HOLDING MY HAND THROUGH HELL Officially Launching at Heartland Fall Forum

Well known for her hands-on work with victims of violence, and through her previous books, HOLDING MY HAND THROUGH HELL is based on the true story of Susan Murphy Milano’s life, written with the flow of a novel, in a style that will incite heightened awareness about hope, survival, abuse, murder, and the ripple effect of family violence on society.

The official publisher's launch of Holding My Hand Through Hell will be held at the Heartland Fall Forum, a trade show, conference, and celebration of independent bookselling hosted by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association.

Ice Cube Press' Steve Semken, publisher of Holding My Hand Through Hell, and one of author Susan Murphy Milano's dear friends and fellow author, Jillian Maas Backman, will hold the official launch party on the airwaves, Thursday, October 4,  with a live broadcast on her popular internet radio show, Change Already!  

To listen to the LIVE broadcast CLICK HERE

Due to her battle with cancer, Susan is unable to personally participate in the launch, but is on the sidelines cheering its success thanks to her friends and large fan base.

Holding My Hand Through Hell is much more than a story of survival, the book is a re-enactment of how God reaches through the fire of chaos and brings peace and hope. A woman questioning her faith through a multitude of experiences finds herself continually in the midst of battle, within her own relationships, and through the thousands of high risk intimate partner violence victims whom she rescued and became a thread in the tapestry of her life.

"More than a memoir Holding My Hand Through Hell is like a true crime drama played out through the years of one woman's life."

The premise of Holding My Hand Through Hell is gripping, yet heart wrenching, and readers say they are compelled to follow Murphy Milano through her journey to the end. After years of torment and abuse, her Chicago Police Department father murdered her mother in the family home, and took his own life,  but Murphy-Milano decided not to be another crime victim, but to survive the worst tragedy of her life and make sure it didn't happen to others. Leaving a lucrative career as an investment banker, she spent the next 20 years in the trenches with other victims of abuse, like her mother, enriching the lives of each and every one who enlisted her help.

Often shunned by traditional domestic violence organizations, Susan Murphy-Milano became like a one man band, utilizing unique strategies specific to each individual she helped. Using her connections within courtrooms and the media, she found herself face to face with some of the worst abusers, often questioning whether God would bring her through the next crisis.

Join in the live radio launch party of HOLDING MY HAND THROUGH HELL on Thursday October 4 at noon central time, 1 eastern time with Jillian Maas Backman and Ice Cube Press Publisher, Steve Semken LIVE from Heartland Fall Forum. 

Ice Cube Press, a small publisher who still individually wraps each order, represents the heartland of America and it's authors, striving to bring Midwest living and the experience to the forefront in the digital age.  Ice Cube press is a member in good standing with the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association, and also participates in the Great Lakes Bookseller Association Trade Show, combining this year as The Heartland Fall Forum.

Jillian Maas Backman is an award-winning radio personality and author of BEYOND THE PEWS: Breaking with Tradition and Letting Go of Religious Lockdown, a San Francisco Book Festival Award winning book.  Her radio show, Change Already! can be heard weekly on BlogTalk Radio.

Ice Cube Press to Publish "Holding My Hand Through Hell" Fall 2012

I am pleased to announce my new book will be published by Ice Cube Press, scheduled for release in the fall.

By Susan Murphy Milano

Summary

This poignant well-written book tells the story of a police officer’s family and a daughter’s quest for justice long after the murder of her mother embracing a legacy of unconditional love and faith to triumph over a life plagued with unspeakable abuse and pain.

Based on a true story written with the flow of a novel, with frank wisdom and wit, “Holding My Hand Through Hell” encourages the reader to immerse themselves into this family's life and become an advocate for change. It will incite discussion, debate, and heightened awareness about hope, survival, abuse, murder, and its impact on our society. In the end, it will leave readers applauding this woman wondering how she escaped, sometimes at the eleventh hour and now 20 years later, realizing that God, after all was holding her hand through hell, delivering her from the evils of her life in order to save others.

The book will be released in 2012. The forward for the book is written by Diane Fanning, Edgar nominated award winning true crime, fiction author.

Susan is the author of "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships,"Moving out, Moving on, and Defending Out Lives. Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy MilanoShow, "Time's Up!" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show" with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host on Crime Wire.  And the creator of the Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit www.documenttheabuse.com

If you would like to schedule Susan Murphy Milano for training and interviews, please contact:ImaginePublicity PO BOX 14946 Surfside Beach, SC 29587 Phone: 843.808.0859 email- contact@imaginepublicity.com

True Crime Author, Diane Fanning, Reviews “Time’s Up”

by Diane Fanning

When I was in my first marriage, I did not see my husband as an abuser. I did not see myself as a victim. I was fooling myself. Although he did not hit me, he sometimes left bruises on my arms from holding them too tightly and, on occasion, he shoved me. But for the most part, the mistreatment I experienced was mental and emotional.

I was afraid of him, intimidated by him, cowed into an overwhelming sense of worthlessness. Toward the end, I was actually crossing the street to avoid people I knew, because I had allowed him to convince me that others only spoke to me out of pity. And I didn’t think I was a victim. I’d seen pictures of abuse victims—battered, bleeding, or dead—and that wasn’t me.

I was wrong. Without realizing it, I risked my life and that of my daughter. After a dramatic departure in the middle of an ice storm, I was safe, but it could have turned out so differently. I was lucky. Many women are not. Oftentimes, the first serious incident of domestic violence is a homicide.

I’ve written books about some of these cases and have learned through my research that the most dangerous time of any woman’s life is from the moment she makes the decision to leave to up to two years after she acts upon it. If you are planning on leaving your spouse or know a woman who is, you must have TIME’S UPby Susan Murphy-Milano.

Susan explains abuse simply and clearly in the beginning of the book so thoroughly it left me shaking and in tears, even decades after my escape from that bad relationship. I was stunned to read so much about my experience and know I was not alone. Then she takes the reader through everything she needs to do in preparation for departure, including precautions, tips and forms to make the planning and implementation part of a process rather than a helter-skelter act of desperation.

It is all at your fingertips in the pages of this book. If you are a sophisticated, educated, aware woman, you will find things you didn’t know to help yourself and others. If you are a stay-at-home mom who has been controlled since a teenager and doesn’t know the first thing about leading an independent life, you’ll find all the details you need to escort you through the risk-filled and often baffling transition ahead.

In addition to the book itself, there is a video on YouTube.com that demonstrates one of the necessary steps: a women presenting a sample Evidentiary Abuse Affidavit.

By writing this book, g has given a great gift to all women and children. I am in awe of the magnificent job she has done, the life experiences she has overcome, and the compassion and common sense that fill every chapter.

I cannot emphasize how important this book is to all the women in your life. Even if you are in a good, stable relationship, buy this book and keep it handy. One day, when you least expect it, someone close to you will need it. It can save a life—many lives.

TIME’S UP by Susan Murphy-Milano: the best companion an abused woman can have.

**********

Diane Fanning is the Edgar-nominated author of ten true-crime books and four mystery novels. Diane has appeared on 48 Hours,20/20, Forensic Files, and radio stations from coast to coast. She is currently under contract for three books—two true crime titles and one mystery novel. Her bestselling book on the Casey Anthony case, Mommy’s Little Girl, was released in fall 2009.

Diane Fanning is one of America’s premier Crime novelists and True Crime authors. At the top of a genre that often gets a rap in the literary world, Fanning brings esteem, doing due diligence when presenting a criminal case in book format.. She is a New York Times best selling author.

Diane Fanning is not only one of the queens of True Crime, she also pens a series of novels incorporating the character of Lt. Lucinda Pierce, a tough as nails detective who was once a disfigured victim of domestic violence, and now on a mission to solve crimes and put away criminals. You can get to know Lucinda Pierce and walk through crime scenes collecting clues, learn about the criminals and the surviving victims within the pages of Trophy Exchange, Punish the Deed, Mistaken Identity and Twisted Reason, sold in all online and retail book stores.

Connect with Diane Fanning online!

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

Susan Murphy Milano is a staff member of the Institute for Relational Harm Reduction and Public Pathology Education. She is a specialist with intimate partner violence prevention strategies and high risk cases and available for personal consultations through the Institute. She is also part of the team at Management Resources Limited of New York.

Susan is the author of "Time's Up: A Guide on How to Leave and Survive Abusive and Stalking Relationships,"Moving out, Moving on, and Defending Out Lives. Susan is the host of The Susan Murphy Milano Show, "Time's Up!" . She is a regular contributor to the nationally syndicated "The Roth Show" with Dr Laurie Roth and a co-host on Crime Wire.

If you would like to schedule Diane Fanning for an appearance or Susan Murphy Milano for training and interviews, please contact:ImaginePublicity PO BOX 14946 Surfside Beach, SC 29587 Phone: 843.808.0859 email- contact@imaginepublicity.com