Papa Dearest

August will be a big month for me. I decided to release my eighth book on my 80^th birthday! I chose the release date at a milestone in life for me. I was seriously considering remaining seventy-nine because it sounded so much younger, but I decided instead to be happy no matter what the age, look forward to more good times, and enjoy life.

I start most days sitting at my computer desk with a cup of coffee, or on the deck with my two dogs, and watch the sun rise over the Rocky Mountain. Brilliant colors paint the sky and streak light across beautiful terrain to the music of early morning birdsong. When their songs fade and before I get to work, I tune in a background on Spotify, often jazz, Creedence Clearwater Revival or something else that fits my mood or the scene I’m writing.

 Despite distractions by the latest political updates interrupting my writing goals and stimulating me to write letters to members of Congress or opinion letters, I just completed Papa Dearest. It is a novel but like my three non-fiction books, I was driven to write this one to address a common serious problem the World Health Organization considers a silent health emergency.

This fictitious story line of generational incest is told through the eyes of a young female victim. Papa Dearest encompasses common character behaviors identified through interviews in addition to extensive literature research. The book was difficult to write because incest is verboten. This German term for forbidden exemplifies the absolute prohibition of sexual acts on a child, abuse so abhorrent even discussion of the topic is often forbidden.

When someone a child trusts, such as a father, grandfather, stepfather, uncle, brother or other family member deemed a protector sexually assaults the young victim, the perpetrator has crossed the forbidden line.

If incest is reported to authorities revealing the actions of the perpetrator on a child, many lives are changed forever. The child is saved from entrapment and continued assaults but requires skilled extended counseling. The perpetrator is removed from the family, shunned, disgraced, fired from work and imprisoned. The family is in crisis and sometimes the child is blamed.

Both boys and girls are victimized. They are often threatened with death should they tell. Because of the high price of telling, most victims of incest hide their pain over a lifetime.

Combined with a verboten incident in my family and knowing numerous victims who trusted me with their personal stories of devastating emotional and physical harm, I decided to write about the topic.

Victims entrusted me with their stories with the hope of helping others end ongoing abuse by learning escape and recovery are possible.

ABOUT THE BOOK

PAPA DEAREST

After her mother’s death, twelve-year-old- Anna’s bondage under the control of her religious father in an isolated Montana prairie town turns even worse when she finds herself pregnant.

Papa Dearest is available as an e-book on pre-order at both Smashwords and Amazon.

After release on August 2, it will be distributed through their channels from many sites. If you’d like to pre-order an e-book now, here are the links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7P86R9Z

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1157454

Please write a review at the site of your preferred retailer.

A paperback edition will be available soon and an audio book is in the works.

The Montana Sunrise Blog

Two more books are coming soon. If you’d like to hear about them, about life in Montana, and follow some of my photo odysseys to Yellowstone and elsewhere, please subscribe to my blog at:  https://bettykuffel.com

Thanks for stopping by.

Enjoy your summer.

Betty