difference with are gray areas when you’re a lawyer dealing with the upper-class elite.
On the surface this book starts off with the story of two people from different worlds coming together to make their relationship work through unplanned events, pregnancy. As the story deepens you see beyond the surface struggles or plans changing, you see the deep wounds that childhood sexual abuse brings; you see the residual effects of emotional abuse and withholding of love and support to a child. It changes the world view, it changes what is important in life. Nata and Karl could be anyone you encounter in the professional world. They are focused on their goals but when life turns things upside down, their struggles to connect and find a path forward are relatable. Unplanned pregnancy, changing life goals of prestige or happy home life, can they all be merged? Karl’s professional life is also dealt a staggering blow. He knows the difference between right and wrong but knows fighting against what is wrong in this case is career suicide. He takes the safe way out to save his career, but it nags at him. He continues to try and find balance between right and wrong.
While Karl is trying to find his way, Nata is trying to make peace with her past and the demons that follow her. It is a realistic view into how sexual abuse continues to hurt people well into adult lives and impact their life decisions. When her baby is born early due to a car accident she is thrust into even more challenging emotions, a premature birth, a child that will have lifelong medical needs, a husband that can’t come to terms with a non-perfect child. Lorraine Cobcroft’s ability to tap into those emotions and the mindset of a new mother experiencing them is profound. So often these things are glossed over for other more comfortable plot lines, however Mortgaged Goods puts these deep emotions and controversial topics right into the forefront of the novel, making them key points.
While the novel starts out looking like it will be a ‘lawyer takes on the corrupt upper tiers of society’ type novel, this book is so much more. Mortgaged Goods by Lorraine Cobcroft tackles deep emotional issues, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, corruption of society, to include law enforcement, judges, and politicians. Through it all though, it is a novel about making a relationship work though the hard times, finding out what is truly important in life, and making the best of what life hands you, even when that is not what you have carefully laid out in your life plans.
Pages: 278 | ASIN: B018ZVWE5O
LITERARY TITAN 