A Whisper of an Idea

Whisper Me This was born out of one of many conversations with my Viking about life, the universe, and everything.

We were soaking luxuriously in our hot tub (which is out on the back deck of our little house in the big woods) listening to the wind in the trees and reveling in the awesome life we are lucky to live up here.

And then the Viking started talking about this woman he knows who is not so lucky. She's trapped in a domestic violence situation--a bright, beautiful woman who struggles to see that there could be another way for her.

And then he asked this question:

"What does it take for a woman to get free of something like that? Or for anybody to make a total life change? Do you just wake up one morning and realize you've had enough? Is there one moment in time that changes everything, or is it a gradual process?"

And then he looked at me and said, "You should write about that."

So I did. 

This is a topic that resonates deeply with me. I am an extremely fortunate woman. I was raised without any shadow of fear by a father who was an awesome human being who respected women. My brother is the same kind of human being, and when I went out looking for relationships I found men who were like them.

But I've been a counselor and I've listened to so many of my clients, both women and men, trying to get past a legacy of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. I've heard my friends talk about the situations they are in, or have gotten free of. Not to mention what I see on the internet on a daily basis.

I have talked to humans who have been incredibly impacted by abuse and don't yet realize that what is happening to them is wrong. Their whole experience has been such that they believe these toxic relationships are normal. 

So in this story I delved into the stories of characters who have all been affected, one way or another, by domestic violence. And while I wrote I was always looking to answer that question - "What would it take to get free?"

And because this topic matters to me, deeply, I'm extraordinarily excited that this book has been chosen by my publisher as a Readers First pick this month on Amazon. I hope that it might make some small difference out there in the world, even if it just opens up some dialogue around this complex and pervasive issue.

And of course, being an author, I also hope readers love the characters and the story!