Sue is typically reserved and guarded as an adult; as a child, she suffered abuse and neglect at the hands of her mother and "her men." Sue, abandoned by a loving father, unsure of his whereabouts or the reasons for his departure, is generally ambivalent towards men. However, following a short-lived love affair, she finds herself pregnant. Sue struggles with the same ambivalence regarding her unborn child. Determined for "Little One" to avoid the agony she experienced during her own upbringing, she determines to keep the secret of the baby's existence from the self-centered sperm donor, Jorge, as well as her own narcissistic mother. Sue faces many issues related to betrayal and trust as she finds courage to stand up for herself. Meanwhile, Jorge, the father of the unborn child has to face his own demons and Sue distances him. He begins to recognize his own character defects similar to those of his father, a political power monger. Both Sue and her abandoning father have haunting dreams of an Indian Princess who, through her unusual aberrations, weave them on a pathway of self evaluation and courage. With her guidance, will they finally find themselves as well as each other?
About the Author: The author of this work, Dr. Gina Pazzaglia, PhD, LCSW, LADC is a wonderfully compassionate and creative therapist. She uses these abilities to weave together real life and fantasy to fashion an intriguing story. She herself is an adult child of domestic violence. This, as well as years of clinical work related to domestic violence, resulted in her dissertation "Adult Children of Domestic Violence: A Qualitative Multi-case study: Lack of emotional awareness and Attachment Relational Issues." Hopeful to get these themes to the general public, rather than publish more clinical research to the clinical community, she felt inspired to write this Novel. Characters are fictitious; however, concepts come from combinations of traits and patterns of persons treated in her practice as well as those in her case study. The author writes this series to entertain, and provoke the reader to emotionally relate to the events and experiences of the characters. Sue, fearful of love, resists and hides behind emotional walls. Joseph, Sue's father, battles to get past his horrific shame of abandoning his daughter and his unresolved loses. Maria, a battered woman, determines to change her future. Jorge, her son, confused between his need and his narcissism, struggles to find himself. John, the father of Jorge, is at a loss how to maintain his power and control as others find their own way. Diane, Sue's best friend, is enticed by her own seductiveness, to betray her friendship. Little one, in utero experiences a gamut of emotions inside her watery home, as the Indian princess attempts to intervene in a somewhat ghostly manner. The funniest of all, is Peter the PI, who although haphazard, takes his role extremely seriously. The forthcoming workbook will use 12 step principles, to guide the reader through provocative questions related to recognizing powerlessness, coming to acceptance, and addressing character defects that alter and define each person's destiny. Dr. Gina's purpose is to ultimately bring healing and acceptance in the heart and soul of those who experience these books.