Sue Julsen's Blog - Posts Tagged "non-fiction"

Have been working as much as time allows on the next book in this series.

Made it to the last chapter, but nearing the end, the story took on a life of its own. Although exciting, is was an unexpected turn.

However, I did finish that one last night, and am again trying to write the last chapter...see what happens this time...

Will it get finished? Or, will there be another surprise hidden inside my head?

Stay tuned...Cutter's Revenge is in the works!

BITTER MEMORIES: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival tells the story of events that changed my life forever. This is a story of extreme child abuse, but also about the will to survive.

My story exposes a life on the run after being kidnapped by my father——a life of hunger, fear and abuse. When the FBI finds me and I return home with my mother, I think my life is going to improve...but does it?

NOTE: Strong language and heartbreaking content in Bitter Memories is not suitable for children.

TROPHY MURDERS is the creative non-fiction/crime fiction sequel, and is an action-packed story about a sadistic gang of killers, and the life of the cop (my uncle/adoptive father) who tries to bring justice and solace back to his little town while struggling to keep his own family secrets hidden.

CUTTER'S REVENGE, although mostly fiction, completes the trilogy with another ruthless serial killer stalking our small town. But this time years of secrets and lies are finally revealed ... and an ending to die for...

While BITTER MEMORIES is the actual true story of my life, TROPHY MURDERS and CUTTER'S REVENGE have a little bit of everything a reader will want: action, suspense, drama, a love story or two, and so much more; both mixed with truth, making this a trilogy you will not want to miss.

After reading Bitter Memories you'll know truth from the fiction included in the sequels of this series.

Please visit my website for more about these books, my new poetry book (also in audio), as well as what will be coming out soon. Links to amazon are available on the site for your convenience.

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Trophy Murders, the second in the bitter memories trilogy, inspired from the true story Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival, combines truth with fiction to make an action-packed crime story while delving more into my life after going to live with my mother's brother, Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia.

While Uncle Henry is dealing with murders all over town, I'm trying to deal with my opinionated Aunt Olivia...

The first day at my new school doesn't turn out as I expected it would when a fight in the main hallway lands me in the principal's office.

Furious, my aunt stomps up the steps and into the office where she sees me sitting in the corner. Instantly, her alien mouth twisted and her black monster eyes glared...

Please visit my website to learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and my poetry book, From The Heart, also based on events in my life, that includes short stories that inspired the writing of each poem. From The Heart is available in e-book and audio. You can listen to a sample at Amazon — it is awesome!

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is not a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and the will to survive. Contains strong language and heart-wrenching content!

Trophy Murders and Cutter's Revenge the language has been tamed down, a lot.

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father...

Excerpt:
The sound of his heavy breathing roared in my ears. I was so scared and so confused. I'd never felt so frightened in my whole life! Then my head began to spin and I felt faint, like I was floating, and a soft voice, a comforting voice, whispered in my head...

Other books in this series:
Trophy Murders combines truth with fiction for an action-packed crime story while delving more into my life after going to live with my mother's brother, Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia.

Cutter's Revenge, again mixing truth with fiction, continues my story after being adopted. While another serial killer stalks our little town, I'm living a dream as I write my story's ending the way I wished it could have been.

All my books are based on or from events in my life and have received 4 and 5 star reviews. Books are wonderful gifts, and any or all of my books would be a great gift this Christmas.

To learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and From The Heart, my new poetry book that includes stories that inspired the writing of each poem, please visit my website at: http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen


NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is not a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and the will to survive. It contains strong language and heart-wrenching content. Trophy Murders and Cutter's Revenge has the raw language toned down, a lot, and are an excellent read.

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father...

I never knew from one day to the next what life was going to throw at me. I wanted to believe Daddy would be there to protect me and to take care of me, but Daddy was a cruel man. He only cared about himself, but I still loved him. I trusted him and I believed in him for six long years — until I found out...

Other books in this series:
Trophy Murders combines truth with fiction in an action-packed crime story while delving more into my life after going to live with Uncle Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia.

Cutter's Revenge, again mixes truth with fiction as I continue my story after being adopted. While another serial killer stalks our little town, I'm living a dream as I write my story's ending the way it could have been if...and it's an ending my fans love!

All my books are based on or from events in my life and have received 4 and 5 star reviews. Books are wonderful gifts, and any or all of my books would be a great gift this Christmas for yourself or for a loved one. Enjoy!

To learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and From The Heart, my new poetry book taken from times in my life that also includes stories that inspired the writing of each poem, please follow the link below to my website.

NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is not a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and the will to survive. It contains strong language and heart-wrenching content. In Trophy Murders and Cutter's Revenge the language is toned down, a lot, bringing this part of my story to a close.

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father...

I didn’t know it at the time, but the FBI had been called in to try and find me. Uncle Henry and my grandfather were blaming themselves for my kidnapping because they’d let their guard down. But, why wouldn’t they? For months Daddy had been acting like he hated me, and he’d said many times that he didn’t want to be tied down with a snotty-nosed kid. So why would he kidnap a kid he hated so much…?

Mama began drinking more and more trying to drown her sorrow. Then one day she realized she was a full-blown alcoholic. However, she didn’t care, and said…


Other two books in this series — creative non-fiction/crime fiction:
Trophy Murders is not only an action-packed crime story of pure fiction, but I take you deeper into the journey of true events after going to live with Uncle Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia. A life I wouldn't wish on any kid!

Cutter's Revenge continues my story after my adoption. While another fictionalized serial killer stalks our little town, I write part of my story the way it could have been if...turning this part of my life into a fantastic and exciting ending!

My Newest Book — non-fiction
From The Heart is a book of fifteen poems written from events in my life. Included are short stories that inspired the writing of each poem. This book is also available in audio, with Beth MacEwan narrating. Beth did a wonderful job bringing life to each poem and story. It is awesome!

To learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and my new poetry book, plus other books coming soon, please follow the link below to my website.

NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is NOT a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and my struggle to survive. It contains strong language and heart-breaking content, but it was my life. The language is toned down in the other books in this trilogy, and the abuse isn't nearly as intense or as often.

All my books are based on or from events in my life and have received 4 and 5 star reviews. Please consider my books as a great gift this Christmas, either for yourself or for a loved one. Enjoy!

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father...

First off, this is NOT a cozy, feel-good book! It is a 'no holds barred' story about my life dealing with extreme child abuse and my will to survive under the worst conditions.

Bitter Memories is not an easy book to read. Comments from my readers have been numerous, with most saying they felt every emotion possible while reading my story. Most also said they cried, numerous times. Many had to read in short spells because the content was too heartbreaking to take all at once.

However, these wonderful fans, many who are now lifelong friends, continued to read. They continued to learn what it can be like for a child living with abuse.

Bitter Memories was forty plus years in the writing. In the beginning I tried to write it as fiction. I wasn't ready for the world to know what had happened to me all those years.

But, that didn't work.

Next I tried to write it with "clean" language, and that didn't work either. I felt I wasn't being honest. You see, there's no way to "sugarcoat" what I lived through.

Finally, I decided the only way for me to get my message out to the people who needed to hear it the most, was to write my story the way it actually happened.

Let me tell you this: It wasn't any easier for me to write than it's been for people to read. I had to relive all those painful memories! All the things I tried for years to forget but couldn't. Recurring nightmares made sure I didn't forget!

Many times the pain became so strong that I couldn't continue writing. I had to put those memories on a shelf for a while. And, I also had to cry, once again, from all the pain that still lived inside of me.

But I still knew, in order to help others, and myself, Bitter Memories was a story that needed to be told.

I knew by exposing my life and all the bad things that happened, I could help other abused kids, with or without abduction, because those still suffering needed to know they were not alone.

There are others just like me -- many more like me -- and there is hope for kids living with the hidden scars of abuse. There is help for abused kids to heal their pain...to heal their shame.

And, yes! Kids who have been abused feel so much shame. We feel what happened to us was our fault. We feel unloved. We feel we were "bad," not our abusers. And it doesn’t take extreme abuse like mine was to mess up a kid’s head!

As much suffering as I lived with, I was one of the lucky kids. Abducted at age three, living a life of pure hell for six long years, and then to be found in fairly good health…physically, that is. Mentally I was a mess! And I remained a mess for many, many years.

Statistics would say I should have died. And I'm sure I would have, if not for a protective part of the brain.

To be continued…

If you’re ready to read and to learn from my story, please head on over to my website and pick up a copy of Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival. Then go back for the other two books in this trilogy, Trophy Murders and Cutter’s Revenge to learn the rest of the story. Once you read these, why not grab a copy of From The Heart: A Collection of Poems and Stories, also based on my times in my life. Or, get the audio version and listen to From The Heart narrated by Beth MacEwan. Beth is absolutely awesome the way she brings my poetry to life!

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father.

As I stated in the last blog, Bitter Memories is not an easy book to read, but it is a story that needed to be shared with the world.

Not only for my own personal healing. Not only for others like me who still suffer from a life of abuse. But for people who have no clue or don't understand what child abuse can do to a kid.

Sitting here writing this blog entry, I'm thinking back to the night Daddy took me from my bed in the middle of the night. Not happy memories, that's for sure. I also think that I could have been one of the “milk carton kids" if they were putting pictures of abducted kids on cartons back in the 1950's. But, the first child's picture didn't appear on a milk carton until 1979.

I've always wondered IF my picture had been on a carton would anyone notice? All those times Daddy left me in the car all alone, many times for several days and nights, would anyone care enough to call the police? Would anyone get involved?

I like to think someone would.

Awareness is the other reason I had to tell my story. It's time to stop sweeping child abuse under the rug! It's time for everyone to step up and get involved when they see or suspect a child is being abused.

I believe if people know the signs of child abuse, they'll care. They will get involved. They will make that one important call to help a child.

If just one person had reported a little kid being in a car all alone, my life could've been so much better. I wouldn't have suffered all those years at the hands of any adult -- or even other children -- who wanted to hurt me.

And there were many abusers who crossed my path in those six long, terrifying years.

Some may say: "I don't want to read a sad story. I don't want to know what this child went through," but let me tell you this...I didn't want to go through the suffering and the pain I endured, either.

But I didn't have a choice. Ripped from my home, my mother, my grandparents, everything I knew and loved, I was at the hands of a man who I believed would never hurt me.

Parents are supposed to love and protect their children, not hurt them!

My father told me time and again how much he loved me. He "showed" me time and again how much he loved me. He said he'd take care of me and we'd be together forever.

He said a lot of things, but they were all lies.

Everyone who comes across my books, or other books similar to mine, has a choice. They can either pretend that child abuse doesn't exist, or they can read and learn from someone who's lived that life.

If you do read my books, it's okay to cry. However, cry for that innocent little child, but please don't feel sorry for me. Don't pity me! I don't need that, because I am a survivor!

That little kid was the victim, cry for her, but learn from her! Learn to notice the children you see around you! Watch for signs that they might be abused.

The signs are not hard to spot. What is hard, is for the children not to have anyone who cares. The abuser sure doesn't care! It takes people like you to notice, to suspect that a child isn't being treated right. It takes caring people to make that call to the police or child protective services.

It takes YOU, and every other person on this planet to be aware!

You don't have to "know for sure" a child is being abused to make a call. You can "suspect" a child isn't being treated right and call. Only then can the authorities investigate to find out if a child is in danger.

And, yes! child abuse is dangerous. The guilt we live with can be enough to push us over the edge. Seeing no way out of our pain, our sorrow, a child of abuse can take his or her own life. I know. I gave up all hope and I attempted suicide. I almost succeeded, too. Another five minutes and I would have died.

I believe I lived that night because I still had a purpose. I'm glad I failed because I believe my purpose was to tell my story so another child could be saved from a life of hell. The only way I know to do this is by making people aware of child abuse. If I can help it, I don't want another child to suffer like I did.

As heartbreaking as it is to read a story like mine, think about the innocent children. They need us to care! They need us to get involved when we see or suspect child abuse. The child will never know that special person who saved them from that life of abuse, but believe me, one day he or she will be thanking the "angel" who cared.

I was ten years old before I even knew what Christmas was, and this time of year is still hard on me. It's hard on all kids who live with abuse. Christmas is supposed to be a happy time, but for abused kids there are no "happy" times. Sure, we learn to put up a good front when needed, but inside, we still suffer.

My heart goes out to all the kids/adults still living with "that secret" that you feel can't be shared. But you need to know, there is hope! There are people who care, and help is available.

Just DON'T GIVE UP!

And this (I think) is my last "soapbox" post, at least for a while.

Please go to my website, get my books and read and learn from my life of abuse. Share my story with others. YOU can make a difference in a child's life!

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father, living a life on the run, hungry, abused and terrified...

Daddy had lied from the start, even while dating Mama. He told everyone he was an only child, but he had a brother...a twin brother!

We stayed with this brother and his family for quite awhile, but Uncle Frank wasn't a nice man, and his three sons were no better than their father. Staying with them was one of the worst and most terrifying times in my short life...


Other books in this series — creative non-fiction/crime fiction:
Trophy Murders is not only an action-packed pure fiction crime story, but I take you deeper into the journey of true events after going to live with Uncle Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia. A life I wouldn’t wish on any kid!

Cutter's Revenge continues my story after my adoption. While another fictionalized serial killer stalks our little town, I write my story the way it could have been if...turning my life into a fantastic, exciting, and happy ending!

My Newest Book — non-fiction:
From The Heart is a book of fifteen poems written from events in my life. Included are short stories that inspired the writing of each poem. This book is also available in audio, with Beth MacEwan narrating. Beth did a wonderful job bringing life to each poem and story. It is awesome!



NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is NOT a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and my struggle to survive. It contains strong language and heart-breaking content, but it was my life. The language is toned down in the other books in this trilogy, and the abuse isn't nearly as intense or as often.

All my books are based on or from events in my life and have received 4 and 5 star reviews. Please consider my books as a great gift this Christmas, either for yourself or for a loved one. Enjoy!

To learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and my new poetry book, plus other books coming soon, please follow the link below to my website:

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen

Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival
True Story of a little girl (me) kidnapped by her father, living a life on the run, hungry, abused and terrified...

We stayed with lots of different women while on the run, but this one particular night still stands out in my memories. Daddy had a fight with the woman we were staying with before they went to bed.

During the night I heard a scream that woke me. I’d gone to sleep with the TV on so I assumed the scream came from there, but not long after that scream Daddy came out of the bedroom with a strange look on his face.

He told me to get up and get ready to leave, but he had blood on his hand. I asked him about it, and he said he’d killed a mouse in the bedroom…

Other books in this series — creative non-fiction/crime fiction:
Trophy Murders is not only an action-packed pure fiction crime story, but I take you deeper into the journey of true events after going to live with Uncle Henry (the cop) and his heavy-handed wife, Olivia. A life I wouldn’t wish on any kid!

Cutter's Revenge continues my story after my adoption. While another fictionalized serial killer stalks our little town, I write my story the way it could have been if...turning my life into a fantastic, exciting, and happy ending!

My Newest Book — non-fiction:
From The Heart is a collection of fifteen poems written from events in my life, including short stories that inspired the writing of each poem. This book is also available in audio with Beth MacEwan narrating. She did a fantastic job bringing life to each poem and story. It is awesome!



NOTE: Bitter Memories: A Memoir of Heartache & Survival is NOT a cozy, feel-good book. It's a true story of extreme child abuse and my struggle to survive. It contains strong language and heartbreaking content, but it was my life. The language is toned down in the other books in this trilogy, and the abuse isn't nearly as intense or as often.

All books are based on or from events in my life and have received 4 and 5 star reviews. If you still need a gift this Christmas, or would just like a new read for yourself, please consider one or all of my books. Enjoy!

To learn more about the bitter memories trilogy, and my new poetry book, plus other books coming soon, please follow the link below to my website:

http://sj2448.wix.com/suejulsen