Total Solar Eclipse

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're well aware of the solar eclipse happening on August 21, less than a month from now. 

Here where I live in western Oregon, we're directly over the shadow's path of totality, and the media are warning us about traffic jams and other nightmares associated with an influx of observers. I'm calling it, Apoc-eclypse because I enjoy a good play on words. 

Click to enlarge

Some commenters on Facebook are all like, "what is the big deal?" They apparently haven't observed a total solar eclipse first hand. It is a big deal. Total darkness for almost two minutes at 10:18 AM is a huge deal and will be so freaking cool. 

I remember with vivid detail the solar eclipse of February 26, 1979. In fact I narrated the morning it happened when writing my book REACHING, without knowledge that another eclipse was in my near future. 

It was a cloudy morning. My sister Laura and I had the TV on, tuned in to the news. They had reporters stationed at Goldendale, Washington, apparently the only area in the Pacific Northwest with clear skies. They wanted to film the moon migrating in front of the sun for viewers at home. 

I didn't really care all that much about observing the moon's journey, or the sun either for that matter. I was enjoying the scene right outside my door. Traffic lights came on and it was eerily quiet. It was midnight for a few minutes. And then it gradually got light again. And was over. And it's going to happen again soon! 

Here is a cool video from 1979. ABC news is reporting on the eclipse. Interestingly, they mention the date of the next total solar eclipse, August 21, 2017, "thirty-eight years from now." Apparently I did know. I just forgot. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAacZoIJUN0

Are you going to be in the path? 

Similar Psychological Abuses

The latter part of my book REACHING: A Memoir details much of the cult-like experience I lived in for seven years during the 1990s. Although I've been distanced from that destructive lifestyle for over fifteen years now, I still find it interesting when I hear accounts from other cult victims--what they felt and believed; why they joined, why they stayed, why they left. The similarities are uncanny. 

I've been watching Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath on A&E. To learn more about the show and watch episodes, click on the link. In a nutshell, Leah and Mike Rinder, both former Scientologists, meet with other former members who tell their stories, exposing the abuses of Scientology. 

What I've discovered from watching is that there are many universal thought processes for cult members. Here are a few of them:

Members are responsible for the condition they are in. If something isn't going well, it's your fault. And you reluctantly believe you deserve the punishment you're receiving. And you try harder.

Persecution from non-members validates and strengthens the belief that the cult is right. Jesus was persecuted. Why shouldn't I be? Persecution just proves that the unenlightened world doesn't understand. 

There is an "Us" versus "Them" mentality. Members believe that those who leave the cult are enemies or at least lesser human beings. Outsiders who verbalize their distrust in your "church" are ignored and dismissed.

Members believe the cult's teachings because they are taught to not trust their own thoughts. Members have needs. Those needs will only be met by submitting to the teachings of the cult.

After leaving, it takes a long time to trust your own thoughts. For me it was ten years. And even now, one of those old tapes can start playing in my head. However, the more time that goes by, the easier it is to dismiss those thoughts, recognizing that it's all part of my old life and no longer valid.  

In my opinion, the psychological abuses of cults are not talked about nearly enough. I applaud Leah Remini for her efforts to expose them. 

What do you think?

Still Here and Somewhere Else Again!

Hi Everyone,

Right now I'm doing the happy dance thanks to Tina Barbour. She posed some thought-provoking questions for me in regards to my memoir, REACHING and my life. You can read them, and my answers by clicking here. 

I'll have another post later this week. I hope you're all doing well. I'll be by to visit your blog soon, promise. 

Tooting My Horn!

HOW IS EVERYONE? I hope you're doing well. Would a little horn-tooting offend you all? I know it's kind of annoying when people wax eloquently about how awesome they are. So mindful of that, I'll try to keep my awesomeness in check and just repeat the accolades I've been receiving since my memoir REACHING hit the market. Thank you to each person who visits my blog. Your friendship and support make me smile. Talk about awesome...it's all of YOU! 

Toot, toot!

[Grace] writes with a raw honesty, vivid imagery and an urgent tension that kept me engaged and turning the pages until the end. By the end I felt I had walked her path from abused child to vulnerable adult to an empowered woman who has survived the journey and is grateful for her life. This is a riveting and satisfying heroine's journey through spiritual abuse to recovery. --Kathy 

It's the writing that will keep you coming back for more in this memoir. Grace uses her observations of nature, her descriptions of family and friends, her unique "take" on childhood events, her dreams -- all to draw her into her world, see life through her eyes, and want to help her brake free. An amazing read, truly. -- Laura.

[Grace] tackles uncomfortable topics with poise, but does not hide from them. A beautiful read that reminds us both how frail humans can be and how much we can overcome. -- Julie. 

In this memoir vivid details of both events and perceptions create a fast-moving emotional train, hard to step from until it stops--a unique, breathtaking story, told so well and so intimately that the reader is helpless to do anything but turn the next page. It's a book I will never forget. -- Linnie. 

Grace's story is very interesting, and she tells the story in a very engaging way. Without parental nurturing, we could all be tempted to follow a reckless path. --Everhopeful. 

In telling her story of abuse and the subsequent emotional nightmare in such a compelling way, Peterson will touch readers, including those have experienced abuse themselves. Her own journey to healing will inspire and give hope to others who struggle with a past that seems to sentence them to a life of pain. In her book, Peterson writes of "reaching" for healing, for rescue, for love. With her book, she is also "reaching" out to others who are looking for the same things. -- Tina. 

I received the book in the mail on Friday.  I finished the last 20 pages Sunday morning.  You guys, it was SO GOOD.  It was heart-breaking, and horribly sad, but it's so beautifully written.  I loved reading it.  I was in a hurry to finish it, but at the same time, I didn't want it to end. -- Mindy. 

Love to you all.

Laura Dennis

ONE OF THE PLEASURES of being semi-Internet savvy (code for Internet Junkie) is the relationships that form. Although many of you are logistically too far away to get to know face to face, the computer screen can and does bring us together. Don't you love this about technology? 

One of the really cool people I've had the pleasure of "meeting" online, is Laura Dennis. She is a fellow memoirist who lives far, far away in Belgrade, Serbia. A few months ago I reviewed her book, Adopted Reality. You can read it here. 

Recently, Laura read my memoir, Reaching and posted a review on Amazon. She also sent me a series of questions focusing on the odd relationship I had with my mother. You can read them and the answers by clicking here. 

Thank you Laura for your friendship and for sharing your insights and encouragement. It's an honor to be acquainted with you. 

Love to you all...

The Dream Is A Reality!

MARK THIS DATE, May 13, 2013, the day it becomes official. After seven years, my dreams of being a published author are a reality--today! 

I'm sort of in a bit of a hazy, excited fog right now. I suppose I'm a lot like any author. I want readers. I want feedback. I want reviewers. I want validation. I, I, I... me, me, me... 

I've done all this "talking" 78,000 words worth. I've said it, written it and now it's there for consumption. SCARY! 

So here are the deets: 

Reaching is a sobering, real-life tale of trauma, brainwashing, and recovery

narrated by a gutsy and resilient heroine.

A turbulent childhood, complete with father's violent temper and mother's senseless apathy, her parents' divorce, and relocation with her mother and siblings to Hawaii, where she experiences racism and the violence of a stepfather who considers Grace and her siblings an intrusion into his life, sets the stage for this incredible real-life tale of abuse, brainwashing, and ~ ultimately ~ the long journey to recovery.

At nineteen, Peterson marries her high school sweetheart and experiences love for the first time. Seeking a remedy from what she perceives as spiritual oppression, she enlists the help of Brock, a charismatic exorcist and cult expert. Shocked by his findings, she tumbles into a world of esoteric rituals, Luciferian doctrines and New World Order conspiracies.

Set in Hawaii and Oregon, this gripping narrative illustrates how children adapt to a hostile environment and stumble into adulthood while misreading their untreated traumas. And by searching for answers, can become prey to unscrupulous charlatans who heap more damage onto an already wounded soul.

To purchase Reaching, click on the tab above titled, "Buy My Book." And please let me know what you think. I'd like to have a dialog about the topics I write about.

Now, I'm going to get up and do the happy dance.

It's Happening!

I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU...

This, my dear, sweet, friends is my book cover. What do you think? I am totally beyond excited. It's finally happening. My dreams of having my own book published are becoming a reality. 

I've been working with my editor/publisher, Deb Harris. She has an incredibly skilled eye for detail. No more excessive exclamation points!  No more run-on sentences. Thank you Deb. 

I'll offer more details about the book soon. The actually release date has not been determined yet but I'll keep you posted. Thank you to each and every one of you. You've been so encouraging through all of this and I treasure our friendship. I'm getting closer. Hooray!