Lisa Akers's Blog - Posts Tagged "abuse"
5/5 Totally Amazing! Says Book Blogger
Meet Twin sisters Gabriella and Olivia and step into their world of crushing heartbreak, constant fear and anguish.
Reading 'Let Me Go' was almost like an out-of-world experience for me...
It is a story about a trio of sisters...
Prior to starting the book...
The issue with domestic and or sexual abuse is, and will always be, that you can never judge the severity of it unless you've experienced it first hand, no matter how much you've read up on it. That's just how it is, you may disagree with that, but that is the truth.
Like reading all about being an Olympic Swimmer doesn't make you any more qualified than the next guy.
The sad reality is...
It's an issue...
I've watched so many families...
There is so, so much that can be learned from this book....
(click on link to see full review) I think it's safe to say that it was very easy for me to connect with each of the 3 sisters.
I truly appreciated just how much research had to have gone into the making of this book, especially as it was written purely as a work of fiction, with no 'real' truth to it.
On a different note, I found it incredibly refreshing that the characters in the book were portrayed as normal girls, no perky blondes with troubled hearts but otherwise flawless appearance, but girls who share their mistakes and let you into their hearts, which for me, resulted in buckets full of tears and raw emotion.
It's wonderful that once again, an author used their power to give a voice to all those victims out there, because believe you me, if you've been affected by domestic and or sexual abuse, or know someone who is/was, you're not alone in this.There will always be someone to support you.
If you need help, get it. No matter how dark the way.
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'
...Please click here for the full review! http://girlinthewoodsreviews.blogspot...
Reading 'Let Me Go' was almost like an out-of-world experience for me...
It is a story about a trio of sisters...
Prior to starting the book...
The issue with domestic and or sexual abuse is, and will always be, that you can never judge the severity of it unless you've experienced it first hand, no matter how much you've read up on it. That's just how it is, you may disagree with that, but that is the truth.
Like reading all about being an Olympic Swimmer doesn't make you any more qualified than the next guy.
The sad reality is...
It's an issue...
I've watched so many families...
There is so, so much that can be learned from this book....
(click on link to see full review) I think it's safe to say that it was very easy for me to connect with each of the 3 sisters.
I truly appreciated just how much research had to have gone into the making of this book, especially as it was written purely as a work of fiction, with no 'real' truth to it.
On a different note, I found it incredibly refreshing that the characters in the book were portrayed as normal girls, no perky blondes with troubled hearts but otherwise flawless appearance, but girls who share their mistakes and let you into their hearts, which for me, resulted in buckets full of tears and raw emotion.
It's wonderful that once again, an author used their power to give a voice to all those victims out there, because believe you me, if you've been affected by domestic and or sexual abuse, or know someone who is/was, you're not alone in this.There will always be someone to support you.
If you need help, get it. No matter how dark the way.
Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing'
...Please click here for the full review! http://girlinthewoodsreviews.blogspot...
Interview with Authors To Watch!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Interview with L.L. Akers
Today, we're visiting with L.L. Akers. She's here to talk to us about her New Adult novel, Let Me Go...
Tricia: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
L.L: I left my career in human resources to provide at-home care for my bed-bound mother-in-law. After she passed, I didn’t want to go back into the business, and I LOVE books… so I took a job as a proofreader with a small publishing firm. After working on over a dozen books, I found I had talent in content/development editing. I opened my own free-lance business to pursue that talent.
Tricia: When did you begin writing?
L.L.: When I found myself trying to re-write entire paragraphs and chapters of other stories I was working on, I decided there was a story in me too… it had to come out.
Tricia: Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?
L.L.: I write it as it comes with no outline or synopsis. I let the characters do the talking and I just type what they tell me… at home in my office, on the back porch or at night in the garage.
Tricia: Can you tell us about your most recent release?
L.L.: My most recent and only release is my debut novel, Let Me Go.
Tricia: How did you get the idea for the book?
L.L.: Parts of the book are inspired by a true story; other fictitious parts are woven in for suspense and/or story-building.
Tricia: What would you like to tell us about your book or your writing that someone wouldn’t discover during a casual review of your blurb or website?
L.L.: Although Let Me Go is New Adult, there is a thread of suspense woven throughout the book that is not typically found in most New Adult novels. It is a small thread, but packs a heavy punch. The reader wants to find out who is in the box? It winds up with a twist and a happy ending. I think maybe my story doesn’t fit just one category—it could slide into many more, including coming-of-age, women’s fiction, family-saga, and suspense.
In addition, there is a very moving story—within the story—about adoption. I have yet to have one person read my book who did not say they were moved to tears by that chapter. And yes, that part of the book is inspired by a true story. That part of the book is not fiction, although I have changed the names to protect the innocent (and not-so-innocent).
Tricia: What is your primary goal as an author?
L.L.: I just want to write. Even if no one reads it, my goal has been met by writing it. I’m feeding the little monster in my head what it’s asking for.
Tricia: Which authors have inspired your writing?
L.L.: Although my writing style is not even similar, the authors Kathryn Stockett, Diana Gabaldon, and Stephen King have all written books that inspire me because of the emotions they are able to invoke through the pages of their books.
Tricia: What projects are you currently working on?
L.L.: The second Let Me Go novel, Captured Again.
You can connect with L.L. Akers at the following links:
https://www.amazon.com/author/llakers
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLLAkers
Email: contactllakers@gmail.com
You can get find Let Me Go at Amazon, Kobo, B&N, and Apple.
Interview from http://www.authorstowatch.com
Interview with L.L. Akers
Today, we're visiting with L.L. Akers. She's here to talk to us about her New Adult novel, Let Me Go...
Tricia: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
L.L: I left my career in human resources to provide at-home care for my bed-bound mother-in-law. After she passed, I didn’t want to go back into the business, and I LOVE books… so I took a job as a proofreader with a small publishing firm. After working on over a dozen books, I found I had talent in content/development editing. I opened my own free-lance business to pursue that talent.
Tricia: When did you begin writing?
L.L.: When I found myself trying to re-write entire paragraphs and chapters of other stories I was working on, I decided there was a story in me too… it had to come out.
Tricia: Describe your writing process. Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? When and where do you write?
L.L.: I write it as it comes with no outline or synopsis. I let the characters do the talking and I just type what they tell me… at home in my office, on the back porch or at night in the garage.
Tricia: Can you tell us about your most recent release?
L.L.: My most recent and only release is my debut novel, Let Me Go.
Tricia: How did you get the idea for the book?
L.L.: Parts of the book are inspired by a true story; other fictitious parts are woven in for suspense and/or story-building.
Tricia: What would you like to tell us about your book or your writing that someone wouldn’t discover during a casual review of your blurb or website?
L.L.: Although Let Me Go is New Adult, there is a thread of suspense woven throughout the book that is not typically found in most New Adult novels. It is a small thread, but packs a heavy punch. The reader wants to find out who is in the box? It winds up with a twist and a happy ending. I think maybe my story doesn’t fit just one category—it could slide into many more, including coming-of-age, women’s fiction, family-saga, and suspense.
In addition, there is a very moving story—within the story—about adoption. I have yet to have one person read my book who did not say they were moved to tears by that chapter. And yes, that part of the book is inspired by a true story. That part of the book is not fiction, although I have changed the names to protect the innocent (and not-so-innocent).
Tricia: What is your primary goal as an author?
L.L.: I just want to write. Even if no one reads it, my goal has been met by writing it. I’m feeding the little monster in my head what it’s asking for.
Tricia: Which authors have inspired your writing?
L.L.: Although my writing style is not even similar, the authors Kathryn Stockett, Diana Gabaldon, and Stephen King have all written books that inspire me because of the emotions they are able to invoke through the pages of their books.
Tricia: What projects are you currently working on?
L.L.: The second Let Me Go novel, Captured Again.
You can connect with L.L. Akers at the following links:
https://www.amazon.com/author/llakers
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLLAkers
Email: contactllakers@gmail.com
You can get find Let Me Go at Amazon, Kobo, B&N, and Apple.
Interview from http://www.authorstowatch.com
Walk away, girl. Just. Walk. Away.
Let Me Go
I said yesterday that I needed to go out and do a RAK. Welp, me and the boy had some errands, so out we went, not quite sure when, where or what my Random Act of Kindness would be. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if what I did could be considered a kindness, and it found me... Even after I tried to get away from it... Here's the 411. We were thirsty, so we pulled into a long line at McD's to get a sweet tea on the way. Another car pulled directly behind us.
While we waited for our turn to order, a couple exploded out the doors and crossed directly in front of our car. The woman had a look of pure terror on her face, her shoulders bent forward and walking as fast as she could to her car. Her boyfriend (?) was Right. On. Her. Heels. He was screaming loud enough to wake the dead inches behind her head as he followed her, stomping and flailing his arms around. She got to her car, but before she could get in, he snatched the keys and lifted them high into the air and then slammed them onto the ground (nice try, asshat, but keys are kinda hard to break), then stood in front of her car door, never taking a breath from the break-your-eardrums screaming. He said every wordy-dird in the book, and a few even I'd never heard and berated this poor woman on and on and on.
She kept her head down, looking at the pavement, so every time he wanted to emphasize a word (like it wasn't already strong enough being screamed at the top of his lungs), he would duck down and swoop into her face, throwing his fists around to make her look at him. Each time she would visibly flinch...and so did I. Watching this was making me sick to my stomach. Even worse, my 11-yr old son was watching with big eyes. People came out and were videotaping it, and NO ONE stepped in to help her. I heard one woman tell her husband to call the cops, and i watched him make the call, but I was afraid they'd be too late.
The man was getting braver and braver, louder and louder, as if daring anyone to step in. I was stuck in the line...no one was moving, I guess all eyes were on him...there were even people coming out of the motel rooms next door to see what all the commotion was about. When I saw the tears streaming down her face, and the pure delight on his face as he ratcheted it up a few notches, I knew in my gut he was going to hurt her. He was literally hopping up and down in his self-righteous wrath. I'd had enough. I put the car in park, pulled out my carry-gun to stick in the back of my pants and told my son to lock the door and stay down. He freaked out. He begged me not to get out. So against my better wishes I didn't.
Then the line moved. We placed our orders and rolled to the other side of the building and there he was! Now with his buddies, laughing and hee-hawing it up. I looked back to her car and there were now two police officers there talking to her. I could see her shake her head 'no' over and over again. This was a familiar scene: Denial. He'll never do it again. He didn't actually hit me... He wasn't really going to hurt me... I started it... It was all my fault... I could just imagine her saying all this.
We rolled out of there with our sweet teas, after I gave the p.o.s. the dirty eyeball, and pulled over in the next parking lot, around some bushes, to center myself before driving. My heart was beating so fast. I had sweat dripping down my sides. Watching this poor young woman's horrible plight, and knowing as soon as the PoPo left, it would probably start right back up sickened me. My son looked over and said, you okay, Mom? I just shook my head while I put my straw in my tea. He said, I would never treat a woman like that. That was the one bright spot in all this...then I took a big gulp of my tea only to get a mouthful of UNSWEETENED TEA!! Yuck! Us southerners like our sweet tea...well...sweet! Dammitalltohell! After all that!
So I put it in drive and pulled back into the McD's. the girl and her car was gone. Thank God. So I told the boy to keep the doors locked and I walked in to swap out my tea, and was standing there filling it up when guess who walked in?! Yep. Angry Man. He sidled up to me to fill his own cup, and looked me up and down, and gave me a smooth I'm-looking-at-you smile. I looked him dead in the eye and said, "I saw what you did." He looked surprised and said, "Me?! What'd I do?" I told him, "You verbally abused your woman, you publicly humiliated her, and you tried to make yourself look big and bad in front of your possee. But really, you just look weak picking on a woman. You looked like a spineless coward, and I hope she's smart enough to run far and wide from you." He got all huffy and said, "You know what--" I interrupted him and said "yeah, yeah... it's none of my business. But I'm going to tell you what everyone else is afraid to...one of these times, you're going to go a little too far, and someone's gonna get hurt. Might be you. Might be her. Either way, it's not worth your life. Or hers."
You know what he said? "Might be worth hers." Then he grinned a rotten-tooth smirk and sauntered off.
So to the woman at McDonald's on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC today, I hope you come across this... Please don't go back to him. He WON'T change. He WILL hurt you. He MAY kill you. He as much as said it to me... You will never find peace and joy with this man. You are a beautiful, young woman, with your whole life ahead of you. He is a rotten to the core, mean, spineless asshat (and he has bad teeth--ewww!). Please value yourself more than this. Walk. Away. Walk fast. Get help, get support. Stay. Away.
To Mr. Rotton-Teeth Asshat, I know you watched me leave and saw my tag. Good. Come get you some, you yellow-bellied Coward.'m not twenty-something years old anymore... I've seen worse than you and lived to tell about it. I am not afraid. If you so much as bat an eyelash at me or mine, I'll replace those rotten front teeth of yours with some hot brass and save you the dental bill.
I said yesterday that I needed to go out and do a RAK. Welp, me and the boy had some errands, so out we went, not quite sure when, where or what my Random Act of Kindness would be. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if what I did could be considered a kindness, and it found me... Even after I tried to get away from it... Here's the 411. We were thirsty, so we pulled into a long line at McD's to get a sweet tea on the way. Another car pulled directly behind us.
While we waited for our turn to order, a couple exploded out the doors and crossed directly in front of our car. The woman had a look of pure terror on her face, her shoulders bent forward and walking as fast as she could to her car. Her boyfriend (?) was Right. On. Her. Heels. He was screaming loud enough to wake the dead inches behind her head as he followed her, stomping and flailing his arms around. She got to her car, but before she could get in, he snatched the keys and lifted them high into the air and then slammed them onto the ground (nice try, asshat, but keys are kinda hard to break), then stood in front of her car door, never taking a breath from the break-your-eardrums screaming. He said every wordy-dird in the book, and a few even I'd never heard and berated this poor woman on and on and on.
She kept her head down, looking at the pavement, so every time he wanted to emphasize a word (like it wasn't already strong enough being screamed at the top of his lungs), he would duck down and swoop into her face, throwing his fists around to make her look at him. Each time she would visibly flinch...and so did I. Watching this was making me sick to my stomach. Even worse, my 11-yr old son was watching with big eyes. People came out and were videotaping it, and NO ONE stepped in to help her. I heard one woman tell her husband to call the cops, and i watched him make the call, but I was afraid they'd be too late.
The man was getting braver and braver, louder and louder, as if daring anyone to step in. I was stuck in the line...no one was moving, I guess all eyes were on him...there were even people coming out of the motel rooms next door to see what all the commotion was about. When I saw the tears streaming down her face, and the pure delight on his face as he ratcheted it up a few notches, I knew in my gut he was going to hurt her. He was literally hopping up and down in his self-righteous wrath. I'd had enough. I put the car in park, pulled out my carry-gun to stick in the back of my pants and told my son to lock the door and stay down. He freaked out. He begged me not to get out. So against my better wishes I didn't.
Then the line moved. We placed our orders and rolled to the other side of the building and there he was! Now with his buddies, laughing and hee-hawing it up. I looked back to her car and there were now two police officers there talking to her. I could see her shake her head 'no' over and over again. This was a familiar scene: Denial. He'll never do it again. He didn't actually hit me... He wasn't really going to hurt me... I started it... It was all my fault... I could just imagine her saying all this.
We rolled out of there with our sweet teas, after I gave the p.o.s. the dirty eyeball, and pulled over in the next parking lot, around some bushes, to center myself before driving. My heart was beating so fast. I had sweat dripping down my sides. Watching this poor young woman's horrible plight, and knowing as soon as the PoPo left, it would probably start right back up sickened me. My son looked over and said, you okay, Mom? I just shook my head while I put my straw in my tea. He said, I would never treat a woman like that. That was the one bright spot in all this...then I took a big gulp of my tea only to get a mouthful of UNSWEETENED TEA!! Yuck! Us southerners like our sweet tea...well...sweet! Dammitalltohell! After all that!
So I put it in drive and pulled back into the McD's. the girl and her car was gone. Thank God. So I told the boy to keep the doors locked and I walked in to swap out my tea, and was standing there filling it up when guess who walked in?! Yep. Angry Man. He sidled up to me to fill his own cup, and looked me up and down, and gave me a smooth I'm-looking-at-you smile. I looked him dead in the eye and said, "I saw what you did." He looked surprised and said, "Me?! What'd I do?" I told him, "You verbally abused your woman, you publicly humiliated her, and you tried to make yourself look big and bad in front of your possee. But really, you just look weak picking on a woman. You looked like a spineless coward, and I hope she's smart enough to run far and wide from you." He got all huffy and said, "You know what--" I interrupted him and said "yeah, yeah... it's none of my business. But I'm going to tell you what everyone else is afraid to...one of these times, you're going to go a little too far, and someone's gonna get hurt. Might be you. Might be her. Either way, it's not worth your life. Or hers."
You know what he said? "Might be worth hers." Then he grinned a rotten-tooth smirk and sauntered off.
So to the woman at McDonald's on Cherry Road in Rock Hill, SC today, I hope you come across this... Please don't go back to him. He WON'T change. He WILL hurt you. He MAY kill you. He as much as said it to me... You will never find peace and joy with this man. You are a beautiful, young woman, with your whole life ahead of you. He is a rotten to the core, mean, spineless asshat (and he has bad teeth--ewww!). Please value yourself more than this. Walk. Away. Walk fast. Get help, get support. Stay. Away.
To Mr. Rotton-Teeth Asshat, I know you watched me leave and saw my tag. Good. Come get you some, you yellow-bellied Coward.'m not twenty-something years old anymore... I've seen worse than you and lived to tell about it. I am not afraid. If you so much as bat an eyelash at me or mine, I'll replace those rotten front teeth of yours with some hot brass and save you the dental bill.
