Rashell Lashbrook's Blog, page 2
March 6, 2017
We are making it easier to help victims of sexual abuse!
[image error]In my book, Hidden in the Dark, the characters are victims of childhood sexual abuse. They cope with the aftermath in some extremely unhealthy ways, which makes for a very entertaining story.
In real life, I wanted to get more involved in helping to prevent abuse and to increase awareness. Late last month, I announced that I would be donated 100% of my profits from my book sales from the month of April to https://laurenskids.org/. While I’m excited to be able to contribute in this way, I don’t feel that it’s enough.
I placed a link in the menu above to Lauren’s Kids, where you can join the movement and/or donate. There are so many ways to help out, and this site is a great resource! https://laurenskids.org/join-donate/
Please get involved today – you can make a difference. Become aware of the signs of child abuse and sexual abuse. You might be the voice that a child needs.
March 2, 2017
Focus Daniel Son, Focus…. (The Next Book is Calling My Name)
[image error]My first book is scheduled to launch April 1st and everything is rolling along at a nice steady clip. I couldn’t be more thrilled! The ideas in my head are spinning around, and my creative juices are flowing. Exciting times! As I was lying in bed this morning wide awake at 4:00 am (for no good reason other than I’m so darned excited) I began to run through the list in my head of things that I want to accomplish today. Some of the tasks on my list are related to my day job and family but most are related to my new novel, Hidden in the Dark. This is normal, right?
And then it happened again. The next book idea started poking and prodding me in the most delicious of ways. I’m afraid to completely shut the ideas out for fear that they will leave me all together, but on the other hand, I don’t want to devote too much time to the next baby when the current one hasn’t really been birthed yet.
After changing positions at least twenty times and covering my face with a pillow in hopes that the reduced oxygen levels would lull me to sleep, I finally resigned myself to being completely awake. I did the right thing and took care of some administrative/promotional stuff for Hidden in the Dark (which I am still extremely stoked about, by the way).
Now I’m going to put my thoughts about the upcoming book onto this post in hopes that the idea will let me be for a few weeks. Perhaps the idea will feel validated and understand that I’m coming back for it soon. Yes, I know I am speaking of the idea as if it’s a living thing, and that I must sound like a complete a kook. It feels like a separate thing from me, this inspiration that comes from thin air at times.
Okay, so here it goes…
In my book, Hidden in the Dark, the main characters are all abused by Randall, the father and husband. It’s easy to hate Randall because he does unspeakable things to his wife and three daughters. In this story, Randall doesn’t get much consideration. He is a monster, therefore his opinion doesn’t matter, nor do his feelings.
Now that the story is finished, I continue to think about Randall. I wonder what ingredients and conditions make a monster like Randall. It would be easy enough to point to a bad childhood or a genetics. But so many people suffer bad childhoods and don’t grow up to become abusers.
I definitely have my work cut out for me. I want to tell Randall’s story even though I’m sure he doesn’t deserve to have it told. My gut is telling me to go where the discomfort lies. I want to know “How a Monster is Made“.
March 1, 2017
Goodreads Giveaway Begins Today!
The Goodreads Giveaway begins today! Enter to win one of ten autographed copies of the first edition “Hidden in the Dark”. Giveaway runs from March 1st through March 8th, 2017. Psychological thrillers not your thing? Share with your friends!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Hidden in the Dark
by Rashell Lashbrook
Giveaway ends March 08, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
February 27, 2017
Press Release – Donating 100% of April 2017 Profits to Support SAAM
[image error]I’m so excited to see my first press release! I don’t think that it could be for a better cause!
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April is Significant to Hidden in the Dark
[image error]I am definitely pushing to launch my book too soon. Everyone close to my project probably thinks I’ve lost my mind. After all, I don’t have the big fan base built yet to properly propel a new book into instant record sales.
Why so soon? Well, for one thing, the book is done. As in – I don’t want to change a thing, can’t stand to look at it another minute, done. And, if I wait to organically build the following that I need, I may be waiting a very long time. I’m not into “buying” fans, so that option is out. So why April 1st?
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) and National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The family in my new psychological thriller “Hidden in the Dark”, suffers from the pain of abuse of perhaps the worst kind – sexual abuse of a child by a parent. The very subject of sexual abuse is an extremely uncomfortable one for many. But for the victim, it’s often excruciating, especially if he or she hasn’t had the opportunity to begin the healing process.
When I began to write “Hidden in the Dark”, I had no idea the main characters would be victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and child abuse. I’m not the kind of writer who prepares an outline prior to creating a story. Rather, the characters told me their stories as we went along. There were several points in the process that I questioned whether the words were too much. I knew that the book would be shocking. I felt disturbed even as I put the words onto paper. Several of my beta readers felt the same, but they quickly reassured me that the severity was necessary to tell the story.
As the story developed, I began to wonder how adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse manage to…well, survive. I could imagine the shame, the damage to one’s very foundation caused by such a heinous act. I had moments during the writing process that I felt depression for my characters and had to remind myself that they were indeed fictional. In real life, statistics show that approximately 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of sexual abuse. (https://victimsofcrime.org/media/reporting-on-child-sexual-abuse/child-sexual-abuse-statistics). The number is huge. This means that virtually anywhere you go, at least one person in the room was sexually abused as a child. (I’m not a mathematician, so please don’t knock my logic too much.)
There are many resources to help increase awareness, educate, and heal. However, victims may struggle with shame, depression, fear, and denial of the abuse, which often prevents them from seeking much needed support for healing.
https://laurenskids.org/ is a site that offers education and support. https://laurenskids.org/april-national-sexual-assault-awareness-month-saam-national-child-abuse-prevention-month/ I like Lauren’s Kids because the site gives you real opportunities to get involved including the ability to join the movement and to donate.
To learn more about ways you can help prevent child abuse – https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/
In my story, the victims deal with their abuse in ways that aren’t healthy. And while this may make for a very suspenseful and entertaining story, in real life I want to do my part to support victims of childhood sexual abuse and to increase prevention awareness. I’m making a commitment to donate 100% of my book sales profits for the month of April 2017 to https://laurenskids.org/
I hope you’ll join me to increase awareness and bring light to the pain of that which has been “Hidden in the Dark”.
February 22, 2017
goodreads Giveaway Coming March 1st!
Coming soon!
Enter here to win one of ten – autographed copies of Hidden in the Dark!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
Hidden in the Dark
by Rashell Lashbrook
Giveaway ends March 08, 2017.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
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If I Succeed Will I Have to Sacrifice My Firstborn Child?
[image error]Do you have invisibilitis? In case you aren’t familiar with the disease, it is a debilitating condition that renders the afflicted weakened and benign, often afraid to shine too brightly or sing too loudly. Just for the record, I have a slight case of invisibilitis….Okay, I might have made the word up, so don’t go pestering Google. You probably won’t find anything.
The condition flares up, like a bad case of diarrhea, whenever I threaten to do something truly magnificent. Invisibilitis manifests itself as the deep, irrational fear that IF I succeed (for example, my novel is a hit), THEN something equally awful will happen (one of my children will be picked off by the imaginary vultures in the sky, or I’ll get cancer).
It’s the self-sabotaging voice in my head that tries to discourage me from taking big (or small) creative risks. It’s the same whisper in my head that told me not to raise my hand in class, for fear of being wrong. It’s the same all-knowing hiss in my ear that warned me not to try out for the class play, audition for the spot on the dance team, or strike up conversation with the popular kids in class.
I’m not sure why I’ve listened to this voice, this illogical spook that has convinced me to stay small and quiet. I’ve believed that by being myself, in my full color and texture, I would draw the attention of all of the “bad things”. That somehow, there are eyes above, just watching for signs of movement to toy with.
The past few days, more fearful thoughts than normal have been gripping my heart. After a good long stretch of seriously positive vibes rolling off of me, I was wondering why now? Why the paranoia? Then it hit me like a freight train! I’m onto something really big! I’m singing louder than I ever have before!
Not only have I finished the novel that I’ve labored over for years, I’ve had a great reception from my beta readers AND I’ve finished my edit. Plus, I am now in the process of building a social media following for my book! Yeah, baby! I’m building momentum! People actually want to read my little book, and they are asking to reserve their copy. It’s getting serious! Which means this might really happen. I might do exactly what I set out to do! Whaaa…..????
Okay. Now I completely understand the reason for the flare up. The remedy is simple enough. A high dose of positive thoughts (enough to dilute the fearful, negative ones) is what the mind-doctor orders. I’ll pull out my Napoleon Hill, Anthony Robbins, and Jack Canfield recordings and flood my mind.
Do you struggle with Invisibilitis or some other debilitating disease of the mind that holds you back from realizing your dreams? How do you combat stinking thinking? I’d love to hear about your experiences and solutions!
(This article was originally published 01/30/17 on my blog Poppy Juice)
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February 21, 2017
February 20, 2017
Hidden in the Dark – Out in the Light Soon!
[image error]As you can probably tell from the bits and pieces of things lying around, my website is still under construction. But very soon, the first few chapters of my new book, Hidden in the Dark, will be available for download! I’m so excited to get this out to everyone who has been patiently waiting.
Even better, beginning on the 1st of March and running through the 8th of March, ten signed and autographed copies of Hidden in the Dark will be given away! As soon as I am able, I will post the link to enter.
The book will be available for purchase April 1st (no joke – sorry, I couldn’t resist) in both a paperback version and e-book form. I can’t wait!
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