When I was a child, before falling asleep at night, I sometimes would hear my father talking to my mother about stories he read in various magazines. One story was about a man who killed his wife and buried her body in the cellar of their house. Another story was about a man who locked his wife away in a dark room for long periods of time.

As a child, I took comfort knowing that those things had occurred in faraway places. Until the day trouble knocked on my door, and fear became my way of life for a period of time. I was not physically beaten, but I am a survivor of domestic violence.

I was married for nineteen years. After one month of marriage, an incident occurred that made me know that I was in trouble. Following the way of principal love saved my life. This book is written with the aim of helping others who are trapped in the abuse cycle. May you find hope through my life experiences. May you allow principal love to guide you in the way of peace and acquire the wisdom and courage needed to overcome abuse.