Hello there!
Hmmm... Where to start...
I suppose I never planned on writing a book. But I've had this character in my head for so long, I simply had to get him out on paper. Or at least the virtual sort. You get my point.
Many of Jo's experiences sadly come from either my personal experiences and from those of a very close friend. This friend has lived through horrors too unimaginable for words, and yet is one of the kindest people I know. He inspires me daily to overcome my own painful past and find strength from it instead.
Though I am a college graduate, happily married, and have a successful career, the emotional effects of my childhood are still present to this day, though buried deep. In efforts to deal with my past, I discovered that writing is cathartic for me. Writing directly about my personal experiences is still too intense, though I hope to be able to do this one day. For now, I hope to find some healing through the writing of this story. If I could simultaneously bring about awareness of issues related to child abuse, the foster care system, sex trafficking, and the lasting emotional effects of all of these, I would be very pleased. These, however, are very grand aspirations for such an experimental endeavor. I shall simply have to see where this story goes and hope for the best along the way: for Jo, for my readers, and for myself.
Thank you, to anyone who reads this, for your time. I wholeheartedly welcome comments and constructive criticism; how else do we grow in any pursuit?
To anyone still suffering from the aforementioned issues or anything unmentioned here: you are not alone, though you may believe yourself to be. There are those who have dedicated their lives to helping people in situations like yours, whatever it might be. If you need numbers, I have them. If you need advice, what little I have is yours.
You don't have to be alone anymore.
All you have to do is ask.
And with that, let us enter into the story of a man called Jo.