Almost every day we read the headlines about some form of child abuse. Revolting; disgusting; and we scroll past them. Child abuse is not something we want to think about, talk about, or even know about.
But whether it is discussed, child abuse is a hidden epidemic on the rise and is only getting worse. In this past year, the number of children involved in reports of abuse rose from 6.6 million to 7.2 million. The younger and more vulnerable the child, the higher the rate of abuse. Over a quarter of victims are under three years old; 24.2% are less than one year old.
Despite the prevalence and severity of this issue, it is still largely an under reported dirty secret. My hope is to bring this issue to light with my memoir, Wildflower, so that the millions who suffer in silence realize that they are not alone.
Wildflower is a story of courage and faith that reads like a fictional psychotic thriller with just enough humor and romance to take the edge off and is written in three parts.
Conceived in a janitor’s closet of a state mental hospital, life couldn’t get worse for her… or could it?
Follow a little girl’s incredulous journey as she pursues love, belonging, and family through seemingly insurmountable obstacles.
As a child, your heart will break with hers; as an adolescent, you’ll fear her choices; and as a young adult, you will cheer for her until the very end.
Sadly, Wildflower is only one story among many. Other successful books like Wildflower include but are not limited to:
Spilled Milk by K.L. Randis, her first novel, #1 bestseller on Amazon only 24 hours after its debut, where it has remained since 2013.
A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer, a National and International Bestseller. His follow up series has kept him on the New York Times bestseller list for several years.
Where Has Mommy Gone? By Cathy Glass, a million copy best seller of many books about the children she fosters.
Etched in Sand, memoir, by Regina’s Calcaterra
Dirty Little Dog: A Horrifying True Story of Child Abuse, and the Little Girl Who Couldn't Tell a Soul. Memoir by Sophie Jenkins
Wildflower is a follow-up to my first book, a portion of my memoir, self-published in 2009, A Promise Kept. I wrote it to test unfamiliar waters as an inexperienced writer. The following year in 2010, A Promise Kept won a gold medal for Reader’s Favorite, received many positive reviews, had articles written about it in MORE magazine and a local paper, The Everett Herald, and the National Association of Professional Women featured me as author of the month.
Since my writing debut, collecting a social media following of over four thousand, I’ve gained the confidence to finish my memoir.
If my story makes a difference for one person, then the struggles to get where I am today were not in vain.
Until then, to whet your appetite, the first three chapters of Part One are available for download at https://books.noisetrade.com/elisecrawford/wildflower-a-true-story Subsequent chapters will be downloaded biweekly until published, whichever comes first.
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