Well, after a year of writing, editing, rewriting, and editing again, my picture book - Rosie and the Hug That Hurt is now live in the Amazon store.
This project is near and dear to my heart. I wrote this story with the intention to help others on their path to healing, not realizing how much this story would help heal me. Although the story is fictional, it is based on very real events in my life and very important people.
This story follows Rosie as she faces a challenging predicament with a loved one. Feeling responsible for their well-being, she takes it upon herself to offer comfort to her loved one, even if that means getting hurt in the process. In an effort to protect her loved one, she never discloses how she got hurt.
It isn't until her pain is so great and can't be ignored that her trusted teacher, Ms. Prickles and close friends offer a safe space for Rosie to vocalize the source of her pain. The trio then offers Rosie compassion and guidance on a way forward, healing all individuals involved.
My hope is that this story can help open up a discussion between adults and children about what a healthy relationship is and isn't. Especially when it comes to allowing harmful behaviors to continue out of love. The book offers discussion questions to help facilitate the conversation as well as help children think of how they would respond to a friend in a similar situation as Rosie's.
This book focuses on issues that are usually considered taboo and not discussed openly. However, just because we are not talking about the issues, doesn't mean that our children aren't facing them. This can cause a disconnect in the emotions a child is feeling, what the child is sensing in their environment and what information the adults and caregivers in their life are telling them. This cycle can lead to confusion and a mistrust of the self, where the child grows up doubting their intuition and internal guidance.
In order to stop the cycle and start the conversation, Rosie and her friends are here to take the lead and offer a starting place for both parent and child.
You can find Rosie and The Hug That Hurt in the Amazon store by clicking the image above, or by visiting my Amazon Author Page at amazon.com/author/LaurenNicoleBooks