Twisted Obsession & Domestic Violence

My romantic suspense novel, Twisted Obsession features my female protagonist, Liz who had experienced domestic violence by her ex-boyfriend, Domenic. He is released from prison, which sparks intense fear and threats, and she lives in fear that he will hurt her again. This romantic suspense novel is part of the Friends In Crisis Series (after Haunted By The Past) and presents with themes of violence/abuse, death, treachery, and friendship support around an insecure world.

My Inspirations

I was inspired to write this story with the themes of abuse and family violence through my work for the Australian government. I previously assessed a woman who explained how she had left her husband during the time he left for work, having planned a moving truck without his knowledge. She was terrified to leave him when he was around, given his physical and emotional abuse. He had also sexually abused his children.

In this case, I could not imagine the terror this woman was experiencing day to day. The husband was incarcerated at the time, but she knew he had friends who kept watch over her. She still felt imprisoned in spite of his incarceration due to these threats.

Another woman I worked with, mentioned how her husband had threatened to kill her and their children. Consequently, she had to change her identity and leave her residence. Police were involved in the case, and her personal details were blanked out on the computer screen. I could not imagine living as this woman did day in and day out, looking over her shoulder. She was in so much fear that he would find her in spite of having changed her identity and moving house.

The problem with this form of violence is the struggle most women face to leave their partner due to a myriad of reasons, such as financial and residential security, loss of self-esteem, concern about the practical needs of their children, denial of reality, a lack of support systems, and a fear of leaving their spouse due to threats perpetrated by the partner.

In my work, I have spoken to women who have had to change their identity and move elsewhere for their own security. Others have presented photos of how badly they’d been beaten by their partners. Even others had been so traumatised, they ended up having a panic attack in the interview room where I work.

In spite of women leaving their partner, the fear doesn’t stop if the threat to their safety continues to exist.

An amazing book entitled The Gift of Fear by Gavin De Becker discusses violence in great depth. Gaven mentions the signals women need to look out for, and these include:

• Forced Teaming – a criminal will use the word ‘we’, such as ‘We’re in this together’ to get you to trust.
• Charm and Being Nice – This is a skill for the criminal to control or compel you to do something.
• Too Many Details – The criminal gives you too much specific information so that it sounds believable to you rather than to the criminal. It’s as if the criminal needs to keep talking to convince him/herself of the lie.
• Typecasting – A man might mention that a woman is too wealthy to speak to someone as poor as he is so ultimately, the woman will prove him wrong and speak to him.
• Loan Sharking – The criminal offers to help you so you owe him/her back. You will be in the criminal’s debt.
• The Unsolicited Promise – The criminal tries to convince you of something when you are not convinced. For example, “I promise I will leave after one drink.”
• Discounting the Word “No” – The criminal will ignore you when you say ‘no.’ This is about control when the criminal decides not to hear the word ‘no.’

The author cites statistics in relation to restraining or intervention orders submitted. He stated that after a restraining order is put through, this can escalate the situation, and on many occasions the partner will find the wife and take dangerous action. It is the ultimate act of control, and will usually include killing himself.

The amazing work by women’s shelters and domestic crisis services is their saviour, but definitely more needs to be done. More needs to be done in terms of preventing these crimes from happening in the first place. Women and those in their circle need to notice the signs of possible harm or death.

Denial, denial, denial is so not right. Let’s help each other out if you suspect family violence. Report it.

Twisted Obsession Blurb

Will a twisted obsession from the past smother the flames of new love before it starts?

Liz Randiza, a dedicated social worker, has hardly recovered from an abusive relationship when she meets Matthew, the handsome brother of her client. While all her instincts tell her to stay away from him, there’s something in Matthew she just can’t resist, and she falls for him. A mistake she will soon regret.

The real nightmare begins when Liz’s ex-boyfriend is released from prison and the unresolved issues in their relationship begin haunting her. She is pulled deep into a web of terror and anxiety. Soon, her worst nightmare becomes reality and everyone in her inner circle, including Matthew, may be in danger. People around her begin dying, and Liz realises that she and Matthew will be next.

Twisted Obsession is the story of a helper who becomes a victim. It’s the story of a past that never leaves you alone. And the only question remains is whether Liz and Matthew live long enough to get their happy ending.

If you’d like to check out my second novel, Twisted Obsession from the Friends In Crisis Series, here are the links below:

Twisted Obsession (Amazon) – http://mybook.to/TwistedObsession

Twisted Obsession (Other online retailers) – https://books2read.com/u/4DW8pk