Domestic Violence is no stranger to me, that’s why after having success as a novelist I chose to write my memoir, Laying Down My Burdens, which details a period of 15 years of my life when I was a victim of this crime wherein my ex-husband wouldn’t allow me to write, by threat of death.

Needless to say we’ve all have been affected by domestic violence, either as a witness, a vicitm or perpetrator. I could give a multitude of statistics but recently a woman in MD was killed outside her church, and two women were killed in Philly, one leaving an 11-year old with stab wounds.

As we’re all now questioning Rihanna, why do you return? When we go back, as I did several times, (after being beaten with a sledge hammer I married him) we think we’re returning to the man who loves us not the monster he becomes during his psyhcopathic fits of anger. The man to whom we return is loving, remorsefull and for me I returned because I needed to hear those apologies and I needed to belive he wasn’t that bad. Oh yea and I forgot wasn’t the reason for his outrage part my fault?

As of today I’ve made the decision that its not just good enough for me to tour the country with my message of L.O.U.D. (Living Out Your Dreams) – I’m putting togther a project to tour the elementary and high schools with a message to our young girls and boys that we don’t have to repeat the mistakes of our parents or those in the community, where it’s okay to abuse, and worse that it’s okay to accept.

I ask you to offer me your input on my quest so that come September I’m prepared for my journey – what do you say?