“Anastasia and The Ghostly Owl (The Choice Was Hers!)” is a true story about a young girl that is abandoned, abducted, and abused. This story is autobiographical but does not say so; it is about abuse but does not explicitly provide the details. It is about hope, courage, determination, persistence, and perserverance. It is about Anastasia, an heroic child!

From start to finish, this story is written with rich metaphors and similes. It is like opening Pandora’s Box where the reader is faced with two simultaneous contrasting realities. One is a mysterious, underlying creature, unspoken of throughout the book, called “hope”. The other reality is the "darkness of adversity" that fate tests on an innocent young girl named Anastasia. She must make a bold journey of self-discovery or face self-destruction. The choice was hers!

To open this boxed-shaped book springs you into your journey of reading and thinking outside the box because that is the way it is written. Each page, and chapter encourages reading between the lines because it is written to stimulate free interpretation and self-evaluation, yet provides hope to everyone that boldly opens this book. The deadly culprits of Silence and Secrets present themselves. For example, silence allows the Owl to survive; however, for an abused child, silence is deadly. This book is educational as it presents many survival techniques that Anastasia used on her journey to self-discovery, self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. 

Adversity faces us all, and we all seek our own ways to help ourselves as well as others during demanding times of darkness that consciously or unwittingly swoops upon us from time to time. I have written two inspirational stories because I wanted to share that all barriers can be beaten if the desire to fulfill our dreams is truly our destiny. I am confident that the lessons in "Anastasia and The Ghostly Owl (The Choice Was Hers!)" will help us all. These are the only books of their kind which do not describe the horrific details of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and are, therefore, suitable for all ages. My intention is to help each reader through their own journey towards self-healing. The choice is yours!