SOUL DESTRUCTION - The Ultimate Betrayal

My book is  a Non-fiction book published on the 5th August 2020 in preparation for sharing evidence at the Royal Commission investigation into child abuse in Faith and State based Institutions here in aotearoa, New Zealand. A teacher friend and colleague wrote an introduction to my book  after reading my manuscript.

I was a child victim of both State and Faith based abuse myself, having been an uplifted baby by the state,  who was later abused as a 7 - 9 yr old child by a Catholic priest. I originally  started writing my story in 2014 as I prepared a speech for saying 'No to Family Violence is  Not Ok ' in my local community.  I had been invited to stand up as a Champion against family violence which I accepted.  I was working in a social work , parent coaching role at the time.

I had also been supporting other  survivors as an advocate since 1992.
When the Royal Commission was announced  I decided to share my story by writing my personal account, along side giving evidence.  I had no funds for editing but the drive to speak out was so strong I went ahead anyway. 
I haven't actually promoted my book as I am embarassed by it's quality and I only published the first half of the book as an ebook and a print on demand book via Amazon so I could pass it on to the Royal Commission alongside my statements. 

My aim was to share the impacts that the two major traumas I had experienced as a new born uplifted baby, and as a victim of abuse as a little girl, and how this affected not just me but my family.  My beliefs, my marriage, my parenting ability, mental health, my spirituality.  Further betrayals as an adult by the church created even more trauma. The second part of the book which hasn't yet been published is about my healing journey which really only began over the last 12 years which has been quite profound.   

My writing is not professional, and neither is my published book, but my goal is to finish what I started and republish the complete story after I have done a few more edits and  I  am hoping to gain some tips on how to do that as a member of New Zealand Authors.  I am a senior citizen now with 71 years of living and learning.