Rescue Me (25 page)

BOOK: Rescue Me

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(You may be left guessing where Shayne and Shelby are taking Erin. I really didn’t want to leave you hanging; however, this is where I felt like it needed to end. Erin needed some quality time with Shelby and Shayne the morning of her wedding. I do leave you with this, though: Adam has a surprise for his bride to be. It’s a wonderful surprise and one that only a man like Adam would think of. If you dig deep you just may be able to figure out the surprise all on your own. If not, then you will find out in

KEEP ME

Antonio and Shelby’s story which comes to you spring of 2015

A Word About Domestic Violence

Courtesy of the National Domestic Violence Hotline

Did you know?

1 in every 4 women and 1 in every 7 men have experienced severe physical violence by a current or former partner.

On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the U.S. In a year, that equals more than 12 million women and men.

Nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime.

More than half of female victims of rape reported being raped by an intimate partner.

It’s not always easy to tell at the beginning of a relationship if it will become abusive.

In fact, many abusive partners may seem absolutely perfect in the early stages of a relationship. Possessive and controlling behaviors don’t always appear overnight, but rather emerge and intensify as the relationship grows.

Domestic violence doesn’t look the same in every relationship because every relationship is different. But one thing most abusive relationships have in common is that the abusive partner does many different kinds of things to have more power and control over their partners.

If you’re beginning to feel as if your partner or a loved one’s partner is becoming abusive, there are a few behaviors that you can look out for. Watch out for these red flags and if you’re experiencing one or more of them in your relationship, or know someone who is experiencing them, call someone for help:

Telling you that you can never do anything right
Showing jealousy of your friends and time spent away
Keeping you or discouraging you from seeing friends or family members
Embarrassing or shaming you with put-downs
Controlling every penny spent in the household
Taking your money or refusing to give you money for expenses
Looking at you or acting in ways that scare you
Controlling who you see, where you go, or what you do
Preventing you from making your own decisions
Telling you that you are a bad parent or threatening to harm or take away your children
Preventing you from working or attending school
Destroying your property or threatening to hurt or kill your pets
Intimidating you with guns, knives or other weapons
Pressuring you to have sex when you don’t want to or do things sexually you’re not comfortable with
Pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol

If you need help, you can call the hotline at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224, or visit them online at
www.thehotline.org
.

Acknowledgements: The Fun Part!

My husband Tony. You said I could do it and here I am living a dream all because of you. Gosh, I could go on and on about how much I love everything about you. However, I think the entire world knows by now that you’re my sexy man and I am the lucky one who happens to be the woman standing by your side.

My kids Aaron, Shane, and Shelby. Keep on staking your claim in this world.

My Panty Dropping Book Blog partners, Yamara Martinez, Karrie Mellott Puskas, and Heather Brockett Slayton. Our daily chats are the best, and you three own a huge chunk of my heart.

Tessi Conquest. Oh, my. You have grown on me more than I can ever express. I adore you, my beautiful new daughter, and I am so proud of you.

Nathan Weller. You have got to be one of the kindest guys I have ever met. As our man KID ROCK says, “You never met a Motherf…er like ME!!!

To every member of my street team. GAH. I thought I was a hard-core pimper. You all put me to shame. Thank you for all that you do for me. You all have such HUGE hearts and I would not be where I am today if not for all of you.

Kimberly Capuccio, my editor and boss lady. You have got to be one of the most patient women on this entire planet to put up with my crazy talk and random OH MY GOD’s. I know you shake your head behind your phone and your e-mail. Admit it, you do, don’t you? You get me girl and look at you go. You have so much talent. I LOVE YOU!!!

Authors AL Jackson, A. Meredith Walters, Skye Turner, AM Madden, TH Snyder, AD Justice, JM Witt, Gretchen de la O, Kristin Kitchen, Kate Benson, Renee Dyer, Gail McHugh, and Chelle Bliss. You all inspired me to keep going with your messages of ‘Oh gosh, Kathy. Look at you go.’ Or, ‘Hey, Momma,’ or, ‘Hey, Beautiful.’ Your strength and positive words, whether it be in a private message or a posting, encouraged me to go forth. I love positivity and support and honesty. Thank you.

Author Margaret McHeyzer. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me when I needed it. You were one of the first authors I met and look at how far you have grown. You are so unselfish and so helpful.

We all have a best friend who sticks by you no matter what. My best friend is one in a million. She loves me. She gets me and most of all, Barri Bevan, you support me in everything I do.

Guilie Kessling, my friend and PA. Oh man, you are so adorable. I just love your face. 2015 is bound to be a great year for us, baby cakes.

To every reader, blogger, author, photographer, and model. The list is endless. You have welcomed me into this world and the only way I know how to repay you is by saying thank you. Thank you for all of your support and hard work and dedication. Life, as we know, is so darn hard and when you come across a hardcore group of people who are true, you hold tight and count every blessing you have, and I for one never forget a blessing.

Adam and Erin’s story is very close to my heart as domestic abuse is out there every second or every minute of every day. It’s brutal. Some men and women are not lucky enough to survive. If you or anyone you know is being abused in any way, shape, or form, please don’t hesitate at all to pick up the phone and call your local authorities. Trust me, I know you could be saving someone’s life and life is the most precious gift of all.

The Playlist

Not a Bad Thing-
Justin Timberlake

Roar-
Katy Perry

Life Support-
Sam Smith

Break Free-
Ariana Grande ft. Zedd

Home-
Phillip Phillips

From Eden-
Hozier

Love The Way You Lie-
Eminem ft. Rihanna

Stolen Dance-
Milky Chance

Shattered (Turn The Car Around)-
O.A.R.

Flaws-
Bastille

Someday-
Rob Thomas