Living For Today
This week the advance reader copies of my book arrived. They are the uncorrected copies that are sent off for reviews before the book is in stores. I am not sure how other authors feel but the feeling I get to see the finish line of this book is amazing. Just the finishing touches before it hits bookstores in November to wake up AMERICA to the silent epidemic. I have a much different feeling this time around then when I received my first book Stolen Innocence. With Stolen Innocence I went through diary entires picking out the ones I felt could share my journey best. I never thought when I wrote in my diary they would one day be avaliable for anyone to pick up and read my personal thoughts and memories. However it was much easier taking diary entires then actually sitting down and starting the beginning phases of writing a book. I will never forget the phone call 3 years ago in June when the vice president of my publishing company HCI called to talk with me about writing a second book. That evening I opened up my notebook and began to jot down the ideas I had for “Living For Today” I never could of imagined the chapters that would come out in this book. The beginning opens up with a chapter that pretty much tells my first book in just a much more brief way.
Then I open up about how my life transformed by speaking out the people I realized I was able to reach and how I was able to turn such a painful event in my life into a positive message by standing up and speaking out. There is one very difficult chapter in the book and I warn readers as your reading it that it might be difficult to read. It was a chapter never meant for Living For Today. However I realize now looking back on how chapter four came out in writing the book was the only way for me to continue to get to the point in learning to live for today. Chapter four takes me on a journey only for more unexpected events to happen in the process of writing the book. Things I was not warned about that were going to unfold while writing it. I reflect so much on those events in the book and how they transformed me. I talk in depth directly to survivors of sexual abuse on healing your life and learning to get to that place of living for today and not stuck in the muck of a painful past. I take you through the stages in healing your life and the most powerful stage I discovered in my own healing.
When the advance reader copies arrived I had just arrived back up to the lake house in Wisconsin after my sister and I went home to make dinner for my dad and celebrate his birthday. As I opened the box and pulled out the first copy I just could not help but flip through the pages and then just stare at the front cover just blown away that my face is on the front cover of my book. Something I would have said absolutely NO to a year and a half ago when I was not pleased with my appearance especially the shape of my face. In the big picture though it wasn’t so much about my apperance. I later discovered in myself I was running from that image starring back at me and went down a very unhealthy distructive road during my college years to escape that image that now takes over the cover of Living For Today. Once you open the book it takes you into what the image cannot tell you. You will understand once you get to the final page that when I began the journey of writing the book many of the chapters had yet to take place and would unfold as I continued to write and Live for Today.
With my first book Stolen Innocence I allowed my mom to read it before it was published. I did not allow anyone in my family to read my 2nd book. So when it arrived I gave my mom one of the advance readers copies to read. I knew I would get the reaction I would from her. She could not believe the insight I poured into the book. I really moved her and she kept saying I don’t want the book to end as she got closer to the end. This was her status on facebook just after finishing the book:
“Just finished reading my daughter Erin’s second book, “Living For Today” all I can say is “WOW”! I am so blown away by her courage, strength, and above all wisdom. I am so proud to call her my daughter and that God uses her in such a powerful way. It is an incredible book and she is an incredible woman. If you read it you will wonder how I got through the nightmare of chapter 4.” -Mom
The book will be in bookstores November 2nd. However it can be preordered now on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Living-Today-Molestation-Fearlessness-Forgiveness/dp/0757314198/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1248132488&sr=1-2
Now I just need to get the attention of society to wake them up to this silent epidemic. I remember back in September when CBS, ABC, and NBC all came together for one night to “Stand Up For Cancer” well I am on my own mission to get AMERICA and eventually the WORLD to “Stand Up to Sexual Abuse” and believe me I will make it happen I have no doubt. I will accomplish it before I leave exit this world. It will one day no longer be that taboo, stigmatized topic that people are ashamed to talk about. I am not saying I will end sexual abuse because that is impossible but I bring it to the spotlight and it will one day no longer be the silent epidemic. I so look forward to that day. Believe me when I say this….that day is coming. I am not sure when but it’s coming. America needs to get into the 20th century and wake up this has been going on too long. Start by reading Living For Today and you’ll understand my passion for this.
Mom towards the end of my book
