SISTERSPEAK EXCLUSIVE!  

AUTHOR STEPHANIE JONES PENS POWERFUL BOOK ON CHILDHOOD

SEXUAL ABUSE

The Enemy Between My Legs is not a mere story. It's Stephanie Jones's lived experience as a victim of childhood sexual abuse beginning at the tender age of 5 and continuing well into her teen years. By age 13, the abuse had become a fixture in Stephanie's life and would spur a pattern of self destructive behaviors and choices that would follow her through junior high school, to college, and into her life as an adult. But this isn't the end of Stephanie's story.

Today a surivivor, Stephanie is on a mission to reveal the truth about a subject that few people will openly talk about, believing earnestly that talking about child sexual abuse is a critical and necessary step to preventing it and stopping it where it has already taken root.  Click here to read full story.

AUTHOR KIM ROBINSON TALKS WITH SISTERSPEAK ABOUT THE ROUX IN THE GUMBO Exclusive Interview Coming Soon!

Texas-based writer Kim Robinson,  author of The Roux in the Gumbo (and several other titles) talks with SisterSpeak about

her incredible story that spans three generations of her family. Click on the images to visit Kim's website today and to get your copy of The Roux in the Gumbo!  This is a SisterSpeak favorite!  

NEW AUTHOR RUTH JOHNSON PENS TIMELY MEMOIR: Story sheds light on the impact of war on American soldiers and their families

SisterSpeak Online recently talked with debut author Ruth Johnson about her newly released book Knowing When to Walk Away: Unheard Cries From Vietnam Vets and Families.   

This deeply personal and revealing story chronicles Ruth's 10 year journey through and eventually out of her marriage to a deeply troubled Vietnam veteran.   "My soldier left our home as a loving husband and doting father. He returned from Vietnam a troubled and abusive man who we no longer recognized."   

Ms. Johnson's work draws necessary attention to the hidden realities of veteran families impacted by the psychological aftermath of war, a reality Ruth says is all too common yet largely ignored by the military establishment.

"I begged the military for assistance in getting my husband the help he needed and to protect my family, but my cries went unheard. Instead, I spent years running from the man I loved and protecting our children from him. My husband and my family did not deserve this outcome."   

Ruth hopes her story empowers military families to break their silence and demand greater accountability by the U.S. military in caring for its surviving soldiers. She also hopes to empower battered women everywhere to walk away to save their lives and the lives of their children.    

Ms. Johnson can be contacted for interviews at RJohn44372@aol.com.   Knowing When to Walk Away can be purchased from AuthorsDen.com  (click on the book photo) or from Amazon.com.  

Dasha Kelly’s “All Fall Down” Packs Drama in A Brief Yet Exciting Read

by Nichelle Nichols

Dasha Kelly, poet, performer, freelance writer and author of debut novel “All Fall Down” delivers a punchy story in a small size (only 136 pages). “All Fall Down” (2002) is a story of two women, Denise and Emorie, who have recently forged a friendship built on admiration, a playful sense of humor and a respectful appreciation for each other’s differences. They seem to share the kind of friendship we all long to share with another woman until…they bring us drama. And knock-down drama is delivered early in the novel, which initially makes you wonder how this will all be resolved in such a short novel.

Yet, Kelly reveals a closer look at Denise and Emorie with each chapter. We descriptively see how each woman copes with betrayal and pain, and it is Kelly’s gift of story-telling that illuminates the thoughts and emotions of each character, making them real and believable; giving a powerful visual picture to even the most unbelievable of acts and thoughts.

Of course, any good story of women would not be complete without sex and men, and Kelly does an exquisite job of capturing the relevance and importance of both. Kelly captures the power of sexual connection with a woman’s mental health, emotional stability, obsessive tendencies and her relationships with men—and how these dynamics are weaved between a woman’s friendships with other women.

The book is an easy read and holds unexpected surprises which arouse your appetite for the next page and chapter. The story ends in a natural place, yet, if I have one complaint, it is only that you will read this book and hunger for more of “All Fall Down.” 

The book can be purchased at Amazon.com for a list price of $13.95. Simply conduct a search by the author’s name or book title. A number of reader reviews are available here also. 

More About Dasha Kelly

Dasha Kelly, a native of Milwaukee, WI, is a talented sister. I have seen Kelly perform her poetry and she is a gifted woman whose stage presence and way with words leaves one captivated. Her talent has garnered the attention of entertainment giants, leading to her recent invite to perform and record for Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam (HBO).  She has two spoken word CDs, “Still Waters” and “Mixed Greens,” and is available for public or private functions as a featured poet/author. Ms. Kelly is also a freelance writer and has contributed to magazines including Upscale, Black Enterprise, Black Collegian and Today’s Black Woman.  You can read more about her at www.dashakelly.com .

Click here to read more about Contributing Author Nichelle Nichols...

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