Sara Niles
Thank you for that question, Christine.
My abuse occurred from 1973-1987, when I fled with my small children. The short version of why I wrote books about my abuse experience, is because over the years after I fled, I discovered the story did not end with my escape in 1987. I began to understand the scope of the damage only after my children began to 'act out' when they approached the teen years. The blame, guilt, anger, projection, and a whole host of other issue-laden behaviors began to crop up. By the year 1995, during a particularly stressful event concerning one of my teen-aged children, I was fed up with the problems created during the years I and the children were with 'Thomas', their father and my abuser. I was inspired to use whatever means necessary to effect some type of change in our lives and reclaim our power. The first book was 'born' when I became determined to write 'Torn From the Inside Out', regardless of how long it took, it became a mission.
In 1998, I began to work for a domestic violence prevention agency, and it was during that time I was exposed to a broader group of victims, survivors, and perpetrators of domestic violence and family dysfunction. I realized the long-term effect of abuse upon my own children, was also impacting millions of people in the United States and the world. The Journey was born, followed by Out of the Maelstrom. The latter is a compilation of short stories that showcased the best and the worst of human nature.
I was driven to write all three of these books because of the importance of the message: the cycle of abuse within a family is often repeated, it has to be stopped.
Sara
My abuse occurred from 1973-1987, when I fled with my small children. The short version of why I wrote books about my abuse experience, is because over the years after I fled, I discovered the story did not end with my escape in 1987. I began to understand the scope of the damage only after my children began to 'act out' when they approached the teen years. The blame, guilt, anger, projection, and a whole host of other issue-laden behaviors began to crop up. By the year 1995, during a particularly stressful event concerning one of my teen-aged children, I was fed up with the problems created during the years I and the children were with 'Thomas', their father and my abuser. I was inspired to use whatever means necessary to effect some type of change in our lives and reclaim our power. The first book was 'born' when I became determined to write 'Torn From the Inside Out', regardless of how long it took, it became a mission.
In 1998, I began to work for a domestic violence prevention agency, and it was during that time I was exposed to a broader group of victims, survivors, and perpetrators of domestic violence and family dysfunction. I realized the long-term effect of abuse upon my own children, was also impacting millions of people in the United States and the world. The Journey was born, followed by Out of the Maelstrom. The latter is a compilation of short stories that showcased the best and the worst of human nature.
I was driven to write all three of these books because of the importance of the message: the cycle of abuse within a family is often repeated, it has to be stopped.
Sara
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