• Cornell Research Program on Self-Injurious Behavior website. That sounds kind of academic but it actually provides a slideshow with additional links at the end for those who are visual learners. http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/
• SIOS (Self-Injury Outreach and Support) website. This is a Canadian site that offers information on coping with the urge to cut, personal stories, and lots of resources. http://www.sioutreach.org/
And just so you know: if you Google “self-injury” you’ll find some sites that offer advice on how to continue self-injury without people finding out and support for maintaining your “right to cut.” If you accidentally come upon one of those, please get out of it as fast as you can. That is not the bat kol of God’s still, small voice.
Acknowledgments
Even though two of us created Kirsten’s story, a whole flock of other people (pardon the pun . . . ) were involved in bringing it to life. If you’re one of those who likes to know that kind of thing, here’s our list.
Rebecca would like to thank:
• Nancy Rue—what a wonderful partner you are, sweet sister! Thank you, thank you.
• Andrea Heinecke at Alive Communications for your belief in me as a writer.
• My father, David Smallbone, for giving his all to our ministry for nearly two decades! Love you, Dad.
• My husband, Cubbie Fink, for being my best friend, soul-mate, and number one supporter! I love you beyond words.
• Our Lord Jesus—for inspiration and the privilege of serving You with the written word. It is because of Your love and our love for You that we write!
Nancy would like to thank:
• Brenda Anderson-Baker and Larry Baker for showing me Bozeman and introducing me to the beauty of Montana. And for knocking the sheep poo off my boots before sending them home to me.
• Lisa Schmidt and Steve Hutton—and young Abby too—for an awesome five days at the Graham Ranch in Conrad, Montana. They took me through every sheep-related, cow-related, dog-related task Kirsten would do and shared their passion for caring for the land and feeding the world. Thanks to Lisa and Steve, I am not the same person I was when I drove through their gates.
• The eight brave women, ranging in age from fourteen to fifty, who shared with me their stories of self-injury, including their recovery and their continuing struggle. I am still in awe of their faith.
• John Painter, RNC, MSN, FNP (which means nurse practitioner extraordinaire), who took me through the emergency room scene so it didn’t come out sounding like I obtained it from an episode of Scrubs. His compassion for the people he has treated who self-injure helped me create the character Roman.
• Connie Young, my sister in Christ from the Academy for Spiritual Formation, who led me through the sheep symbolism in Scripture and opened my eyes to nuances I’d never experienced before.
• My way wonderful husband, Jim Rue, who showed me how to handle a gun—something I hope never to have to do again. My aversion to firearms surpasses Kirsten’s.
• Lee Hough, my literary agent, who brought this opportunity to my door, and literary agent Andrea Heinecke, who carried it through, and Amanda Bostic and Jamie Chavez, our editors, who caught my mistakes. If you find any, they’re all mine.
• Authors Carol Nadelson, MD, Patricia McCormick, Caroline Kettlewell, Rachel Eagen, and Patricia and Peter Adler, whose work in the world of self-injury provided the factual foundation for Kirsten’s story.
• And of course to my kindred spirit Rebecca St. James, whose love for God and young women was the mustard seed for this project, and whose commitment to it is . . . awesome.
About the Authors
Author photo by Allister Ann
Rebecca St. James is both a Grammy and multiple Dove Award recipient as well as a best-selling author whose books include Wait for Me and What Is He Thinking?? Her leading role in the pro-life film Sarah’s Choice won critical acclaim. A passionate spokesperson for Compassion International, more than 30,000 children have found sponsorship through Rebecca’s worldwide concerts.
Author photo by Hatcher and Fell Photography
Nancy Rue is the best-selling author of more than 100 books for teens, tweens, and adults, two of which have won Christy Awards. Nancy is also a popular speaker and radio guest due to her expertise in tween and teen issues. She and her husband, Jim, have raised a daughter of their own and now share their Tennessee lake home with two yellow labs.
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