I NEED a litle TRAUMA from my friends...

Dear readers, writers, rich girls, poor girls,

anyone. My muse has gone without excuse. With a third book of a series underway, it’s crunch time. My three heroines are all searching. In Book I it’s a search for fame. Book II for a husband. Book III - this one- she is searching for her voice.

And for my purposes the research shows the following:

Psychological Trauma is often the result of an overwhelming amount of stress that exceeds one's ability to cope, or integrate the emotions involved with that experience. It causes damage or injury to the psyche after living through an extremely frightening or distressing event and may result in challenges in functioning or coping normally after the event.

A potentially traumatic event is more prone to leave an individual with longer-lasting emotional and psychological trauma if:

• The individual was unprepared for the event
• The event occurred out of the blue
• The person felt powerless to prevent the event
• If the event occurred during the childhood years 

Now I’m at the point I need to give up the reason I’ve been hinting at throughout, without details which I'll tack in once I settle on the poor girl's problem.

Can anyone give me a great reason why? Either something from real life you heard about. Or something you can imagine. My head’s going around in circles especially at night. I’m open to anything except sexual abuse. That wouldn’t fit the publisher. By the way, her hearing is perfect, but sometimes the family, distant relatives, treat her as if she is a deaf mute....

The best idea from a reader/writer that fits my historical novel –England, late 1890’s - will be either acknowledged upon publication or mailed a copy. I’d be happy for you to leave a comment here.   Or if detailed, I’d be so very grateful if you email me on:

Ritagal (at) optusnet (dot) com (dot) au.

*  Getting a hug from my 'across the pond ' Kiwi editor, Iola Goulton, from New Zealand. We actually met face-to-face at an Omega Conference last November.

Rita Stella Galieh has been a contributor to several Adams Media US publications. She has two books traditionally published, besides her independently published Victorian Trilogy. At her fun-filled Etiquette of the Victorian Era Recitals, Rita assumes the costume and British accent of a governess, in which she shares the era’s amusing and morbid customs. A graduate of Emmaus Bible College, she co-presents a Christian radio program with her husband. With membership in ACFW and several writers organizations, she promotes her books on her newsletters, www.ritastellapress.com and on Facebook.