Hello all & Good Monday Morning! As most of you all know, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness, I decided to do my part and bring awareness through my love of books and authors. Yes, I know I started late but a current issue that I just dealt with open my eyes wider and prompt me to share these stories with you all. Therefore, each day until the end of the month, books that deal with the issues of Domestic Violence will be showcased on the blog.
What is
Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.
Domestic violence is an epidemic affecting individuals in every community, regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, or nationality. It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even death. The devastating physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and last a lifetime. (via NCADV)
Our first guest, Author Vette Wilson, would like to share her story with you. She’s a survivor of domestic and sexual abuse and documented her experiences in her book, Visions of My Past.
Vette’s Story
Visions, tells my real life story of sexual and domestic abuse, mostly domestic. I was introduced to this way of life very early. After a while, I had gotten use to the beatings and the rape from my then boyfriend. After the death of my first born, 5 month old baby boy, I turned to cocaine and alcohol as a way to escape. I was only 15 when this all began. Each relationship after that seemed to go in the same direction: abuse, drugs, alcohol. Some I was prone to. I finally had gotten tired and with the birth of my 7th baby, I finally begin to fight back. I never knew my own strength. I escaped the hell I was living in and today I'm a published authoress, a single mommy of six and I have yet to end my story.
Q&A
What made you decide to share your experiences in your book to the world?
I decided to share my experiences because it was time. For so long I was a prisoner of my own past. I would harbor hidden anger, pain, regret and self-hate and that was unhealthy for me.
Everyone asks this question because they usually don’t understand why individuals stay with the abuser. In fact, most believe it’s so easy to just leave. Tell us, why did you decided to stay for the length of time that you did?
It was a mind control thing. In my book I word my reasons. Many that have read my story say it was low self-esteem but to judge my situation you'd have to walk in those shoes. I stayed because I was young. I was lost. I figured everything my abuser said to me as far as no one else wanting me or needing me was true.
What gave you the strength to finally leave?
After the death of my first son, that was a wakeup call. That was means my strength to escape the hell that he had created for me even the one that I had so seemingly created for myself.
How do you help support the cause of Domestic Violence Awareness?
By telling and sharing my story I hope to help many young girls and women who feel like they are alone. My story tells the raw and unheard sides of all forms of abuse and I've endured them all. This will show them that they are not alone.
The Book
Author Vette Wilson
Genre Women’s Fiction, Domestic Life
Publisher Diamante Publications
Print Length 176 pages
Publication Date October 14, 2016
Blurb
Between dealing with sexual abuse, alcohol, toxic relationships, and drama, I would often wonder whatever happened to my happily ever after? I guess this is what growing up in a dysfunctional family where sexual abuse and even rape were both part of my everyday life. Somehow, this cycle would continue as I entered into my teens and became a 15-year-old mother. I thought being beaten and pregnant by the father of my child had taken everything out of me, but that sadly changed when the death of my baby boy took what little spirit of hope I had left.
The encouragement of getting out of this nightmare suddenly settled within me, but it would forever leave me with the need to fill a void. His name was Elijah Romeno. He was much older and very married. I thought he loved me, but the mind of a child is so gullible. His love instantly turned into rage and at this point, I was finally convinced that my birth was no more than a curse.
Turning to drugs, sex, and alcohol as a means to escape the hell I had seemingly created for myself, I would continue to go left instead of right. As I sit and glance out the window I wonder will I ever get my happily ever after or should I let go of this false hope as the visions of my past continue to haunt my memory.
Purchase The Book
Connect with Author
Vette
Thank you Vette for sharing your story with us. I look forward to reading your book and hope that others will as well. I’m glad that you were able to get out of that horrible situation and are now an amazing mother and author. Take care sweetheart and you all please go show your support and purchase Visions of My Past: Torn and Broken.
If you or someone you know are in danger PLEASE CALL 911. For anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.7233.
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