A father of three young girls came later, only to say that his girls were 'careful' and he'd 'think about it', as if there were no urgency in teaching them about getting away from strangers or predators or providing them with tools to help do that.
A woman that works the evening shift at a local hospital followed, stating if anything happens to her in the parking lot after work, it would be security's fault...
"The problem is, they don't get it." Kevin, a man with the motorcycle ministry group Spoke N Word SW Missouri Chapter, had been watching me from his presentation area next to mine. "You have good products that could really help them, but they don't realize the danger." And that's when I realized...he's right.
As parents, as a society, we are teaching our women to fear the wrong things. Terrorist attacks, rattlesnakes, sharks, spiders. Look up the probability of being injured by one of those common fears. To put this in perspective, a little more than 2 million people are injured in car accidents in the US each year, which is roughly ONE in ONE HUNDRED SIXTY people. But we always wear our seat belts, and make sure our kids are strapped in, because we consider the risk of injury so great.
HOWEVER,
ONE IN FIVE WOMEN WILL BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN THEIR LIFETIME.
ONE IN FOUR GIRLS ARE SEXUALLY MOLESTED AS CHILDREN, AND ONE IN SIX BOYS.
A VIOLENT CRIME HAPPENS IN THE US EVERY 26 SECONDS.
A sexual assault is so much more than physical. It hurts the body, the mind, and the heart of the victim. Forever.
Most of my customers are those that have either been assaulted, or have a loved one who has been and were forced to recognize the dangers that surround them on a daily basis. How I wish they had recognized it before. How I wish they had known the importance of having SOMETHING with them so they weren't perceived as an easy target. How I wish they had been taught, by their parents, by society, by those they look up to and respect.
As my new friend Kevin suggested, women and girls need tools to help them when they are in an uncomfortable position, but first, they have to be afraid of the right things. The real dangers that are all around them. And as parents, as a society, we have to begin recognizing these things and teaching them.
So, what are we afraid of?
From now until the end of the month, I'm donating 10% of everything sold to Spoke N Word Ministries SW Missouri Chapter.
Like their Facebook page here: Spoke N Word Ministries SWMO Chapter
Visit my Facebook page to learn more about the products we sell here: Kelly's Damsel in Defense
Tina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
Wren hails from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin where beer and cheese are their own food groups. But a cowboy swept her off her feet and carried her below the Mason-Dixon line to Texas, where she promptly lost all tolerance for cold and snow. Fueled by coffee, dreams, and men in kilts, Wren promises to bring you laughter, sexy fun time, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The easiest way to her heart is anything to do with the Green Bay Packers, Doctor Who, or Joss Whedon.
Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but BDSM-spiced contemporaries, hot paranormals, and sexy science fiction romances have become her favorite things to write.
Erzabet Bishop is an award-winning and bestselling author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Crave, Snow (Three Times More Lucky Box Set), Malediction (upcoming-A Wicked Halloween Box Set), Map of Bones (upcoming-A Wicked Affair Box Set), Sanguine Shadows (Vampire Bites Box Set), The Science of Lust, Wicked for You, Heart’s Protector, Burning for You, Red Hot (upcoming), Bayou Shadows (upcoming-Nola Naughty Nine) Hedging Her Bets (Alpha Fever Box Set), Cat’s Got Her Tongue (Alpha Heat Box Set), Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory’s Mark (upcoming),The Devil’s Due (upcoming), Charity Benshaw’s Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming), Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Sweet Seductions, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects and watch monster movies.
I write a variety of different kinds of romance for Entangled Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and M&M Publishing. I'm an Oregon Ducks fan. I'm a donut and pastry addict (pretty much any carbs, really). I like cats. I'm terrified of balloons. When I'm not writing you'll find me in a college classroom teaching English, and of course, wrangling my family.
