Dreams and Desires Vol. 2

Today we welcome special guest Amanda Brice, who has a story to share which is all too familiar:

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Diana, thanks for letting me blog today.

My freshman year of college, I lived down the hall from a girl named “Kate.” (Names changed to protect identities. If I get to have a pseudonym, then it’s only fair that they do, too.) Kate and I became close pretty early in the semester. She also became very close with a guy named “Scott.”

I remember one night in early November, Kate and I went out to some fraternity parties with my then-friend-soon-to-be-boyfriend, “Mike.” Scott stayed back at the dorm, like usual.

After a few hours at the frats, we decided to head back to the dorm. There were no cell phones in those days, so before heading home, we used a campus phone to call in an order for pizza delivery, so that it would hopefully arrive soon after we did.

When we got back to the dorm, Kate went off to find Scott, and I went off with Mike, but we promised her we’d let her and Scott know when the pizza arrived.

About 20 minutes later, we got a call that the pizza guy was there. Mike went downstairs to pay while I knocked on Kate’s door. She said to come in, so I pushed the door open.

Kate and Scott were curled up on her bed, watching a movie. They looked just like any happy couple. I let them know that we’d be eating pizza in the commons room, if they wanted to join us.

I’ll never forget what happened next. Scott screamed, “Why do you need pizza? I thought you already ate?” He then whipped his head in my direction, and grilled me, “Where were you?”

“Uh…” I stammered.

“Tell me!”

“We were at the KA party,” I said, not quite sure what was going on. I thought he knew we went out to the parties.

Scott jumped up, knocking Kate off the bed, but then dragging her off the floor by her arm. He smacked her, yelling, “You didn’t tell me you were out with that slut, Amanda! What were you doing?”

I was too shocked to react to the fact that he’d just called me a slut. I was more upset that he’d just hit her, yet was riveted to my spot, and couldn’t move.

Scott pushed Kate to the ground again, and then stormed out of the room. Before I had a chance to ask her if she was okay, Kate ran from the room, down the hall, calling his name.

I ran after her. She almost caught up with him outside his dorm room, but instead of following him inside, Scott slammed the door on Kate’s arm. I thought it was just an accident, but it wasn’t. He proceeded to open and shut the door ten more times, each time intentionally catching Kate’s arm in the door, while he called her things much worse than what he’d called me earlier. Finally, after he’d sufficiently banged her up, he pushed her away, and locked the door behind him.

Kate collapsed in a heap outside the door. I rushed over to her, to try to comfort her, but she just said, “Leave me alone.” I didn’t know what to do, so I decided to go get help.

When Mike and I returned less than five minutes later, Kate was no longer on the floor outside his room. We tried her room, but she wasn’t there either. Mike banged on Scott’s door, demanding that he open up, but nothing.

The next morning, I saw Kate and Scott at breakfast and they acted like nothing had happened. I cornered her in her room later on, and told her she could tell me anything. She said there was nothing to talk about.

I asked her where she spent the night. Turns out, Scott let her into his room while I was getting Mike. I tried to bring up what had happened.

She said, “He just has a temper. My dad has a temper, too.”

Turns out that Kate had grown up in a violent household, and tragically, she was acting as an apologist for Scott’s behavior because it was what she knew. It took a while, but eventually we convinced her that this was not normal, and she sought help from the counseling services.

That was almost 12 years ago, but the memory is still vivid, even today. I lost track of Kate, like so often happens. A little over a year ago, on a whim, I decided to Google Kate, and see what she was up to. I learned that she’s now an attorney, specializing in domestic violence cases.

When I first read that, I cried, remembering that awful night. But my tears turned to hope, because Kate’s experience had made her stronger, and encouraged her to help other women.

I knew I wanted to do something to help. So I pitched the idea for a charity anthology to my publisher, Freya’s Bower. Thus, Dreams & Desires: A Collection of Romance and Erotic Tales was born.

Did you know that:
• Nearly 25% of American women report being raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabitating partner, or date at some point in their lifetime?
• 37% of women treated in emergency rooms for violent injuries were hurt by a current or former partner?
• 73% of domestic violence incidents go unreported?

Scary statistics. Fortunately, I’m not one of them, but I’m certain that each and every one of who reading this blog has either been a victim or knows someone who has.

In order to help bring those statistics down to zero, all net proceeds (that’s 100% of the profit – nobody involved with the project is making a dime) from every Dreams & Desires anthology purchased will go to a battered women’s shelter in Florida. Through education and support, we can make a difference.

The participating authors in the collection are: Jenna Bayley-Burke, Faith Bicknell-Brown, Amanda Brice, Sela Carsen, Rachelle Chase, Gemma Halliday, Candace Havens, Zinnia Hope, Jackie Kessler, Susan Lyons, Richelle Mead, Debbie Mumford, Rhonda Stapleton, Bebe Thomas, Emily Veinglory, Sasha White, Lois Winston, Shaunna Wolf, and Kit Wylder. The collection is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and e-book.

Dreams & Desires has had such great support from readers, bookstores, and reviewers (Mrs. Giggles even gave us a rare 90!) that we’ll be putting out a second volume in February, with proceeds going to a shelter in California. (The participating authors in the second volume are C.T. Adams & Cathy Clamp, Jenna Bayley-Burke, Amanda Brice, Shannon Canard, Sela Carsen, Rachelle Chase, M.E. Ellis, Jenny Gardiner, Gemma Halliday, Candace Havens, Zinnia Hope, Babe King, Susan Lyons, Sarah Salway, Rhonda Stapleton, Bebe Thomas, Emily Veinglory, Lois Winston, and Shaunna Wolf.)

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Freya’s Bower has discounted all formats (paperback, hardcover, and e-book) of Dreams & Desires for the entire month of October, but this deal is only available through the website at: http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/132/77. Please help us raise more money and awareness for this important cause.

In addition, I’m also donating my proceeds from the Legally Fiction online workshop that I’m teaching through AuthorMBA. The course runs from Oct 29-Nov 16, and will cover copyrights, trademarks, and the laws of cyberspace.
http://www.authormba.com/workshops/legally_fiction.htm

Thanks again, Diana, for letting me come and spotlight this important issue.