Coerced to Courageous (Stories of strength and success) / Stories of strength and success (ePub)

'I was so busy keeping him happy I didn't notice how long it had been since I'd seen my friends. I seemed to apologise for everything. I was constantly tense, holding my breath, trying to predict his mood. Slowly my world became smaller, darker and lonelier.'

Coercive Control is an insidious fog. The first 'red flags' are so small you don't notice them: a simple remark about how to do something 'the right way' or a suggestion about how you should dress. He cares about where you are and who you are with.

Eventually, he is making all the decisions and controlling the finances so you 'don't have to worry' and because he knows what's best. The subtle chains of coercion and abuse have robbed you of your confidence, your family and friends, your finances, and even the ability to think you can make decisions on your own. You are trapped.

We all want the perfect relationship, but for the courageous authors in Coerced to Courageous, their soulmate was more like checkmate.

These brave, resilient, brilliant women have penned not only their fight to bring themselves and their children happiness and peace, but also shared what they have learnt along the way, especially the tools that helped them rebuild their lives after abuse. They want to encourage and empower you to break the chains of coercive control and create the life you deserve.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity where domestic violence survivors mentor other survivors to re-establish successful lives using the power of story.

When we saw the impact on people's lives of our first three books - the changes made, the hope in their hearts, the joy and gratitude for their new lives - we had to continue to share stories of hope, healing and recovery. There had to be a fourth book.

We applaud each of our authors for sharing their raw, vulnerable and courageous stories. Our hope is that these books will provide you with the tools to take back your power so you can rebuild your life the way you choose. Each step forward is a courageous move toward your new life filled with peace, happiness and achievement.