Today we have a special treat. I love
taking part in Blog tours, so when the chance came up to host Author Angela
Carling and her latest novel Shackled I couldn’t pass it up.
1/3 of high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship (sexually, emotionally, verbally, and/or physically).
Only 33% of teens who were in abusive relationships told anyone.
6 out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relative’s home, not in a dark alley.
We’ve got a few things on the go today.
First off, I want to say that this novel touched me. I was lucky enough to receive
an Advance Reader Copy. Not only is it a great young adult novel, but it also
has a theme within it that I don’t think get’s talked about enough. Judging by
the name and the cover I’m sure you can take a guess at what it’s about.
I’m happy to have Angela today doing a
guest post, and spreading the word about her novel as she let’s us in on why
Shackled is so important to her.
We also have a giveaway! Ms. Carling has
allowed me to giveaway a Paperback copy of Shackled to one lucky commenter.
This is a must read book and I’m so happy that I can share it with you. To be
entered into the contest you need to simply leave a comment below! Contest
closes June 27th 2012.
Now please stick around and let Angela
share with you more about Shackled and why for her this was a novel she needed
to write.
Don't forget to come back tomorrow and check out my review of Shackled. A Powerful Story! And to learn even more about the author behind the novel.
I’m so glad you stopped by today and I wish
I could invite you into my house to sit in my living room in cozy chairs, just a handful
of us sitting together like old friends. I wish this because it would be a more
appropriate setting for the topic of this post. Besides then we could eat chocolate together
and chocolate makes everything better!
Today, I want to confess to you the “why” behind my latest book Shackled.
I won’t go into detail about the storyline or the characters. I’m sure Avery
did a better job explaining all that in her review of the book. Just know, that
embedded in the engaging story of
Lucy, an FBI agent and his son is an issue
that we cannot afford to ignore. This
issue is abuse
and bullying in High School Relationships. Over the course of writing this book I learned :
1/3 of high school students have been or will be involved in an abusive relationship (sexually, emotionally, verbally, and/or physically).
Only 33% of teens who were in abusive relationships told anyone.
6 out of 10 rapes of young women occur in their own home or a friend or relative’s home, not in a dark alley.
I
remember in High School one of the idiots I dated tried to pin me down and make
me have sex with him. Let’s just say, my
knee in his groin stopped that whole situation. In retrospect, most of the guys
I dated were good guys and respected my boundaries, but not all them and by
statistical standards, I got off easy. My sister on
the other hand (who has given me permission to talk about this) did not escape
as unscathed. She dated a guy not long
after high school who was so controlling, so broken, that while she was
pregnant with his child he beat her over the chest with a chair, breaking the
wooden chair along with some of her
ribs. Amazingly, her child survived and
eventually she got out of that terrible situation. That is why I dedicated
Shackled to her. She is my hero. The
thing is, really good girls, really nice people can get caught up in
an abusive situation and never see it coming because they don’t know what to
look for especially when they are young and naive. So, my goal with this story, in addition to
entertaining you, is to throw out those signs of abuse, to let you walk with
Lucy and Ryan as they experience that rollercoaster that often accompanies
these kinds of relationships. I also
wanted to let a surprise hero shine in the end, to show you that most of the
time, nothing is what it looks like on the surface.
There is a lot of things in this world that
can’t be fixed… but this problem can. In this case, KNOWLEDGE TRULY IS EMPOWERMENT and if we address this topic in high school, there will be less
abusive husbands and fathers and of
course, less victims. With education and concern for the people around us…this
is fixable and even for the most part,
avoidable.
At the end of Shackled you’ll find an author’s note and the most common signs of
an abusive personality. I’ve also attached a few good websites to start with
here.
To
all you beautiful and valuable women out there (and you are all beautiful and
valuable), please get informed on the early warning signs of abuse and don’t
put up with any crap. It’s not your fault, you don’t
deserve it. Also, teach your daughters to be wise and self-assured. That will
make all the difference. Thanks so much
for listening to my ramblings and I really do hope you enjoy Shackled.
It is a powerful story.
21 June 2012 at 15:00
I never had a boyfriend in high school, so I didn't have to deal with anything negative in that sort of a relationship. But I was made fun of a lot growing up and still, occasionally, to this day, for one reason or another. I felt like I was emotionally and verbally abused by family members (being swore at a lot for silly stuff, made to feel like I was stupid, worthless, ugly). And I can't seem to let go of any of that. It's as if it haunts me all the time. I don't take compliments well because I feel I'm being lied to. I don't trust easily. I suppose that's why I don't have any friends, no boyfriend, no one that I feel I can confide in. But I suppose in some respect it's my fault. I tend to push people away.
Angela, I am sorry for what happened to your sister, but I'm glad that she made it out of that situation well.
And sorry to everyone for the depressing post.
I look forward to reading Shackled. Thank you for the opportunity to perhaps win a copy.
Pam
21 June 2012 at 16:44
I would love to read this book. I was lucky enough to have never been in a physically abusive relationship but I do know people that have and it's a scary situation. I was made fun of as a kid for being a little chunky by family and people at school. Not good times being a kid. I have 2 daughters now and I pray that things will work out for them and that they don't have to deal with all the craziness and that they find someone that they love and trust. I would love to win a copy of this book. If not, I'm sure it will find its way into my library. Thank you!!!!
21 June 2012 at 16:52
I didn't mean to put anonymous on that comment but I'll rewrite it again.
I would love to read this book. I was lucky enough to have never been in a physically abusive relationship but I do know people that have and it's a scary situation. I was made fun of as a kid for being a little chunky by family and friends at school. Not good times being a kid. I have 2 daughters now and I pray that things will work out for them and that they don't have to deal with all the craziness and that they find someone that they love and trust. I would love to win a copy of this book. If not, I'm sure it will find its way into my library. Thank you!!!
25 June 2012 at 03:48
I love this post