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Finding the courage to do anything can be difficult. Trying new things can be scary. Traveling to new places can be scary. But most people push through their fear and find that they’ve enjoyed their new experience.
What about finding the courage to leave an abusive relationship? That’s probably the most difficult thing for anyone to do. Fear can cripple you. Make you think you absolutely need to stay with your abuser. It can make you worry that you won’t find anyone else. That you’re not worthy of anyone else. Finding the courage to leave is one of the bravest things a person can do. Not only do you have to learn to be on your own, but you also have to learn to start your life over again. You have to learn to trust again. To love again.
That’s what Love’s Courage is all about. Learning to trust. Learning to open yourself up to romance again. Learning what it means to have someone who truly does love you and care for you.
A quick backstory: When Melissa Storm offered me the chance to write for her Sweet Grove Kindle World, I was both nervous and excited. I had never written anything outside of fan fiction on Tumblr, and hardly any of it was sweet, clean romance. I wasn’t sure I could pull off a story, but I was willing to give it a shot.
At first I wasn’t sure what to write about, but the phrase ‘write what you know’ kept coming back to me, so I decided to do just that. That little reminder is what helped me get through the writing of Love’s Courage. You could say I found some courage and decided to put my story out there.
Yes, I was in an abusive relationship. I was with the person for nine years. Nine very long, very unhappy years. I was young. I was scared. I was naïve, thinking the other person would eventually come to their senses and change who they were. I was wrong.
It wasn’t until I met someone, a co-worker, and became friends with them that things started to change. This friend was there for me. He listened to me. He supported me. And, with his help, I was finally able to find the courage to leave my abusive relationship. Granted, it wasn’t easy. But I did it. I was free. It was like a weight had been lifted off of my entire body. The soul-crushing depression and suicidal thoughts disappeared. Yes, there were times I thought it might be better to end it all. But I didn’t. I suppose that took courage, too. I have my older son to thank for that. He is the one person who kept me from ending it all.
It was hard learning to trust again. It was hard opening myself up to someone again. But I did. And that friend who helped save me? He’s now my fiancé. He’s absolutely wonderful. And I couldn’t be happier.
Love’s Courage was a therapeutic story for me to write. In it, Kinsey, my main character, discovers her fiancé is not only cheating on her, but he’s also got an abusive side she didn’t know about. After she escapes from that life, she vows never to trust anyone, especially men, again. But then she meets Decker, and everything changes.
Decker left Sweet Grove as a teenager to pursue acting out in California. He didn’t quite make it as a traditional actor, but he did become a pretty well-known voice actor. All that fame and fortune, though, wasn’t making him happy, so he decides to move back to Sweet Grove. It’s there that he meets Kinsey, who has crashed her car on the side of the road after driving for hours from her hometown in Louisiana.
This unlikely pair form a very tentative acquaintanceship, with Kinsey having a hard time trusting Decker, even though he’s nothing but kind and helpful towards her. As they say, time heals all wounds, and that is definitely true for Kinsey. She learns to trust again. She learns to give love another chance. And, in the end, she finds her happily ever after.
It takes courage to do many things in life. Especially to leave an abusive relationship. If you or anyone you know needs help, please consider visiting http://www.thehotline.org/. You can remain anonymous, and their live chat is open 24/7.
I hope you will consider grabbing a copy of Love’s Courage so you can discover the faith, hope, and love that brings both Kinsey and Decker together.
I want to say thank you again to Melissa Storm. She gave me a wonderful opportunity, and I am so proud and honored to have been a part of her Kindle World.
I also want to say thank you to you, the readers. Your support for a brand new author means a lot to me. Please don’t hesitate to reach out and say hi to me. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, and I have a book blog I run. Feel free to follow me there.
~Jasmine
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