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My GiGi’s House: Finding Hope (Release date October 2019)
My Gigi’s House is about a woman named Ralynn who runs away from an abusive relationship after promising God that she would seek help if He allowed her to see the light of day. She runs to and then away from the church because of shame and guilt after making an accidental scene. She later meets Ms. Shelly which sets her on a path of healing, a relationship with Jesus, and purpose in her life.
Testimonial: Received a testimony from a young lady who read a rough draft of “My GiGi’s House” First off it’s the only book I’ve ever read in one sitting and I felt every emotion. From the very beginning, I was hooked and as the story progressed I saw myself and so much of what I had gone through which was hard to see. But it was also filled full of hope and love, and made me realize that I was still allowing my past to control my future. I have never taken control back of my life until just now. I always thought I had screwed my life up too bad to ever be ” fixed” or truly loved but then realized God truly is the Only one who can give me everything I need to heal and move forward. Even though I had given up … He never gave up on me. He knows when we are truly ready to live a different life,a 180 life, the Life created for us. He will place the right people in our lives to grow with us and to help keep us accountable and to love us even through our own ugliness. My life isnt over like I felt it was… Its just beginning.
Here is an excerpt from My GiGi’s House: Part II (in production now) Thank you,Dianne Tant, for painting the Cover. Ralynn and Shelly had just sat down to enjoy a cup of coffee and danishes when Shelly started to mumble.
“Shelly, what is it? You look like you just saw a ghost?” Ralynn turned in the direction of Shelly’s stares and noticed a young lady walking toward them. The closer she got Ralynn had a sinking feeling that this young lady was on a mission.
The young lady took a seat and immediately started in.
“As much as I want to say thank you for stopping my mother that day, I have to ask you why? Because you stopped her, she brought me into a life of dysfunction. She was only a child herself.”
Shelly tried to explain but the young lady wasn’t allowing Shelly to speak. She put her hand up, to quiet Shelly.
“I remember her telling me how she was headed into the clinic that Saturday morning. There were men and women lining the sidewalk, telling her this was not the answer. But then you, you smiled and said: “if you don’t go through with this, I will help you.” I don’t know if it was your smile or the fact that she really wanted to change and have a life…whatever the reason, she did not go through with the abortion that day. You saved my life. I wish I could say thank you, but I want to know why?”
Again Shelly attempted to speak but the anger this young lady had, was just seething and she wasn’t ready to hear what Shelly had to say. Her voice had more anger and you could tell she was hurt.
“Where were you when I received my first bruises? You couldn’t see them, he made sure of that, but they were there and I still feel them today. You see, every time we had to pack up and move, I never knew where she would be or who was picking me up from daycare.”
Attempting to fight back the tears, the young lady continued even though Shelly tried to interject her part of the story. Ralynn could tell that this was a story that Shelly knew too well. Shelly had given up holding back the tears and Ralynn was surprised. She hadn’t seen Shelly cry like this in a very very long time.
“Through her tears,” the young lady continued, “she would talk about you and how often you were there before I was born. You would answer her phone calls and even take her out for coffee. But I don’t remember you. You were gone shortly after I was brought home from the hospital. As my mom tells me, you stopped answering her calls when you found out she was going home with “him.” To Be Continued… or to read the first part of the story order your copy of My GiGi’s House: Finding Hope today.
Here is just a small excerpt. Pray that it will be used by God for women to find freedom.
“What do you mean, why won’t tomorrow be better?”
Julia turned around to come back to Ralynn, but the other lady hurried off to her room. Julia started to explain that the regret will set in shortly and she will start to make excuses that it wasn’t that bad. Julia went on to say “you will start to question everything but take it from me, don’t leave and go back to him.” Julia then rolled up her sleeve and showed Ralynn the scars from where her boyfriend had placed lit cigarettes on her arms. “This is what he did when I went back last time. He told me things were going to be different. They weren’t. They actually were worse. So believe me when I say, if he does happen to contact you, don’t listen to his lies. Someone doesn’t change overnight, and your life is too important.” And with that Julia spun on her heals and exited the room.
Expecting the door to be much heavier than it was, Ralynn yanked it open with more force than necessary. Thud! The door hit the black wrought-iron rail on the stoop, which startled Ralynn. She was not sure what caused the man who was standing watch over the entry to scowl, but with his stern look, formal dress, and dignified stature, he looked like a soldier from England who was guarding his post at Buckingham Palace.
Ralynn’s body started to fill with shame and guilt. She wasn’t sure what the trigger was, the man’s scowl or that she thought she recognized someone from high school sitting in the pews about a third of the way up. Standing there in what seemed to be an eternity, she started hearing Ben’s voice yelling. “You don’t belong in no place like this.”
From all the commotion, the congregation turned around, and Ralynn’s fears were confirmed. Her eyes met with the young man she knew from high school. Now feeling even more shame for being a distraction, Ben’s words continued to ring through her ears. Ben had been emotionally tearing her down and lately had repeatedly been saying, “If you ever went to church, God would strike it with lightning and burn it to the ground.”
Ralynn turned and bolted down the stairs. Even though it was cold, she was burning up. The tears were flowing and her eyes were stinging, but fear started to paralyze her forward movement. She knew that Ben would have come out of his unconscious state, so going home was not an option. Based upon his behavior in the past when Ralynn had gone to the neighbor’s house without his knowledge, she knew he would have already torn the neighborhood up and called her mom.
Excerpt from the book I am writing called My GiGi’s House
The day I call my worst nightmare, but yet becoming the best choice of my life.
It was a Sunday morning and I had made a deal with God in the wee hours that if He would allow me to see the daylight, then I would search out help. I didn’t know what help would look like, but I knew most people would be in church seeing we lived in the Bible Belt.
Actually the week prior to this happening while riding the trolley to work, I counted 18 churches in just the 2 miles it took to get to work at K.T.’s…..
Excerpt from My GiGi’s House: Finding Hope
“God, thank you for this bed. Thank you for the things that have been given to me.”
Just then the baby started to kick.
“God thank you for this baby. May everything go well. Teach me to be a good mom. May this baby grow up differently than me.”
Ralynn didn’t remember falling asleep but was not happy when a loud thud came from her door. Jumping out of bed, she opened the door to find Diane once again yelling at the girls to hurry up, so they could get home before their dad went to work. Diane was singing his praises. She was so excited because he called and said he found religion and things would be different. Ralynn was scared for them because summer break had just started, so they wouldn’t have the safety of school for the next eight weeks.
Diane and the girls had once again left the property even with everyone begging her to stay. Once Ralynn had taken a few minutes to settle down, she grabbed her notebook and journal, and started out the front door toward the prayer garden but stopped and decided to sit in the oversized white wicker chair with the comfy cushion. Ralynn felt a heaviness for Diane’s girls. She didn’t know what she could do, so she started to pray for them.
“God, please keep them safe. They are just kids.”