Life is full of ups and downs.
Sorrel Lamar knows this very well. Five years ago she was happy at home with her parents, the beloved niece of a childless Alpha who had been grooming her to take his position since she first shifted. She was surroun...
Once again I find myself writing another one of these. However I do find that they serve their purpose within my writing. In Forged in Fire it was to tell you that the creatures we see, the shifters and the supernatural, are harsh and brutal beings that are capable of truly terrible things to protect their own. In A Cold Wind Blows it was to tell you that self-harm is a dangerous practice that is so easily rationalized and justified in the minds that practice it.
This one... this one it going to be a little different.
True the shifters are brutal and vicious and can sometimes be cruel and this story showcases that perfectly. However, this story also has an added element to it that has made me feel like this is both appropriate and necessary and I do not think I should start without it.
Abusive relationships are a difficult topic to discuss. They aren't something people sit down and talk about over tea but it is so imperative that I bring this topic up now. Sorrel's twin sister, Magdalene is the victim of a highly abusive relationship. There will be times where the story will be hard to swallow, where the cruelty seems unimaginable and senseless. I have given you glimpses of abusive cruelty in all of my books but in this one you are going to see it through the eyes of someone who lived it. You are going to see her memories and her reactions and you might find it hard to read.
That's okay.
I already know it will be hell for me to write. Not just because of the cruelty she is repeatedly shown, that is hard in its own right, but because of the reminder that millions of people will go through through that trauma or are already living it. Its had to write from a standpoint of make-believe and fiction when you know that it is somebody's reality. It adds a dimension to you as an author while you are writing those situations because you are always aware that this isn't always made-up or fake... sometimes people truly do live like that.
As for the abuse within this story, there are numerous types Magdalene suffers. Mental, emotional, and physical. All of these are highly damaging to a person's psyche and physical and mental well-being. They leave scars that sometimes won't go away. These abusers will twist your mind and your body in cruel and unusual ways to bend you to their will. They are masters of manipulation and torment and Magdalene's situation sadly ended in her death.
It brings a sombre feeling to me when I think about it because while Magdalene is fictional, there are thousands of others who are not and who end up just like her.
So, if you are reading this and you think you are being abused, be it emotionally, mentally, or physically, please follow these links and get help so you can get out. Because even if your abuser says they are the only one who will ever love you, I love you and I want you safe.
www.futureswithoutviolence.org
www.joinonelove.org
www.noabuse.org
www.dixonsociety.ca
www.thehotline.org
www.nationaldomesticviolencehelplin.org.uk
(If anyone else has any others to add please comment them so we have a good list of resources for people to see. )
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
And never forget that no matter how much that person tells you are worthless or unloveable, I will always love you and I believe in everything that you are and you can become.
