Guest Post - Kim Michele Richardson

We have a special guest in the Velvet Room today!
I'm pleased to chat with Kim Richardson, author of The Unbreakable Child. Sit back, grab a cup of something cold, and meet my friend Kim.

Welcome Kim, I'm pleased to have you join us today! The Unbreakable Child is a powerful book. Can you tell us why you decided to write it?

The Unbreakable Child was written as more of a journal to get me through the stressful lawsuit. The lawsuit, which finally came to light in 2004 and gained national recognition, was the first of its kind in the US. It documented the first court-awarded justice for decades of brutal abuses that I and other former orphans suffered from an order of nuns and one priest at the St. Thomas/St. Vincent Orphan Asylum in rural Kentucky. After the lawsuit, I gave the draft to the lawyer and my male protagonist, William F. McMurry, who is woven throughout the book, as a gift and to show him his own self worth.

Also we all know that writing is catharsis. And the healing also deepens and multiplies when you can help others. I’ve been honored and rewarded by the countless readers who’ve read my work and reached out to me. The Unbreakable Child has also become a valuable resource tool for teens, medical professionals, advocate groups and students entering the field of social work and or law. The Unbreakable Child is still, yet, the first book of its kind to be released in the US traditional publishing world. And with the 2nd and better detailed edition of The Unbreakable Child due out October 1st 2010, it will now reach a wider audience.

Talk to us about forgiveness. Have you forgiven your abusers?

Yes, and forgiveness is such a powerful weapon for moving forward and healing. It serves no purpose not to. If you can’t forgive; you’re just giving free brain rent to your abusers. Stifling your own growth. But, still, for many survivors, I understand the painful difficulty of granting forgiveness and also the all-too-difficulty of forgetting. The Unbreakable Child serves as a strong reminder to religious leaders, our children’s caregivers and the government; that these important parts of history should never be forgotten and should serve as a strong reminder – lesson so that history never repeats itself.

I know that you're an active volunteer with a number of charities. Can you tell us about some of your work in that area?

I receive countless letters from people around the country and worldwide, which keeps me busy. As you can guess, many are from survivors of abuse, but not limited whatsoever to just victims of clergy abuse. They come from all walks in life. So, I devote a lot of my time and energy into helping them first.

But one of my favorite charities is working with Habitat for Humanity. It is such a rewarding experience when you are physically building a home for a family without, and when you stand beside them and see the pride and joy as they contribute to building their home from the ground up. A most wonderful joy and rewarding learning experience!

Do you have plans to write another book?

Yes, I have two I’m working on. But first I am committed to promoting this new edition of Unbreakable and getting it back out into the world.

That's exciting! I look forward to hearing more about your new writing projects! On a lighter note, what are your summer plans?

It’s a busy and fun summer. I’ve been enjoying my family and catching up with friends. Gardening. Huge garden this year. My luv has even bought us matching farmer hats (LOL) and I’ve just purchased an old-timey lawn mower for our small farm. I’ve also been interviewing for my new release of The Unbreakable Child. Preparing for upcoming tours.

It sounds like you have got a lot going on over the next few months. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I wish you much success with the release of your book!

The second edition of The Unbreakable Child is due to be released on October 1, 2010 by Behler Publications. Kim maintains a blog at Writer in Waiting. You can ready my review of the first edition of Kim's book at Story Circle Book Reviews.