To those who read my book, I hope to share the power of hope and compassion and the tremendous strength and peace that can be found in faith.

It was such a personal journey for me, and I needed to do it by myself. I wouldn't even read anything written by anyone else for fear I would internalize someone else's thoughts. I wanted every word to represent my feelings, emotions and experiences.

I wasn't sure how or where my story would end. Once I knew we were granted the awesome blessing of another baby, her arrival became the natural ending to my story. I liked the idea of ending the book with a new beginning.

Allison and Kate (her daughters) were 7 and 4 (when their brother passed away), and I wanted them to always feel they remembered their brother, even if they had to read to be reminded.

Crescent House is a beacon of hope for women who need reassurance that they do have the strength and power to survive what they are going through. It's a space for women to receive whatever support they need to survive the abuse and determine a plan of action for getting out of it.

Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. Love still stands when all else has fallen.