Women Redeemed press kit

Women Redeemed: Addressing the Issues No One Wants to Talk About

September 20th webcast spotlights Kregel’s new line of books that move women toward healing and hope

Seattle: This fall, Kregel Publications is releasing new books for women, addressing issues that are often too painful and difficult to discuss. Topics such as miscarriage, abortion and abuse are sadly prevalent in the lives of so many women, but often times women keep silent out of shame, hurt, or grief and find themselves unable to talk to anyone, even among trusted friends and their sisters in Christ. These women are desperately seeking support, understanding and healing, but often don’t know where to turn.

“Kregel Publications has always strived to develop and distribute books that will help individuals grow in their personal relationship with Christ. Most recently, we’ve focused on providing quality resources on topics that are all too common, but very often ignored by both the reader and the church at large,” explains Cat Hoort, Marketing and Publicity Manager for Kregel Publications. “Abuse, abortion, and miscarriage, for example, are common challenges for even the most committed Christian. Yet fear, embarrassment, or a lack of knowledge on these issues has kept people silent far too long.”

In coordination with the launch of their fall releases, Kregel will be hosting a live webcast event on September 20 at 8 PM EDT featuring authors Kim Ketola (Cradle My Heart), Teske Drake (Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow),and Dawn Scott Jones (When a Woman You Love Was Abused). The webcast will allow women to come together to share their struggles and fears in order to move toward healing and hope. Women will able to support one another and discuss shared experiences in a non-threatening, open and loving environment.

Here are just a few of the staggering statistics on the topics Ketola, Drake and Jones have written about:

Abortion:
* It is estimated that 13% of abortions are performed on self-described ‘born again’ or evangelical Christians
* The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) reports that 46% of aborting women identify themselves as Protestant and an additional 27% identify themselves as Catholic. If true, these statistics reveal that more than 70% of all abortions in the United States are performed on Christian women.
* 85% of women say abortions cause mental health issues, including sorry, sadness, guilt, regret, grief, and disappointment

Miscarriage and infant loss:
* The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that as many as 31 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss
* An estimated 19% of all the adult population has experienced the death of a child.
* An in-utero death after 20 weeks is considered a stillbirth.
* A stillbirth occurs once every twenty minutes.
* Approximately 26,000 pregnancies end in stillbirth every year.

Abuse:
* The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that 80 percent of childhood abuse victims later suffer from at least one abuse-induced psychological disorder. It’s proven that the effects of childhood abuse follow women into adulthood.
* 90% of victims know their abuser. Commonly reported abusers are fathers, stepfathers, brothers, uncles, and grandfathers. Other abusers are babysitters, teachers, and neighbors.
* 80% of childhood abuse victims later suffer from at least one abuse-induced psychological disorder. 1/3 of people who are sexually abused become abusers themselves.

“We are seeking to provide safe means for Christian women to be vulnerable with each other, to seek help and guidance from authors and counselors, and to find encouragement from those who have shared similar experiences. Our hope is that the Women Redeemed webcast will become a forum for hurting women as well as for those who can help. Kim, Teske, and Dawn are all survivors and their stories will surely inspire and equip other women to move toward healing and hope,” says Hoort.

Suggested interview questions

* Did Kregel set out release a series of books on women’s issues or did the authors come to you in God’s divine timing to launch the Women Redeemed books?

* What are some of the issues that the women have written about? What will later books address?

* Tell us about the upcoming webcast. Where will women be able to log-on to take part?

* How will readers (and potential readers) be able to participate?

* Why did you decide to do a webcast? What do you hope the webcast will accomplish?

* Why are these topics so taboo, even within the church walls where we should be able to find support and forgiveness?

Cat Hoort and the Women Redeemed authors are available for interviews to talk about the September 20th Women Redeemed web event. To schedule an interview, or for more information, please contact Audra Jennings, moc.puorgesuftilnull@ardua.

To register to join the webcast, click here or visit Kregel’s Facebook page for details.

 

About the authors participating in the September 20th webcast and their books:

 

Cradle My Heart: Finding God’s Love After Abortion
by Kim Ketola

Abortion continues to be a hot topic in politics, women’s rights, and medical practice. But for the eight to ten million American Christian women who have had one, abortion is a spiritual issue as well, raising questions of life and death, heaven and hell, grief and loss.

Writing from her own experience, Kim Ketola sheds light on one of the darkest and most neglected personal issues of our time: the widespread need for healing and spiritual recovery after abortion. “After abortion brought the worst trouble into my life I had ever known,” writes Ketola, “I just couldn’t see my way free to believe in God’s love.” With a compassionate heart, Ketola offers ten true stories of healing promise from the Bible to help women answer the most common spiritual torments they face: Is abortion a sin? Does God hate me? Where can I turn in my shame and distress? How could I ever tell anyone the truth? And more.

Inspired by Romans 6:4–”just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life”–this is a definitive resource to help women see themselves and God anew and–finally–to find spiritual healing.

Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow: Finding Light Beyond the Shadow of Miscarriage or Infant Loss
by Teske Drake

No mother ever expects to grieve the death of her child before or immediately after the child is born. But the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that as many as 31 percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. When the unthinkable happens, where do women turn for help?

Written from the perspective of one grieving mommy to another, Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow is a ten-week study that will encourage and challenge women to delve into a deeper understanding of God’s Word. As women engage in biblical teaching, they will learn to embrace God’s promises of love, goodness, purpose, comfort, peace, refinement, restoration, hope, and eternity. “Hope for Today” verses peppered throughout each chapter, journaling cues, prayers, and the stories of other women who have experienced loss will help readers move from grieving in silent solitude to living life in the richness of God’s love.

While other books suggest a one-size-fits-all method for grief management or focus on understanding specific causes of child loss, Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow offers comfort for the reader, whatever her situation, by helping her focus on the light of the ultimate Promise, the hope of a Savior, Jesus Christ.

When a Woman You Love Was Abused: A Husband’s Guide to Helping Her Overcome Childhood Sexual Molestation
by Dawn Scott Jones

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that 80 percent of childhood abuse victims later suffer from at least one abuse-induced psychological disorder. It’s proven that the effects of childhood abuse follow women into adulthood. Yet few men are prepared to deal with those effects, even when their own wife is the one who is suffering. And their wife’s suffering becomes their own suffering as their needs aren’t being met by a wife who is powerless to control her inner turmoil.

Author, pastor, and survivor Dawn Scott Jones candidly shares her own abuse experience to help husbands understand the varied emotions, fears, distorted thoughts, and triggers that hold their wives captive. In practical and accessible language, Jones explains the stages of the healing journey (processing denial, asking for help, grieving, expressing anger, learning to forgive, and finding resolution). Building on that knowledge, Jones then moves to an honest discussion of what husbands can do to help. Whether it’s creating a healing environment, understanding the need for control, building trust, or even just praying for healing, a husband plays an active role in helping his wife survive and thrive despite her past abuse.

Offering hope for a healthy marriage relationship, When a Woman You Love Was Abused answers the questions men have and offers the advice they need to help their wives finally find peace.

Maopa / Luscious Deals

September 6, 2012 at 5:55 am

I really love that this book has helped my husband and I to understand how to deal with this topic in our marriage. It’s always been a taboo topic that was hard for us to see eye to eye on and not argue about it. But reading it has helped us tremendously and has opened our eyes to behaviors and things that we couldn’t understand before.

 

More of Him

September 7, 2012 at 1:22 am

This book is mainly for husbands of abused women. It goes into detail of what the woman is feeling and why. It is so helpful for those men who aren’t sure what to do for their loved one who has suffered in this way. However, I thought this book was also helpful for women counselors in the church to help other women. The author gives a lot of information that would really be of a benefit to women in leadership roles that are trying to help abused women.

 

Created for Home

September 7, 2012 at 4:06 pm

Some books should be on everyone’s shelves. Or at least anyone who deals with a wide variety of people due to what they do for a living. When a Woman You Love Was Abused by Dawn Scott Jones is just such a book. This book takes the husband through what it is like to be married to a woman who has been abused sexually and how it will strain the marriage relationship and what he can do to help get through the pain of the past and move the family on into victory and triumph.

While I am not a husband, I can say that this book is dead on with what a woman goes through as an adult when she has to deal with any form of sexual abuse that took place when she was younger. This book is full of helpful advice on how to help your wife deal with the past in a constructive manner without making her feel worse. This book points out that even when the woman was the one abused, her husband and children are affected because of it too due to how she reacts to certain things, how she perceives her life and the load of guilt and shame she carries around with her. All of which can be triumphed through when the woman is supported, loved, treated in the proper manner and help is sought for her to to heal. This book is a great guide for husbands to realize that in a lot of ways, their wives can’t help cringing at their touch, that the anger that simmers below the surface isn’t because of what the husband has done, and that what the family is going through is typical when the wife has been victimized. I think the spouses of sexual abuse victims don’t get the recognition or tools to cope like they should and this book helps to bridge that gap.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R1TVQFERF2QC5A/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

 

Joy Hannabass

September 8, 2012 at 3:49 am

This is a book written by someone who knows. And Dawn Scott Jones writes this book to husbands of women who have been sexually abused, teaching them how to cope, deal with situations, and learn what an abusive woman is like. With the help of this book, husband and wives can work through the difficult situations dealing wtih abusive behavior at early ages in womens lives

 

Savings in Seconds

September 9, 2012 at 10:37 am

While the book is definitely meant for husbands and covers issues about intimacy, it also unveils the often hidden feelings that victims internalize. Emotions such as helplessness, low self-worth, and shame can be so deeply buried or disguised. This book really bares it all. If you are a victim of abuse and find it difficult to share your feelings with your spouse, you might consider buying this book and asking your spouse to read it.

I received this book to review. The opinions shared are 100% mine.

 

Karen’s Korner

September 11, 2012 at 6:36 pm

I was not sure I wanted to read this book in the beginning. I really thought I had made a mistake in requesting the opportunity to read it…..but after finishing it I have to admit that this book is a powerful self-help book for men who love women who have been abused(I also saw it as a self-help book for a high school teacher who deals with students who are dealing with this now). I truly believe that I can be much more aware of what is happening in the lives of my students. After reading the book and hearing the stories I did not know whether to cry over what they lost…or smile over what they accomplished. The book is full of hope, information, and help. It is a must read for any man(or any person) who loves a woman who has been abused. It is honest, open, raw and offers so much wisdom and hope.

 

The Minister’s Wife Stamps & Saves

September 11, 2012 at 7:06 pm

Counseling women from all kinds of backgrounds is something that just falls in the lap of a Pastor’s wife whether she wants it or not. Unlike Pastors there is no real training that the wives get to go through. Many of us just fly by the seat of our pants and rely on our own personal experiences and knowledge of the Word. With books like this available to us the job of helping other women is much easier.

 

Mary Bearden

September 12, 2012 at 12:05 am

I am still always sickened by books that I read that involve child abuse but I know that it has to be talked about so that perhaps one day, we won’t have so many of these incidents come up. It is important for the victims to come forward and get justice! I have never had that problem, so I can’t even begin to know what it is like, but I hope that if it had happened, that I would be strong enough to tell someone. When A Woman You Love Was Abused written by Dawn Scott Jones is a book that everyone needs to read in order to even begin to comprehend what it is like.

I hope her book and story can help other women who are suffering so that they don’t have to wait over 25 years to get better. Good Luck to Dawn and to all of you out there that need it the most!

 

Chrystal M

September 13, 2012 at 6:38 pm

Dawn Scott’s book called “When a Woman You Love Has Been Abused”, was a great look into the lives of women that have been abused, and they way they live their everyday lives. My wife was abused as a child, and she reacts almost exactly to how some of the women in this book did. The anger, not wanting to be touched, and the way that everyday objects could trigger reactions from them was a keen insight into what they have gone, and are going through daily. I have a greater understanding of what my wife is going through because of this book.

 

Proud Book Nerd

September 14, 2012 at 5:28 pm

For those men out there who are determined to do whatever it takes to help their wife, a survivor of sexual abuse, heal and move on, I think this is a valuable resource. As briefly discussed here, I think the abuse survivor could also benefit from reading this. Perhaps if a couple reads this together, it will strengthen them – and their resolve to make it through.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/412289840

 

Kimberly

September 15, 2012 at 8:41 pm

…it was an enlightening read, one that is easily accessible to the common person. Unlike many other works on this subject it was written plainly without frills which for me was an added bonus. The fact that this book could potentially help people because people are actually able to understand what is being said is a great change. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who knows someone who may have been molested because I can see many of the tips are transferable and can be used to help those who are not your spouse.

 

Shirley Rempel

September 15, 2012 at 10:55 pm

This is a book that all those who know of a woman who has been abused needs to read. It is very well written and through raw honesty, and frankness, you will learn to understand the process that a formerly abused woman needs to travel to overcome her past. And it is possible to overcome this horrible experience when support and love are present from all people in their life, including the men. The book examines each each that women will face as they journey through healing from abuse…loneliness, emotions, consequences and more. There is also a chapter that deals with the most important, in my opinion, topic and that is forgiveness. Forgiving one’s abuser is the most important step in moving on and not allowing the abuser have control. Although a difficult step it needs to be done. Finally the last section of the book gives the reader several tips and ideas to help the women in your life that have been affected by sexual abuse (or really any type). A solid read with a lot of scripture references and reminders that God is with you at each step of the journey.

This is a book that all pastors and lay workers in churches need to have in their personal libraries.

I highly recommend this book and give it a huge thumbs up.

 

Jen’s Journey

September 17, 2012 at 3:38 am

When I was a little kid, I was abused by a very close family member. It was a very traumatic time in my life. I blacked it out a lot during my teenage years by acting out. I did tons of things that I am not proud of. It wasn’t until this year that I truly understood why I had all the issues I did. Everything I did from my teenage years and on into my adult years all stemmed from the trauma that was caused by the sexual abuse I suffered. My marriage suffered more than anything. While I was dealing with everything going on with me, my husband had no clue what was going on with me. I did not know how to tell him because I myself wasn’t sure. Then I received When a Woman You Love was Abused in the mail. As I read the stories, I sat realizing that each one was me. I saw myself on each page. I cried as I read it, and I was totally thankful that somebody took the time to let our spouses know how to help us go through something like that.

 

Andrew Smith

September 17, 2012 at 7:35 pm

I would recommend this book to anybody who was sexual abused. The book is geared more towards assisting the husband’s to comprehend what their wife has experienced through sexual molestation. But husband and wife should undeniably work through this book together. This book has the impact of helping marriages to vastly improve and heal if these lessons are put into practices. I am currently only 22 years old, I’m not married, and I don’t have any children. I choose to review this book for three reasons. One reason was to understand how to help marriages heal after sexual abuse and the second reason was to have guidance and understanding of the throbbing pain of their childhood molestation they were going through. I also read it just in case my wife was sexual abused by someone. I pray to God that hasn’t happened to my future wife and I pray it doesn’t happen to anyone else! But knowledge helps me to prepare for marriage and whatever she might have had to face in her life.

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2TO39JK1OSIN0/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=0825429757&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag

 

One Desert Rose

September 18, 2012 at 3:11 pm

Dawn Scott Jones, in her book, When a Woman You Love Was Abused, has written a superb, comprehensive guide for husbands to help their wives overcome the after effects of childhood sexual abuse/molestation in their marriage. It’s deep, it’s personal, and it’s in-depth.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/417081713

 

Ariel @ The Librarian’s Bookshelf

September 19, 2012 at 2:17 pm

Reading this book, I was shocked at how many different reactions to abuse there can be, and how any abuse victim can be an exhibitor of the reaction. This book helped me to see what my reactions tend to be, and how I can chance those to keep from hurting others.

 

Pilar Arsenec

September 19, 2012 at 2:43 pm

When a Woman You Love Was Abused was a tough book for me to read.

However, I am glad Dawn Scott Jones wrote this book. There aren’t many books written on the subject of helping the spouses of abuse survivors.

The only other book I have read on this subject was The Haunted Marriage by Clark E. Barshinger, Ph.D., Lojan E. LaRowe, Ph.D. and Andres T. Tapia.

I found When A Woman You Love Was Abused to be a more comprehensive guide to understand and help spouses as they undergo the healing process/recovery.

I must write a disclaimer, however, to warn women or men who are survivors. Depending on where you are at in your recovery, I would use discretion and exercise caution in reading this book. There is graphic details which could trigger and/or upset you.

To read more of this review, please visit:http://www.ordinaryservant.com/?p=1038

 

Lenore Webb

September 19, 2012 at 7:23 pm

I Have Survived
Some times we have to forgive with a emotional wound too. This was lessons I have learned in my past. But my Dear Hubby had to also learned this to help both of us be stronger for it. When A Woman You Love Was Abused is a wonderful guide to helping a husband help her overcome childhood sexual molestation. These are deep deep deep wounds and they will surface when you least expect them too. Sometimes you have to know just what kind of loving support will help them heal faster. Having someone to lean on that understands is a major relief. I could not ask for a more understanding husband. And I am now at the point that I tend to leave that wound untouched, scarred over and as much as possible in the past. Not forgotten or buried to fester but a wound that was there, healed over and now has left it’s mark. But that mark, that scar, does not define me or mar my life anymore.

 

Dawn @ Guiding Light

September 19, 2012 at 9:20 pm

Even though it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be about (because I didn’t read the entire title), it was a very informative book that I believe would be very helpful for husbands of women who were abused. It is a very practice book, written in a very easy to understand manner. Since Dawn is sharing her story of abuse at the same time she is sharing how to help other women, she tells it “from both sides” (one who has been abused, and one who has “overcome” abuse). She also makes sure to share that every situation and every woman is different, therefore what she shares are only her experiences and understandings.

Again, for being something different than I had originally expected, it was a pretty good book and I believe it could be a very helpful resource for those in need!

 

My Devotional Thoughts

September 19, 2012 at 11:48 pm

I am glad to see a book that is written to men to help their wives heal from abuse. The nice thing about the book is that it speaks to anyone–not just men. It addresses issues that will directly affect the man, but I think anyone who knows a woman who has been abused can benefit from this book.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/418110002

 

Hosannas Journey
September 20, 2012 at 1:06 am

Jones is honest about her own experience and her journey to find healing. She artfully weaved other people’s testimonies in addition to her own. This is a great resource, not just for husbands, but to be used in ministry along side other resources like Neil T. Anderson’s Steps to Freedom in Christ and his book Bondage Breaker.

http://hosannasjourney.blogspot.com/2012/09/when-woman-you-love-was-abused-by-dawn.html

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0825429757/ref=cm_cr_thx_view

Krystal Larson
September 20, 2012 at 10:38 pm

The book is well-written, heartfelt advice; however, even with excellent guidance, I wonder if many men would be able to support and break through the lack of trust and the hurt these women must feel. I hope so.

When life gets you down…read a book
September 21, 2012 at 2:10 am |

Sadly, sexual abuse is becoming something that more children are experiencing in their lives and is a reality that many have to deal with. However, the ones you love them play an important role in helping them recover and forgive. It’s not an easy journey and it’s not a fun one, but it is one that will bring you closer together if you are equipped with the right things. This book is one of those musts for anyone who has a relative or a friend who has been abused. It’s written more for a husband about his wife, but I still think that there is a lot of valuable information in it for anyone to be able to use.

 

Life: SemiCrunchy
September 21, 2012 at 2:19 am |

Dawn is able to communicate in an approchable and easy to understand manner what so many women, who are trying to heal from sexual abuse, are going through. I am grateful that a book such as this exist, one that is practical and helpful for all the husbands out there who are trying to do the best for their wives who have suffered.