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Author's websites:
www.invisibletears.co.uk
At a time when six-year-old Abbie needs love and security, her mother goes to the hospital and never returns. Still distraught, Abbie is passed to whoever will have her. Her new step mother subjects her to unimaginable physical, sexual and psychological torture and delivers her to local paedophiles in the entertainment business. During her single minded pursuit of fame Abbie’s step mother stops at nothing, beating and prostituting her own children.
This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, the grim details of child abuse of the worst kind all told from the perspective of a little girl.
As a teenager Abbie is uncontrollable. A Modette during the 80's revival, she finds a love of scooters, rebellion and gang life on the wild side. Dulling her pain with alcohol, drugs and promiscuity at a very young age, Abbie loses control and becomes well known to the local police. Not one person can get through to her because she has no fear, no self respect, no morals or self worth. With nothing to lose, she throws herself into one battle after another, blood and guts brawling between the skin heads and the mods on the streets of London.
Her family eventually disowns her realizing they are unable to help. Abbie finds herself in the care of the Court until she is abandoned by children's homes and Social Services too. Alone, penniless and pregnant at the age of 16. Haunted by the secrets of her unspeakable past. Will anyone ever see her invisible tears?
Reviews from Amazon
A Kindleobsessed review, by Misty Baker
Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in JUST the United States alone. 7.6% of these are sexual abuse claims (approx. 228,000 children.) Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.
Harsh statistics right? Horrifying actually.
A few weeks ago I received a review request from an awe inspiring woman named Abigail Lawrence. She wanted me to read her book "Invisible Tears." I hesitantly agreed knowing that the journey I was about to embark on would be heart wrenching and hard to read, but at the same time, completely and undeniably necessary.
At the age of 6 Abbie's mother died, and with no one there to pick up the pieces she was shipped off to whomever would take her. Unfortunately, the loving and caring home she needed was not what she got, instead she was forced to live with a woman that physically and mentally abused her, and then eventually... in seek of fame... handed her over to local pedophiles in the "entertainment" business. After her father (who had been relatively absent up until this point) finally accepted what was happening to his children he whisked them away for a better life, but sometimes people can be to late, sometime the damage has already been done. Keeping, and constantly reliving the secrets of what really happened to her, forced Abbie to grow into a damaged and rebellious teenager, looking for comfort and drugs where ever she could get them. This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, her struggle to understand that not everything was her fault, and the struggle to finally find love and acceptance. This is a story of a small girl, who had to learn to dig her own way out of the trenches... just to be able to breathe.
The novel was written in Abbie's dialogue so it is imperative you be prepared for several things.
1. You are going to experience the worse side of life through the eyes of a child for the first several chapters. They are excruciatingly difficult to read (especially if you have small children) and will, at times, make you feel physically ill.
2. The story will eventually move past blatant gruesomeness, however the story as a whole continues, and can be as equally emotional as the first few pages. (so grab some Kleenex.)
3. If you start reading, do not stop. This is not a book you can put down half way through and wish you had never picked it up to begin with. The epilogue is a very VERY important part of the story and if you don't read it you will never get the intended point of the book. (Pace yourself if you have to but don't give up on it.)
This novel is in no way intended for a young audience, or the faint of heart. It is rough, it is damaging, and it is horrifyingly descriptive. The fact that it is based off of someone's' "real life" experiences makes it only that much more difficult to handle, so read at your own risk.
A Kindleobsessed review, by Misty Baker
Over 3 million reports of child abuse are made every year in JUST the United States alone. 7.6% of these are sexual abuse claims (approx. 228,000 children.) Almost five children die everyday as a result of child abuse. More than three out of four are under the age of 4.
Harsh statistics right? Horrifying actually.
A few weeks ago I received a review request from an awe inspiring woman named Abigail Lawrence. She wanted me to read her book "Invisible Tears." I hesitantly agreed knowing that the journey I was about to embark on would be heart wrenching and hard to read, but at the same time, completely and undeniably necessary.
At the age of 6 Abbie's mother died, and with no one there to pick up the pieces she was shipped off to whomever would take her. Unfortunately, the loving and caring home she needed was not what she got, instead she was forced to live with a woman that physically and mentally abused her, and then eventually... in seek of fame... handed her over to local pedophiles in the "entertainment" business. After her father (who had been relatively absent up until this point) finally accepted what was happening to his children he whisked them away for a better life, but sometimes people can be to late, sometime the damage has already been done. Keeping, and constantly reliving the secrets of what really happened to her, forced Abbie to grow into a damaged and rebellious teenager, looking for comfort and drugs where ever she could get them. This is the story of Abbie's struggle to survive, her struggle to understand that not everything was her fault, and the struggle to finally find love and acceptance. This is a story of a small girl, who had to learn to dig her own way out of the trenches... just to be able to breathe.
The novel was written in Abbie's dialogue so it is imperative you be prepared for several things.
1. You are going to experience the worse side of life through the eyes of a child for the first several chapters. They are excruciatingly difficult to read (especially if you have small children) and will, at times, make you feel physically ill.
2. The story will eventually move past blatant gruesomeness, however the story as a whole continues, and can be as equally emotional as the first few pages. (so grab some Kleenex.)
3. If you start reading, do not stop. This is not a book you can put down half way through and wish you had never picked it up to begin with. The epilogue is a very VERY important part of the story and if you don't read it you will never get the intended point of the book. (Pace yourself if you have to but don't give up on it.)
This novel is in no way intended for a young audience, or the faint of heart. It is rough, it is damaging, and it is horrifyingly descriptive. The fact that it is based off of someone's' "real life" experiences makes it only that much more difficult to handle, so read at your own risk.
***
By
Steve Ward. Author.
This is a book that needs to be published worldwide to promote an understanding of both the harsh reality and consequences of child abuse. No, it is not set in Bangladesh or Thailand. Right in the suburbs of London, we read about civilized people doing very uncivilized things. What happens when a nine-year-old girl is denied love, beaten and sent off to various "uncles"? This story, told through the eyes of a child is both shocking and spellbinding. The writing voice of Abigail Lawrence is so real that it is impossible to put this book down. Little Abby just wants one thing out of life: to be loved. By the end of the book, Abby the teenager will burn a hole right through the middle of your heart.
I have to say this is by far the most gripping memoir I have ever read. Five stars!
***
love it, By jusreedinI simply loved this book. i am a reader, enjoy many different types but favor true life (anything). i haven't read a book this meaningful and moving in quite some time. it touches your heart. i hope that it gives many other survivors out there the courage to stay strong and know that there is hope and love out there for us all.
Interview with Abigail Lawrence
N.L. Earnshaw: Why did you write this book?
Abigail Lawrence: Looking after children that have been abused and in care, I strongly feel that although there are a lot of memoirs out there, there wasn’t any written in the childs voice, I wanted my readers to be there, to see and to feel what I went through, as shocking as it is to read the facts in raw form, the current books in the market obviously are not shocking enough to get the message out there, abusing kids still happens and when you are going through it, it isn’t all sugar coated and brushed over in real life, so here it is in all of its full glory.
N.L. Earnshaw: How did you come up with the title - Invisible Tears?
Abigail Lawrence: The title came to me before the book. Having a chat about the abuse I suffered and that children still suffer, I said in passing that, ‘Their tears must be invisible or something.’ It stuck.
N.L. Earnshaw: What inspired you to be a writer?
Abigail Lawrence: Coming from an abused background I looked for any opportunity to escape and found that very early on I could do just that in a book, a lot of my emotions at the time I was struggling, were made easier if I put it into writing, although for many years it was poetry based
N.L. Earnshaw: Why did you write this memoir?
Abigail Lawrence: I read a lot in this genre and each time I read another one, I knew I could do this and write one that would fit nicely.
N.L. Earnshaw: What advice would you give to a first-time author thinking of self-publishing on Kindle?
Abigail Lawrence: My advice would be, to be prepared to market your book consistently, not many indie books rise to the top without some promotion. I loaded my book Invisible Tears and placed it at $0.99 after a few months of promotion it steadily climbed upwards and has to date, sold over 14,000 copies in six months. It is slowing down now and I took that as a time to change the price to $2.99.
Funnily enough the royalties haven’t changed much. I think price is a key and getting it right for your own book is a guessing game, no-one has the answer as to what is the right price, but as a first time author I would price it low for a limited time to help with promotions, maybe do a giveaway too.
I would also say not to give up hope of your book being a success, there are a lot of amazing writers on Kindle and I consider myself a privileged person to have my book alongside them, something I could only have ever dreamed about before. Kindle can make that dream come true; you don’t need a contract to be on Kindle, or take the hundreds of rejections from publishers or agents, let the readers decide.
I would also say not to give up hope of your book being a success, there are a lot of amazing writers on Kindle and I consider myself a privileged person to have my book alongside them, something I could only have ever dreamed about before. Kindle can make that dream come true; you don’t need a contract to be on Kindle, or take the hundreds of rejections from publishers or agents, let the readers decide.
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