International kissing day, who knew there was such a thing! I hope everyone participates because I will!
But, want happens when you don’t want to be kissed? Everyone has the right to say no and to be heard. Unfortunately, it isn’t always adhered to. Bad things do happen, and for me, I remember when that hit home.
Operation Yewtree was a British police investigation into sexual abuse allegations, predominantly the abuse of children, against the English media personality Jimmy Savile and others. The investigation, led by the Metropolitan Police Service, started in October 2012.
DJ Jimmy Savile had several TV shows, made lots of public appearances, and raised money for charity. Cyril Smith was a local MP, well known in our area, and quite the celebratory. A very large man who was often in the newspapers with his charity work. He was well known because of his appearance, and his attendance at functions.
When this scandal broke, it impacted me deeply because as a child; I met Jimmy Savile. My Dad was a police officer, and every Christmas, their children were invited to an annual party. One year, Jimmy Savile came along as the guest. I sat on a long table full of kids eating party food when Savile came over to us. He asked me if I was enjoying myself and made general chit-chat to me, and those around me.
Years later, he was the figurehead for the yearly black taxi cab trip from Manchester to Blackpool, taking disabled and vulnerable children for a day trip to the seaside. We lived on the main road, and as soon as we heard the horns we would come running outside to watch the decorated cabs go by. Always at the front was Savile, waving and shouting at everyone through an open window.
In the seventies and eighties, my parents fostered children. Many came and went, some returning to their parents, while others were sent to children’s homes. I always thought they were going to a better life where they were cared for and loved. Now it seems, that it was not necessarily the case. As we came from a loving home, we had no idea this kind of abuse was happening at the same time. When the Jimmy Savile scandal broke, it left me reeling with a sense of shock.
Dark stories have always intrigued readers as we wonder why people do what they do. We try to understand the motives that drive them. Others want to talk about their own experiences, and some want to highlight issues to raise awareness.
I am one of the four authors here at Norns Triad Publications, and our catalogue of books offers many genres, including those darker tales.
The Sound of Evil is my new book coming out in Autumn. It explores the abduction of two young girls. The kidnapper, Ronnie Gunner, is arrested and refuses to say where he is keeping them. Cassie Newbold is a clairvoyant, and also the sister of the detective running the case. Cassie sees what he did to them by shaking Gunner’s hand, and it is not pleasant. Can she locate the girls before it is too late? The Sound of Evil will be the second book in the Clairvoyant Collection. The first of the trilogy, The Killer on the Heath is available to order on Amazon.
Chasing Caitlyn
Which is more important – wreaking revenge or finding peace?
Caitlyn’s life is altered by the death of the father she idolized and further broken by a tainted prom night. These are triggers that begin her path of self-destruction. When happiness finally seemed attainable, she learned that her beloved husband isn’t who he appeared to be. This is the catalyst that forces the passive woman she’s become to no longer remain silent.
The past year had been full of lies, deceit, and revenge. All of it had changed me. It made me cold. The need to win drove my actions.
They say revenge is best served cold, but at what cost? In the end, Caitlyn must make a choice. Should she become the vengeful woman she’s plotted to be, or can she walk away for a fresh start?
Forgiving Ginger
Which is more important – financial security or sharing your life with the man you love?
I just wanted to send you a friendly warning. No, not a threat. Not a leave my husband alone. Because if you want him still, he’s yours. But I would say that no amount of money is worth what Jeremy will put you through. Find someone who will share a dessert with you and not make you wish you had ordered one yourself. ~ Caitlin Chase
Ginger never dreamed of becoming a mistress. What little girl does? But the lies trapped her before she recognized them, and her heart was already his.
Orphaned by a fatal house fire, Ginger was imprisoned with a controlling foster mother. Over time, she found love, but it seemed it wasn’t meant to last. Outcast, she was forced to flee.
A path of discovery led Ginger to employment in a strip club and the bed of Jeremy Whittaker. Finding herself caught between realities, she must figure out who she is, and where she belongs before it’s too late.
Hiding Hannah
Which is more important – being forgiven or being forgotten?
“No!” Caitlyn cried, taking my hand. “No, please don’t. I thought we were past all that. We don’t have to pretend to be perfect, Mom. Talk to me. Tell me what you wanted to share. I’m here to listen.”
Closing my eyes, I let out a deep breath. Tell her the truth, I encouraged myself. Sitting up straight, I looked deep into my daughter’s eyes and said, “Well, I guess the first thing I need to tell you is that my name isn’t Hillary.”
Raised by a puritanical father and subservient mother, Hannah was taught that her purpose was determined by the men in her life. Harrison Fisher made her question everything she believed, encouraging her to think for herself while sparking a fire within her. But just when she dared to hope of building a new life, she was tricked into marrying a charlatan.
Plagued by family secrets and the diary of her husband’s dead wife, Hannah struggles with the consequences of her choices. Tested by a murder and punished for being willful, she plots to escape the hell of her existence. Though she dreams of being the perfect daughter and wife without losing herself, it seems inevitable that she’ll become the sinner she fears.
This is a story of struggle, understanding, and redemption. It is a warning to all of what might come if we don’t find value within ourselves.
All she wanted was a loving mother. Instead, she got a monster.
After a horrific childhood, Tiffany cannot wait for her eighteenth birthday. However, her tyrannical mother is unwilling to relinquish control. Relying on years of lies, she convinces everyone her daughter is self-harming and should remain in her care.
Tiffany must prove she is of sound mind to earn her independence, but how can she from inside a mental ward?
How far is she willing to go for freedom and is redemption worth the price of her soul?
Though this dark coming-of-age tale is considered Young Adult (because of the age of the main protagonist), it has mature content, which includes rape as well as other physical, emotional, and mental abuse. It is not suitable for those under the age of 16.