A Word from the Author

I have walked through hell. I was abused as a child, raised in a strict, controlling religion, and endured an abusive marriage. I have been a people-pleaser, frustrated by injustice, terrified to speak, and yet compelled to act. When I did raise my voice, the consequences were severe, forcing me into silence. The "depression" I experienced for the first 50 years of my life was not just sadness—it was c-PTSD, a mind and body scarred by trauma. I have known the hollow ache of losing everything and everyone after choosing to walk away from the religion of my birth: parents, children, friends, home, possessions, and at times, even my sense of self. I have stood on the brink of death, and attempted to step beyond it. I wrote about my experiences in my memoir, Believing the Lie: A Story of Cognitive Dissonance.

A recent hand analysis with Doone Toledo from Untangle Your Purpose revealed the "Persephone Gift Marker" in my hand, a sign that my journey thus far has been one of transformation, of descending into darkness to emerge with wisdom and purpose. It showed me that my life lesson is to guide, to heal, and to create—even when the path is painful and uncertain.

Persephone's Gift contains what I discovered in the underworld, in the shadowy depths where despair and revelation meet. It is a record of survival, transformation, and awakening. It is a guide for those who feel broken, silenced, or unseen: you can confront your darkness, reclaim your power, and awaken your gift.