For many years I thought I was alone. What I mean by that is I always felt I could never ask anyone for help or advice-and I never did. Not asking for help or advice was one of the reasons I stayed in an abusive relationship for so long.

The reason I never sought help was that I was ashamed. It was not until years later I realized I had nothing to be ashamed of-he did. When I finally left the only way I was able to stay out of the relationship was to ask for help. And what I found was that n...

When I left my ex-husband I was thirty nine years old. He was my first and only boyfriend. I had no experience with men other than a very bad experience with him. I don’t think anyone would have been surprised if I hated men after that experience, but I didn’t. I did hate him but I didn't believe that all men were like him.

The good news was I did not hate men - the bad news was at thirty nine I had the emotional maturity of a fifteen year old when it came to men. Thank goodness I did no...

My assistant Wilma, who was with me for years, almost quit one day. She told a co-worker that she could no longer stand how I treated her. This was right before I left my ex-husband. I was being downright mean to her and I didn't even realize it. I would crumble up phone messages from my ex-husband that she took when I was at meetings and dump them on her desk like her desk was a garbage pail. I had no clue what I was doing.

I was shocked when I heard that Wilma wanted to quit and could not ...

The only victories I ever really wanted were the “big wins”. You know like getting that “big job” or the “big promotion” or winning the lottery. Well I have never won the lottery but I have small victories every day. Yup I said every day.  It’s the small victories that add up to the “big wins”.

A small victory for me is when one person buys my book or when one woman contacts me and tells me how my story has moved her to begin writing her own tales about her life and how wr...

I always tell everyone how important it is to take "me time". Yet for a long time I have been going and going and going just like the Energizer Bunny and didn't take any "me time". Well the bunny ran out of juice yesterday and my body and my mind just shut down. I couldn't do anything. I couldn’t think or write or move. I just napped most of the day. My creativity was completely zapped and I had no energy for anything other just sitting on the couch.

So now my friends, I am going to pract...

I have been interviewed three times this week on various local radio shows. There was one question each interviewer asked me and that was “Do I have any regrets about my life?” I don’t.

I don’t have regrets because I choose not to live in the past. I can’t change the past but I can do something about my future. Living in the past leaves no room for me to move my life forward.

The author Maria Robinson said “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start toda...

A good friend asked me today how I felt about publishing my first book. I told him that the reality has not sunk in yet.

I never thought I would write a book. In fact I never thought I would be writing a blog. I always thought I would live a quiet, unassuming life. I have always viewed myself as an introverted person. No I am not introverted with my friends or family but I tend to be the type of person who blends in and does not feel comfortable being “out there”.

I am every woman. I ...

Over the many months that I have been blogging a number of women have approached me to tell me their stories. I want to thank all of the courageous women who have opened up to me and felt safe to tell me their stories – I am truly honored. I have learned from all of you and you have given me strength.

 I began writing as a way to help myself move past the pain, guilt, fear and shame I was feeling. Yes, it is hard to relive the abuse - but it has helped, I have found the process liberating ...

In fact one of my favorite fantasies was he died of some dread disease and his whole family and I were gathered around the cemetery plot and his mother in typical “Italian mourning” black was wailing and almost throwing herself into the plot. Me - I just stood there not cry...