Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler with Grace Peterson/@gracepeterson3

 

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Maya Angelou

 

I am very pleased to feature Memoir Author Grace Peterson in this interview about finding freedom from spiritual abuse.

Grace’s turbulent childhood, with her father’s violent temper and mother’s apathy, their divorce, and her relocation with her mother and siblings to Hawaii, where she experiences racism and violence, sets the stage for this incredible real-life tale of abuse, brainwashing, and ~ ultimately ~ the long journey to recovery.

At seventeen, Grace experiences love for the first time, but is soon unable contain the traumas of her past. Seeking a remedy from what she perceives as a spiritual problem, she enlists the aid of Brock, a charismatic exorcist and cult expert. Grace stumbles into a world of esoteric rituals, Luciferian doctrines, and New World Order conspiracies.

This gripping narrative illustrates how children adapt to a hostile environment, can grow up misreading their untreated traumas, and, while searching for answers, fall prey to unscrupulous charlatans who heap more damage onto an already wounded soul.

My reviews can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

 

Welcome Grace!

 

 

 

 

 

 

KL: Tell us about your memoir , Reaching and what made you decide to write about it.

 

GP: Thank you, Kathy. It’s a pleasure to be here.

I wrote Reaching to illustrate how the environment I was raised in contributed to my anxiety and how a misread diagnosis only compounded the problem. As young, impressionable, lost adults, my husband and I found a sense of belonging in the Christian church. But when a mental health crisis made it impossible to function, I mistakenly believed I was demon possessed and sought help from an exorcist.

 

KL: What are the main messages you want to convey through your story?

 

 

GP: One of the important things I hope readers will grasp from reading my book is the slow, methodical process of indoctrination. Brainwashing doesn’t happen instantly. A person doesn’t wake up one day and say, “Gee I think I’ll get brainwashed today.” Because it can be very subtle and address a need the person has, they often aren’t aware they’re being indoctrinated. People like me, with a skewed world view are more likely to find themselves under the influence of charlatans and their institutions.

I think with increased awareness there will also be increased compassion for those with mental health challenges and who are seeking healing from spiritual abuse.

 

KL: What was is like for you to resurrect all the painful memories of not only your spiritual abuse but of the childhood abuse that seemed to set the stage for your vulnerability?

 

 

GP: The entire writing process took over four years. I was a stay-at-home mom at the time with my youngest two in high school so I had a lot of time to devote to it. I spent many months completely immersed in my world. I’m a little obsessive/compulsive that way.

I’m not sure how it happened but I was able to distance myself from a lot of the emotional conflict and just write. However call it moodiness or hitting a nerve, there were times when I absolutely hated what I wrote. The entire project just sucked. Plucking words onto my computer screen somehow broke that emotional barrier and made my history real. But rather than grieve the events themselves, I would despise my writing. Then somehow I’d process it all, calm down and write some more.

And this may seem weird or egotistical but when I think about the events of my past, I feel emotional pain, yes, but I also feel a sacred connectedness to that part of me that lived through it all. It was that veiled enigma, that mystery of sacredness that kept me focused on writing to completion. I didn’t want to disappoint her.

I wanted to give her a voice to tell her story.

 

KP: You have a very distinct and honest writing voice and are able to effectively convey your point-of view from the different phases in your life. I found your use of present tense to be very intriguing. It made me feel closer to the story. How did you find this voice?

 

 

GP: Thank you, Kathy. Back when I was still toying with the idea of writing a book, I read a lot of memoirs. Most of them were written in first person/present and because I could relate so well to the words of the authors, I knew it was the format I wanted to use as well. I’m glad you were able to connect to it.

 

KP: Do you have any memoir writing tips you learned from writing your memoir that you would like to share?

 

GP: Writing memoir is a lesson in self-awareness. Allow the process to change you, mold you. Unless you’re under a deadline, there is no rush. Take your time and enjoy the process of stringing words together into a well-crafted story and believe that the time to share it with the world will happen exactly when it’s supposed to. Take time to live and feel those words and understand the nuances within the topics you’re writing about. Remember and feel. As you engage yourself in the process of reading and revising, you’ll not only become a more skilled writer, you’ll be more honest with your readers. And you’ll be better equipped to undertake the challenges of post-publication publicity.

 

KP: Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?

For anyone who is interested, I have three “boards” on Pinterest devoted to images of the locations and objects mentioned in my memoir. While searching the web, the most pleasant discovery was the Pepsi commercial (circa 1975) featuring a little blonde-headed boy (who reminded me of my brother) frolicking with puppies. It was incredibly validating to view it again after 30 years and confirm that my memory was correct. You can view my boards, including the Pespi ad by going to: http://pinterest.com/gracepete/boards/

 

Thank you ,Grace for sharing your memoir writer’s journey with us. Your brave story of recovery from mental health issues and religious/spiritual abuse will give others inspiration and hope. I also appreciate your memoir writing tips.

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Author Bio:

Grace Peterson is an author, garden columnist and blogger. She is the proud mother of four grown children and four friendly felines. She has been married to her best friend since 1980. Reaching is her first book. Her second book, Grace In The Garden will be published later this year. She can be reached by commenting on her blog, www.gracepete.com or email: grace@gracepete.com.

 

 

Reaching can be ordered from Amazon

 

How about you? Have you ever survived an abusive situation and decided to write about it?

 

Grace has agreed to give away a copy of her memoir to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.

 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~

 

Announcement: Congratulations,Mary McFarland! Your name was selected in a random drawing of commenters to receive Donald Dempsey’s memoir, Betty’s Child from Wow! Women on Writing.

Next Week, Monday 7/29 and Thursday 8/1 Memoir Author Eleanor Vincent will discuss ” From Grief to Healing: Loving and Letting Go of a Child” in a two-part interview. She has agreed to give away a copy of her memoir , Swimming with Maya to a commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing