Spotlight BOSS: Mara Johnson Author of Her Name Was Bitter

Synopsis:

Her Name Was Bitter, The Memoir is the true account of a child's decade long ordeal with a fugitive on the run. Years of incest that lead to a pregnancy at 13. The trauma of giving birth in secret, being forced to give her daughter up for adoption, and coping with the shame of protecting the guilty. A glimpse into the life of a victim and a victor. Explore a young girl’s journey from utter chaos to an unlikely destination of peace, healing and forgiveness.

Book excerpt from the fugitive years (Age 7): Chapter 4 - Carla

...After a while, the constant screaming, yelling, and flying accusations, just faded into the background. I would go into my own little world, pretending I was someone else, somewhere else. I was a princess again, nothing mattered, because soon I would be a Queen...Boom! I heard a loud sound interrupting my daydream. Then a loud, Bang! Our heads rotated quickly to the direction of the thunderous sounds, it was coming from our parents’ room. I peeled myself off the couch. My sisters followed suit, we tiptoed cautiously, approaching the hallway. Then we heard a bloodcurdling scream, causing us to jump with fear. The door flew open with a big, bang! Carla was running desperately, trying to escape something in the room, then I saw daddy clutching her leg. She fell, she was still trying frantically to crawl away. Now on her hands and knees, she tried to create distance between her and daddy. Her eyes were open so wide and filled with terror. Daddy forced her legs between his own as he straddled her back. As he neared her shoulders, mounting her like a wild stallion, he started slamming his fist into her head. He was bringing his fist up and slamming it back down as hard as he could. You could hear the blows as he hit her head and face. She finally succumbed to his weight and slowly slid forward, now lying on her stomach with one of her arms beneath her. He was beating her so violently. I couldn’t believe it. We were standing there frozen in shock. She raised her eyes to us and managed to scream, “Help–me, please–help–me. Call 9–1–1!”

About Mara Johnson:

Mara D. Johnson is the accomplished technical writer and Author of the Memoir, Her Name Was Bitter. The Memoir gives a frank and sometimes disturbing view into the life of a young girl facing overwhelming obstacles. It tackles many social issues that plague every country, city, neighborhood, and far too many households. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Ibook Store, maradjohnson.com or anywhere e-books are sold. The Book was released in April in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Mara Johnson has been an advocate for Men and Women who are victims of Sexual abuse since she was featured in a 2012 Documentary called: “Innocence Stolen” Pt 1. Her goal is to take sexual abuse out of individual's closets and open up dialogue about the ever-present issue. Acknowledging you were a victim is the first step in laying down the misplaced shame that keeps people in silence. Millions of people around the world have been effected by sexual abuse. Statistics show that 1 out of 3 women and 1 out of 6 men are victims of some form of sexual abuse. Mara currently is the Assistant Director, of the network, for SociallyCued Pro-international and she resides in East Texas with her two sons

To learn more about Mara follow her on Twitter @HerNameBitter