Josie told me she was murdered. When you're a lonely six-year-old, you don't really understand what that means. All you know is you're happy to have a friend to play with.Patsy Whyte caught glimpses of an invisible world growing up in a children's home in Aberdeen. One of a family of ten traveller children, torn apart by the state in the 1950's, Patsy recalls a childhood scarred by years of mental and emotional abuse, prejudice and hatred.Patsy left the home at the age of 1...

Rachael Keogh was catapulted into the public consciousness when a shocking image of her needle-ravaged arms – skin burnt from injecting heroin into her wasted veins – made front pages around the country. Desperate for help, she made a public appeal to secure one of just 27 detox beds in Ireland so that she could reclaim her life from the drugs that had consumed it. What followed was an extraordinary story of grit and determination as she embarked on her recovery journey. Dying to Survive i...

Emily Miller knew her life was about to change forever the day her mother said, "I'm pregnant." She'd hear those words again and again--and with every pregnancy Emily's father changed from bad to worse. For years the Miller family suffered through his rages. It took a terrible loss for the family to regroup, and all the love Emily can muster to save her siblings.Bartlett's powerful short story, "Abused: A Daughter’s Story," grabs hold immediately and doesn't let go. This heart-tugg...

Karen McConnel earned a B.A. from the University of Toledo and her M.S.W. from the University of Alabama. She developed and coordinated a Therapeutic Foster Care Program and was Executive Director of a community-based agency providing services for runaway and homeless youth. Eileen Brand is a journalist and author whose work has been published in newspapers and journals in the US.

Amy Reynolds thought she had a great boyfriend, until one by one all her freedoms began to disappear. When her job is threatened, Amy decides it’s time to become more independent. But that’s not how her boyfriend Brad feels. He’s likes things the way they are and will go to any length to keep it that way.About the AuthorTonya Thomas writes about women in complicated relationships and situations. Visit her website at TonyaThomas.net

"It's my 40th birthday today and I'm trying to smile, but as I look in the mirror all I can see is an empty shell, someone waiting to die... You could never tell that anything was wrong with me by just looking at me, as I dress clean and I keep myself tidy, and I have a smile on my face that hides my emotions and over the years I've become an expert at hiding behind it" This is the shocking true story of an innocent girl abused by the very people who said they would take good care of her. ...

What are some of your childhood memories? Could they bethings like a special birthday party, a family trip, a reward for anachievement? Sarah had her own set of childhood memories, a boy tied to achair, a dark leather belt, forgotten birthdays, being hungry, vacant eyes, andlost innocence. These are the memories that put dark clouds on her days, andcaused her to cry out in her dreams. These are the memories of a child living alife enveloped within ...

This is the heart-breaking tale of Angell, a young girl desperately loved but inadequately cared for by her troubled mother Nicki.Abandoned and left barely clothed beneath a park bench on a freezing cold day in winter, the bewildered child is rescued by police and passed into the loving and compassionate care of the Lewis family.But when foster carer Rosie takes Angell into her home and heart, she wonders whether Angell’s mother will ever return for her daughter? Or will An...

Bestselling author and foster carer Casey Watson tells the shocking and deeply moving true story of two sisters who carry a terrible secret.This is a first taste of the ‘Unit’ series: several stories about ‘difficult’ children Casey helped during her time as a behaviour manager at her local comprehensive.Casey doesn’t know what to expect when seventeen-year-old twins Scarlett and Jade join her class. The girls seem grounded but they never leave each other’s side, although t...

The words came from his mouth, 'Don't say anything about this to your mum. She won't believe you.'At the age of eleven, a beautiful happy girl found herself thrust into a nightmare of abuse and violation that ripped her world apart. At the mercy of three men, she endured a four-year ordeal of sexual exploitation and degradation before eventually finding the strength to say 'no more'. Confusion and shame made her keep her secret for sixteen years. This is her remarkable story.Sarah has endu...

A bullying and sexually abusing father produced videos of his terrified 5 year old daughter for over 5 years to sell internationally to satisfy a network of child porn lovers. Read here in short but gripping detail how Bart Huskey met his match at the hands of cops in cyberspace.In 1996 Robin read a newspaper report about the alleged suicide of Victorian country housewife Jennifer Tanner. Guessing there might be a book in the 'story behind the news', she closed her PR business for ...

The second novel, and first quick read title, from Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Cathy Glass.My Dad's a Policeman is a dramatic and engaging story of a young boy with an alcoholic mother. Lonely, bullied and desperate for a life of happiness and security he tells everyone he meets his dad's a policeman.Fast-paced and compelling, this short story from Cathy Glass follows the experiences of a Ryan, a small and lonely 12-year-old boy who struggles to fit i...