Bullets: Growing Up In The Crossfire

by Kat Hibbard

With a dependent mother and an abusive, alcoholic father, Kat Hibbard's childhood never gained stability, and she spent these years trying to reconcile her family's shortcomings.
Hibbard describes typical events like Christmas celebrations, first days at school, and dating with unordinary honesty. Hibbard's sharp memoir speaks as inspiration for those in similar situations to rise above and leave the crossfire.

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2015

About the author

For Chicago native, Kat Hibbard, life has not been easy. In fact, her unusual birth would be a catalyst for the rocky years ahead, growing up in the crossfire of violence for much of her childhood.

When her mother intercepted a stray gunshot fired by her manic depressive, alcoholic father in 1964, her birth was artificially induced, bringing the infant Kat into a family riddled with alcoholism, domestic abuse and neglect.

Hibbard’s reckless upbringing included smashed Christmas trees, flying bullets, drug use, promiscuity and loneliness. Yet though it
all, she maintained an unexpected spirit and sense of humor that helped her rise above her adversity and finally escape her chaotic past. She and her two younger sisters often witnessed her mother
being physically abused, and visits from the police department were frequent.

In school, Hibbard struggled to find friends and was pegged as an outcast. She sought refuge by skipping class, running with a tough crowd and experimenting with drugs and sex. At the tender age of 15 Hibbard dropped out of school. Shortly after, Hibbard left home, entering adulthood homeless and drug- addicted.

Several years later, with a baby on the way, Hibbard sought professional help and began to turn her life around. She obtained her GED and began volunteering with her local school district. She eventually returned to school, and in 2006 she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

She also found a unique mind-body balance through yoga and exercise. However, Hibbard felt compelled to share her personal survival story with a wider audience in hopes of helping other victims of abuse and violence.

Bullets: Growing up in the Crossfire (Bridgeway Books, July 2007) is a personal memoir that chronicles the terrifying and bizarre events of Hibbard’s early life. In Bullets, she reveals the lasting effects that domestic violence and alcoholism can have on a young child and gives testament to the importance of breaking the
cycle.

Hibbard has worked in education for the past 16 years and has created countless programs for students with special needs. She still speaks to groups of young adults on the topic of staying in school amidst adversity in the home.

Hibbard now greets us with her first fiction novel Chubby Chasers. After struggling to support her children on her own and accumulating large college debts for both herself and her children, Hibbard decided to publish in the hopes of raising dollars to pay for tuition. The result is a roller coaster ride of a novel that has readers twisting and turning with each new chapter.

Set in the Chicago area, Chubby Chasers introduces the dual personality of Carrolyyn Davidson. By day she is successful event planner and by night she is isolated and trapped by her compulsions. The novel follows Carrolyyn through an adventure house of transitions and transformations all spurred by an accidental visit to ChubbyChasers.com and while working on a contestant search for “The Fastest Trim Down.”