Friday, June 25, 2010

Book Review: Scars and Stilettos and GIVEAWAY!!!


This is the first time I have participated in a blog tour! This tour was for Scars and Stilettos: The transformation of an exotic dancer, by Harmony Dust.

Book Discription from litFUSE
Fear of being abandoned keeps nineteen-year-old Harmony Dust trapped in an abusive and cruel relationship. She thinks she has hit bottom-tens of thousands of dollars in debt, struggling to get by, and so controlled by her boyfriend that she doesn't protest when he begins openly sleeping around. Things can't get worse . . . until someone tells her how much money she can make as an exotic dancer. For the next three years, Harmony lives a double life as Monique, a dancer in a fully-nude strip club.Scars and Stilettos is Harmony's stark, honest, and ultimately hopeful story of how God found her in that dark, noisy place and led her out. She has since married, completed an MA in social welfare, and now leads Treasures, an organization helping women in the sex trade discover their true worth."Harmony wrote her story so that you and your friends may get help out of whatever dark tunnel you find yourself in. . . . once you start this book, you will not be able to put it down and you will want to get a copy for every person you know." -Holly Wagner, from the preface.

About the Author
Harmony Dust is founder of Treasures, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that reaches out to women in the sex industry to show them they are loved, valued, and purposed. Find out more about Treasures, Harmony, and her book at http://www.iamatreasure.com/ or http://www.scarsandstilettos.com/. Check out Harmony's Press Page for magazine articles and videos about her work with women in the sex-trade industry.

My Review:
I was pulled into this book from the first chapter. As a LSW I see so many aspects of the authors development that could have possibly triggered her dependence on an abusive boyfriend and a profession that left her feeling alone and worthless...but as a Christian, I see how God used her strengths to pull her out of the desparation she was in and into a place of leadership to help others. The book was very well written and honest. As I was reading, I found it hard to put the book down. I knew from the beginning how the book would end. After all, the subtitle is The transformation of an exotic dancer, so I just couldn't wait to see God scoop her up in his arms and show her that she was truely valued, loved and worth more than rubies or pearls. Harmony is inspiring and I am in awe of the courage it took for her not only to stop stripping, but to turn to God, admit her faults, accept His grace and go a step further and share her story so that others would feel the same hope and love that she feels. AMAZING!

I do feel as if I need to ad the content of the book is mature and includes topics such as child abuse, rape, sexual content, and some foul language. I would recommend this book to adults only with the rare exception to teens who have been abused and/or are considering working in the sexual explotation industry in any aspect.

A very special thank you to LitFUSE Publishing for a free copy of this book to review and a free copy to give away!

That's right! To be entered in this giveaway, just leave a comment below sharing what gives you HOPE! I decided in January that my words for 2010 were HOPE and HEALTH. One thing that gives me HOPE is watching others turn their disappointment into God's appointment and use their skills to lead other to Him! I will have my son randomly choose a name on Friday, July 2 at Noon to determine the winner. Please leave your email address so I can contact the winner!

5 comments:

  1. Well, i had no idea you had a blog!!! Interesting things you have here Mattie!! The book sounds interesting!! How neat that you got free books!! Cool!!

    Blessings - LORi

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  2. HOPE.. that is a wonderful word. My word for the year is COMPASSION.. I pray to be more compassionate each day. As I look around me, I see there are people that still show compassion to others. I know God is working in so many lives... I can see it... and this gives me HOPE!!!

    Carol Skeese
    meandmyskeeters@windstream.net

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  3. Lori-I actually have a couple of blogs. This is the one that about freebies, frugalities and being debt free and my other one I started after our daughter Shyla was stillborn. Blogging started as a stress reliever for me and is now a hobby as well.

    Carol-Thanks for commenting and I will pray for more compassion as well. You are a very compassionate person and God's love shines through you!

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  4. Hope - what gives me hope is God. Without God I don't know how people face all the things that we must face in this world. "In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world." John 16:33 Troubles are no match for God's mercy and grace - now that's hope.

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  5. What gives me hope - knowing that I have a wonderful family who supports me no matter what, and a God who loves me in spite of myself

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