I am sorry. I thought about it, then got distracted by life. You know how that is. So I am late on announcing that America’s Emerging Suspense Writers: Deep South was released on Easter 2019. My story “Carry- Out Service” was one of an elite group of stories selected for the collection. Less than a dozen were chosen.
I want to thank Angela Quinton ( of Werewolves Versus) for editing this with me. I was too close to the story emotionally to be able assess it with clear eyes. It is a better story for her input.
“Carry-Out Service” was difficult to write as I had to face long buried emotions. This was my “me too” story. This is a fictional account and not reflective of the experience I had in my college years, but I tapped into that hurt and fear and long term frustration. The anxiety levels are authentic, I totally would have done the same thing if I thought HE was with me alone in the dark.
The story features a woman twice abused, first by her boyfriend and then by the legal system. I researched the legal experience of sexual abuse victims and the questions the police ask in my story are actually questions that have been asked to a victim in recorded interviews. I could not have made things like that up. I was shocked.
If you are in a bad situation – the guy will not get better, nicer, kinder, or start to appreciate you regardless of what you do, what you look like, or how little you weigh. Don’t wait. Call the traffiking hotline, call domestic abuse line, call a shelter, call whoever you need to call. But as someone who felt worthless and deserving of the bad treatment, I can tell you that in the world there is a good guy who will love you and appreciate you. But you have to get out, to have a chance to find him.
I am about to celebrate my 25th wedding anniversary with Mr. Good Guy, so I know they exist out in the world.
Only you can take the first step. Find the courage, find the anger, find the strength to take that step.
You can read what happens in my fiction in “Carry-Out Service” from Z Publishing House in AMERICA’S EMERGING SUSPENSE WRITERS: THE DEEP SOUTH.
National Traffiking Hotline – 1-888-373-7888
SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”) Hours: 24 hours, daily Languages: English, Spanish and 200 more Website: humantraffickinghotline.org
Domestic Abuse – 3+ women are killed daily by their partners in the US. Women age 20-24 are at greatest risk on nofatal domestic violence – says NOW.org.
Among female victims of intimate partner violence, 94% of those age 16-19 and 70% of those age 20-24 were victimized by a current or former boyfriend- says LoveisRespect.org.
National Domestic Violence Hotline can help victims, survivors of domestic violence for free. Call 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224
https://www.thehotline.org/ Only if from a safe computer
https://www.crisistextline.org/abuse 24 hours/ 7 Days a week/ Free
Text HOME to 741741 in US
Text 686868 in Canada
