Saturday, 7 September 2013
When I was
asked to take part in this promotion I jumped at the chance. This is a subject very
close to my heart. For a number of years I have worked directly with victims of
domestic abuse, both in a refuge as a support worker and as part of my
social work role. I have heard so many devastating stories and have seen the
impact of domestic violence first hand. Please, please, please give your
support to this great cause and buy Rowan Coleman's book. Many thanks. JB. x
On September 10th Rowan is publishing her novella Woman Walks into a Bar as an ebook for the first time. And 100% of her proceeds will be donated to Refuge.
Her goal is to raise £10,000 and you can help. All you have to do is buy a book, or two, and get your friends to buy one too. You’ll get a funny, romantic and touching summer read and you’ll be helping women you’ve never even met at the same time and all for the price of £1.59!
The story behind the story
Every book Rowan has ever written has meant a lot to her, but with her latest book ‘Dearest Rose,’ something really special happened when the real world and the fiction she loves to write collided. It changed her as a person and a writer, forever.
She was getting ready to research her
tenth novel, which with the help of her Facebook readers she decided should
pivot around the theme of domestic abuse. It was a subject she’d touched on
briefly once before, when she wrote a short novella as one of the first Quick
Reads called Woman Walks into a Bar, which to this day remains one
of the pieces of work of which she is most proud.
So she posted on her Facebook
page asking if anyone had any personal experiences of domestic abuse, and any
stories they might share with her in confidence.
She was shocked and amazed by the
response; there were more than 200 emails waiting in her inbox the next day.
Each story she read was horrific and frightening in its own way, giving her an
insight into the secret lives of many women; lives that all too often remain
hidden. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone - well educated wealthy women are
just as likely to suffer as women from a working class background - but the one
thing all those women had in common was that they were survivors. After years
of being mentally and physically beaten down, they had managed to find the
emotional strength, somehow, to break free and start again.
Now Rowan wants to do something that
will help other women find that inner courage, and change their lives.
‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ is the
story of 28-year-old single mother Sam spends her days working in the
local supermarket and her Friday nights out with her friends letting her hair
down at the White Horse. Life hasn’t been easy for Sam and her daughter,
Beth (who always looks on the bright side) but she’s always hoped that one
day she’ll break free from her past and meet The One.
But after a series of terrible dates
with men she’s met through an internet dating site, that have all been as awful
as her daughter’s terrible jokes, she’s starting to lose heart - until her
friends tell her they’ve set her up on a blind date. Sam’s horrified but
finally she agrees to go. After all you never know when you might meet the man
of your dreams; maybe Sam’s happy ending is just about to begin….
So, come on and join Rowan, and help to
#supportafriend on September 10th. Every time you buy or pre-order
‘Woman Walks into a Bar’ you’ll be entered into a prize draw for fabulous
prizes every week, while the #supportafriend #womanwalks campaign is running.
On 10th September, tweet Rowan photos of you and your friends, tell her your
ideas to support a friend, and why your friends mean so much to you.
You can be a best friend to someone you
have never even met. You can help someone out there find the support they need
to change their lives.
If you are a blogger or tweeter, spread
the word using #supportafriend #womawalks. If you are a company who could offer
a prize to drive book sales and thereby money for Refuge, please get in touch.
If you are a woman in an abusive relationship, or if you have a friend about
whom you are worried, please get in touch with Refuge and ask for help today.
About
Rowan
Rowan Coleman grew
up in Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with
dyslexia. After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and
publishing for seven years before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the
Year in 2001. Her first novel ‘Growing Up Twice’ was published in 2002.
Rowan has gone on
to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, The Baby
Group’ and ‘The Accidental Wife‘ and eight novels for children and teens including the paranormal
adventure novels Nearly Departed and Immortal Remains under the name Rook
Hasting. Her books are published around the world. She now lives in
Hertfordshire with her family.
On it! Thanks for sharing, JB. And well done, Rowan! :) xx
A great cause - go, Rowan, go!
Rowan sounds like a very talented writer! Thanks for the introduction and the opportunity to donate to this very worthy cause!
Just bought my copy! (well, pre-ordered it as I have to buy from US Amazon!).
Thanks for letting us know about this great cause, JB!