In Detail With Debbie Williamson - Author of Stand

Tell us the book title and your author name. Stand by Debbie Williamson

What inspired the book? I had a dream that I could stop abuse from spreading to the next generation. My own healing through forgiveness was working with my children and I knew with all my heart that my grandchildren would never have abuse like my families in their lives.

What makes this book special to you? It’s my life and my family and a belief that I hold dear to my heart. My mom was a child advocate, all of her life she devoted herself to making this world better for children that are abused. When I shared my beliefs with her and what I had accomplished with my own family she was very interested in the idea of healing to stop abuse from spreading. It was after a visit from my grandmother on the other side that my mother agreed to help with the book. Mom passed away before she could start with me on the book but she left me her journals and made me promise to finish the book.

What makes this a book that other people MUST read and WHY? The statistics on abuse are alarming; it has always spread to the next generation and it is awareness that will stop it. Not just talking about it, although, that is the first step. But if every abused adult chose to heal through forgiveness and give their pain back to their abuser would it not make sense that abuse would stop at that generation? Everyone knows someone like this in their past; you might not know about it, but they do.

What people NEED to read this book and WHY? Everyone, because abuse affects all of us; not just the ones who live with it.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity? I have stories that I want to share, I love to tell them. Usually life sparks my creativity, sharing with people, meeting new people. Yes, get out there with people and enjoy them. They can teach you a lot about life.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems? Trying to put thoughts into words is frustrating for me. I have to take notes and rewrite over and over again. I have good ideas for stories and they do not always flow that well.

What do you think motivates people to become authors? What motivated you to get into this unusual industry? I believe it is the need to share. Authors are very creative people with stories and to share them with others is a dream. It makes you feel accomplished; like you have made a difference to someone you don’t know. I have other books I am working on and they are stories that I want to share. I want to make a difference in someone’s life by sharing my stories.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote any books? I am not big on selling myself I get intimidated and embarrassed easily. This book is very important though so I have been out there on my own trying to promote my message. I let go of most of my issues and just get out there doing book signings and asking for them. This book has been bigger than me from the start so I go with it.

Why are you the BEST person to write this book? What in your background or in your research makes you qualified to do justice to this topic? My family has a history of rape and abuse. My research went back five generations and I found that all my great-grandfathers were all guilty of raping their daughters and sons and there were children born to them from their own daughters. It was never talked about because of the shame the family felt for generations. I did not want any part of this to spread to my children. I was raped at the age of nine by my uncle, not my father. My mother fought to keep her children safe from the abuse, but through keeping secrets it spreads through different avenues. I was the first family member to speak out about the abuse.

If a potential reader thinks that your book wouldn't interest them, what would you say to convince them to buy? I'm thinking something better than "It’s the greatest book ever." Give me something more specific :) I would tell them to open their heart and their mind for an idea that might help stop abuse in our world. It is all of us together that will make this change and it is also a very touching book. It’s a very good read.

Why does the topic of your book interest you? Why would it interest potential readers? Give us a hook to reel in new readers. I believe that this world needs to change and some things hurt all of us. We see the pictures of children that have been hurt by family members everyday in the news, and it hurts. But do we ever see an answer, a way to stop this. Do we as a community need to stop it together? Or is it not our problem. Yes, it is my family, but I am not alone and I don’t believe there is anyone that would turn away from a child that has been hurt. I believe the message can spread instead of the abuse. That is why the book is important. It is an answer!

Is there a way to tie your book topic to current events? If so, tell us about how you could do that. I have a blog to feature information and examples about tying books into current events that might be a good place for you to promote your book. How many stories in the news are there about parents that have murdered their children lately? The woman they found in a cement room in Great Britain that had never been out of that room, the one that her father had raped for years. I could go on and on. It affects all of us.

If there's anything else you would like to share, this is the time and place. Yes, I would like to tell people that change starts with a dream you have to follow your dreams and believe in them.