Time to help others

SOMETHING WE ALL SHOULD KNOW
Domestic violence should not happen to anybody. Ever. Period. But it does - and when it does, there is help. Maybe you have lived with abuse, maybe it happened just once; maybe you work or live next to someone who is being abused right now. In a 1995-1996 study conducted in the 50 States and the District of Columbia, nearly 25% of women and 7.6% of men were raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or dating partner/acquaintance at some time in their lifetime (based on survey of 16,000 participants, equally male and female). Approximately 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. In 2000, 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner. In recent years, an intimate partner killed approximately 33% of female murder victims and 4% of male murder victims. And so to all of these victims, many of whose story will never be told, I dedicate this book.

A SPECIAL PROJECT
To celebrate its second anniversary The Wild Rose Press and Editor-in-chief Rhonda Penders wanted a project that would give something back to the community. What could be better for a publisher than a book, and I was honored to be asked to write it. The result is ON THE RUN, a romantic suspense that focuses on domestic violence. The first check from sales of the book will go to the Victim’s Advocacy Office of the San Antonio Police Department, chosen because the most of the story takes place in San Antonio. You can help contribute to this fund by purchasing a copy of this book and passing the word along.
ON THE RUN
When Robin Fletcher saw her sister brutally murdered by her wealthy, abusive husband, she grabbed her five-year-old nephew and ran. Months late, living in Memphis with new names and a new life, their sense of security is shattered. First Andy is diagnosed with aplastic anemia. Then fate sends them directly into the path of the killer. Can Andy’s doctor who’s captured her heart protect her or will she again have to go ON THE RUN?
(Print available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Alibris)
(ebook available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/)

Excerpt:
Taking the highway into Oregon might have been easier on her, but she was sure that was the first route C.D. would check. Instead, she cut east immediately into Idaho. Besides, evading C.D., she had a specific reason for coming this way. Tomorrow they’d get to Helena, where she had important business to take care of. Things that would help keep her and Bobby safe. Robin had only a vague idea of how long they’d been driving but it felt as if she’d been doing it forever. Her eyes were gritty from lack of sleep and her muscles rigid with tension. It didn’t help that she was constantly watching for some ca to run her off the road or but her off. She’d been lucky enough to find a couple of drive-through’s where she fueled up with coffee. Caffeine raced through her system like a wild horse, revving her up and making her edgy. She slid a glance at Bobby, wrapped in a blanket and buckled into his car seat. What a lucky thing he was sleeping so heavily. Still, she knew they needed to find a bed pretty soon. And food. Starvation wouldn’t be a pretty way to die. By the time they reached Kellogg, Idaho, she was more than ready to stop. She pulled gratefully into a motel whose sign blinked ‘Vacancy’ in big red letters. It was the most welcoming site Robin had seen in a long time. Nervously she left Bobby in the car while she registered, keeping one eye on the parking lot, terrified that any moment she’d hear the screeching of brakes and C.D. would leap out of his car. At last they were in their room at the back of the motel, well hidden from the street. She toted in her duffel bag and laptop, then tucked the little boy into bed. After that she treated herself to a shower. Tired as she was, she still needed to wash away the strain of driving nearly three hundred miles at night. All she wanted was to wash the fatigue from her muscles before she climbed into bed. But as the hot spray beat down on her physically and emotionally exhausted body, her control disintegrated and tears began to cascade down her cheeks. She was thankful that the drumming of the water against the tiles drowned out the huge gulping sobs that wracked her body, so Bobby couldn’t hear. She cried as she had never cried before in her life, tears of despair and grief. And self-condemnation, that she hadn’t been able to do anything to save her sister. She didn’t think that particular guilt would ever leave her. Jamie! Oh, Jamie! How did I let this happen to you? The water ran cold before the last shudder died from her body. She drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly. Her heart ached unbearably, but she had a responsibility now. A mission, and she would not fail, no matter what. Keep Bobby safe and away from C.D. Create a whole new life for the two of them. This would be her tribute to her sister.
Come visit me at http://www.judithrochelle.com/ or http://www.desireeholt.com/
Or www.myspace.com/judithdesiree

JUNE 5, 2007 What would you do if you could?

The neat thing about being an author, a writer, is that you can answer that question every day. We write about things we could do, should do, want to do, shouldn't do and dream about doing.

How many of us would really travel to the moon or beyond if we could - with out paying the millions of dollars or the having the consequences of coming back to Earth and going through rehab?
How many of us would go seek the kind of man we read about? Does such a man really exist? I know some women have men in their lives who are loving, strong, with just the right amount of sensitivity yet is an Alpha man. Isn't that what we want? Someone to sweep us off our feet, take control yet respect our opinions and feelings, understand us, talk to us, and protect us from the boogey man?
Be rich? Be desired? Conquer the enemy - whether it is a monster or a banker?

I once read that one of the reasons people who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from war or abuse continue to suffer is that our memories have substance. When you remember a memory, your mind doesn't know whether it was then or now. You don't remember so much as relive. So the converse is true too. If a memory is good and filled with emotion, then that memory becomes an experience. People have used that technique for years to affirm what they want in the future. A new car, a job, money in the bank, etc. Maybe that is why Romance is so popular - there is always a Happy Ever After, a happy ending.

As an author, a writer, we are able to create memories not only for ourselves but for our readers. For a short period of time we are able to do what we want, be who we want, be with who we want and we can take our readers with us.

I hope you enjoy the adventure in Prophecy of Vithan coming in August by www.cerridwenpress.com. I enjoyed being my heroine as I was writing. I hope you have as much fun as I did.
Charlene

Alter Egos

Today I made a silly little joke about taking a broadsword to anyone who didn't agree with me. In response, I was asked for a picture of myself and sent a picture of a woman in battle gear with a sword from an animated movie. I also made a joke about the woman being my real self, while the picture on my website (www.charleneleatherman.com) is my meek, mild alter ego.

This little episode began percolating in my brain and now I have a question.

What if (there's that phrase all writers have lurking just behind their foreheads) our "other selves" actually came out to play at night, during the day?
My other self is a warrior woman. She is a "take no prisoners" kind of gal. She is just as willing to bash in your brains as to take you to bed. She knows what she wants and takes it.

In real life that kind of woman is usually behind bars. But what if society would allow us to open up our subconscious and be our "real selves". Not the kind of society that is pictured on TV with everything is wasted and the bad guys prey on the good guys. No, because who in their hearts of hearts wants to be a victim? (I'm not talking S&M but a real victim) Nobody. Everyone wants to be the strong victor. Maybe not the sword wielding, villain killing, kind of gal I write about, but a victorious person in life. Everyone wants to win.

When you read a book, do you see a person you want to become? Maybe more romantic, more adventurous, more self-assured. When you watch a movie do you, for a moment, want to become that person that wins the love, wins the day, wins the trophy?

Now the real question is: Why is there a discrepancy between our real life selves and our secret "alter ego"? Why do we read the romances, but don't look for the romance in our lives? Why do we read adventures and yet almost cower in the face of real adventure.Can we put the two together?

Some people do - look at the people who climb the mountains, ride the fast cars and bikes, jump off cliffs or out of planes.
Some people find real romance and live it every day.

Obviously, the answer is fear. Fear of loss, fear of injury, fear of being hurt either emotionally or physically.

I'm not saying that we should face our fear and suddenly become adventurous romantic daredevils. Although that might be interesting and fun. What if (there's that phrase again) we face one little tiny fear today and figure out how to conquer that fear. Then one more and one more until we no longer have the fear and we can actually integrate our real selves with our alter egos.

But if we did that, writers and movie makers might be out of business. Romances and adventures would no longer be needed to take us to a place where we can be someone else because we would be who we really want to be. We would be completely and fully living and happy with the way our lives are going. Or would we? Hmmmm. That brings a question to mind...