Author's Second Book Wins Prestigious Pearl Buck Award
Updated for Immediate Release
June 10, 2012
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
RIPLEY, W.VA.—A New York Times best-selling author and journalist has been awarded first place in The Pearl Buck Award in Writing for Social Change category in the West Virginia Writers' Competition.
Daleen Berry's second book, Lethal Silence, took the first-place award Saturday night at the WV Writers' Conference at Cedar Lakes in Ripley. This book looks at several case studies involving families whose lives were shattered by a lethal silence that left children dead, and the role such stressors as child sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, depression and domestic violence played. Nellie Bly Books anticipates an August release for Lethal Silence.
This is the first time the Pearl Buck category has been included in the competition, and the winners were sponsored in part by the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation. Dr. Edwina Pendarvis, a professor emeritus at Marshall University, judged the entries. She said Berry's book is important because it will make a difference in people's perceptions of these social issues.
Berry will be signing books today at Tamarack in Beckley from 1-5 p.m.
June 10, 2012
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
RIPLEY, W.VA.—A New York Times best-selling author and journalist has been awarded first place in The Pearl Buck Award in Writing for Social Change category in the West Virginia Writers' Competition.
Daleen Berry's second book, Lethal Silence, took the first-place award Saturday night at the WV Writers' Conference at Cedar Lakes in Ripley. This book looks at several case studies involving families whose lives were shattered by a lethal silence that left children dead, and the role such stressors as child sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, depression and domestic violence played. Nellie Bly Books anticipates an August release for Lethal Silence.
This is the first time the Pearl Buck category has been included in the competition, and the winners were sponsored in part by the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation. Dr. Edwina Pendarvis, a professor emeritus at Marshall University, judged the entries. She said Berry's book is important because it will make a difference in people's perceptions of these social issues.
Berry will be signing books today at Tamarack in Beckley from 1-5 p.m.
Sister of Silence Climbs to #1 on Amazon Chart
Updated For Immediate Release
May 28, 2012
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
May 28, 2012
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
MORGANTOWN, W.VA.—After being listed as a free download for just a little more than 48 hours, Sister of Silence has risen to #1 on the Top 100 Free Kindle Books at the giant online book retailer site. Morgantown author Daleen Berry says almost 23,000 copies of her e-book have been downloaded since the book went on sale at Amazon at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
“I barely slept Saturday night and I can't stop feeling like I’m about to become claustrophobic—in a good say,” Berry said Monday morning. “It’s incredible to know that so many people are downloading it so quickly. I’ve looked at other free e-books that went on sale when mine did, and only one other one is anywhere close to mine. It’s #25, but it’s a different genre,” Berry added.
Sister of Silence is #1 in the subcategories of both "sexuality" and "true crime," and as of 8 a.m. Monday had moved up a notch from its overall position of #4 on the Free Kindle list to #3, out of the Top 100 Free Kindle Books list.
Many people in the publishing world have taken issue with Amazon’s KDP Select program, which forces authors to exclusively offer their e-books on Amazon. But in return, the program allows readers to loan out their e-books, and authors get to split a kitty, which Amazon says will be about $600,000 in May.
Berry, who placed the book on sale as a tribute to three Preston County women who were killed in three weeks, said Memorial Day weekend is a good time to remember women like them. “So many women have fought or continue to fight another kind of war in their own home, and yet they do so silently, behind the scenes. I hope people will realize the danger they face, and help these women find a safe way out, before they’re killed, too,” Berry said.
Berry has been giving away copies of her paperback at school districts around the country, since colleges and universities are using the book as a teaching tool. Many reviewers say the book belongs in classrooms, and should be mandatory instruction for high school students. To date, the text has been used at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Louisville, among others. This fall it will be taught in a criminal justice program at Oklahoma City University.
Berry will attend a roundtable discussion about the recent crime domestic violence crime wave in West Virginia on Tuesday, May 29, in Charleston. Sen. Jay Rockefeller is holding the meeting. For more information, see her columns about this meeting and the three recent deaths at her website.
“I barely slept Saturday night and I can't stop feeling like I’m about to become claustrophobic—in a good say,” Berry said Monday morning. “It’s incredible to know that so many people are downloading it so quickly. I’ve looked at other free e-books that went on sale when mine did, and only one other one is anywhere close to mine. It’s #25, but it’s a different genre,” Berry added.
Sister of Silence is #1 in the subcategories of both "sexuality" and "true crime," and as of 8 a.m. Monday had moved up a notch from its overall position of #4 on the Free Kindle list to #3, out of the Top 100 Free Kindle Books list.
Many people in the publishing world have taken issue with Amazon’s KDP Select program, which forces authors to exclusively offer their e-books on Amazon. But in return, the program allows readers to loan out their e-books, and authors get to split a kitty, which Amazon says will be about $600,000 in May.
Berry, who placed the book on sale as a tribute to three Preston County women who were killed in three weeks, said Memorial Day weekend is a good time to remember women like them. “So many women have fought or continue to fight another kind of war in their own home, and yet they do so silently, behind the scenes. I hope people will realize the danger they face, and help these women find a safe way out, before they’re killed, too,” Berry said.
Berry has been giving away copies of her paperback at school districts around the country, since colleges and universities are using the book as a teaching tool. Many reviewers say the book belongs in classrooms, and should be mandatory instruction for high school students. To date, the text has been used at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Louisville, among others. This fall it will be taught in a criminal justice program at Oklahoma City University.
Berry will attend a roundtable discussion about the recent crime domestic violence crime wave in West Virginia on Tuesday, May 29, in Charleston. Sen. Jay Rockefeller is holding the meeting. For more information, see her columns about this meeting and the three recent deaths at her website.
Updated For Immediate Release
Feb. 11, 2012
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
Ending the Silence of Sexual Assault
MORGANTOWN, W.VA.--Are your loved ones protected from the dangers and consequences of sexual abuse? Please take a moment to honestly answer the following questions:
While the answers may seem obvious, most people really don’t know what to look for to determine if their loved one or friend is a victim of sexual abuse. In fact, most of the signs are invisible! By the time we realize that a loved one has been violated, his or her life may have already been permanently affected. In the worst cases, we are too late to help.
Daleen Berry, a national expert in the field of sexual abuse and interpersonal violence, as well as an award-winning writer and accomplished journalist, had to answer all of the above questions. As she learned how to view her own abuse, she worked her way through the darkness and the silent suffering experienced by so many sexual abuse victims.
Berry has committed herself to helping other victims. Her work as a police reporter has given her a clear understanding of how widespread sexual abuse really is, how the stigma often prevents a victim from seeking help and how current laws do not adequately protect victims from perpetrators.
Berry is available to discuss how she emerged from the depths of learned helplessness and suicidal thoughts to find value in her own life. Her mission is to help others overcome the same trauma that plagued her and to engage society in more proactively preventing sexual abuse.
Writing helped pave Berry’s road to recovery. Her greatest therapy came as she reflected on her diaries, while writing her book, Sister of Silence. This inspirational memoir takes us deep into her thoughts and experiences as a victim of sexual assault. Her journey provides valuable insight into how even those closest to a victim often have no idea of what they are experiencing on a regular basis. Even worse, how medical professionals can dismiss what are obvious signs of abuse.
Berry will one of two keynote speakers addressing a national audience at “The Many Faces of Domestic Violence,” the 18th Annual Conference of the Association of Batterers’ Intervention Programs on March 1, 2012, in Anaheim, Calif. She recently spoke to social workers from all over the country at the “Hope for the Future: Ending Domestic Violence in Families” conference at the University of California, Berkeley. She’s also spoken to students at Johns Hopkins University, and other college classrooms and high schools around the country.
If you would like to talk to Berry about dealing with sexual abuse or interpersonal violence and how she overcame her own deafening silence, please email her at daleen.berry@gmail.com.
###
- Would you know if your child or loved one was being sexually abused?
- What are the signs of sexual abuse?
- What thoughts go through the minds of victims of sexual abuse?
- If your loved one is sexually abused, how can you prevent them from having suicidal thoughts?
- Why would a sexually abused mother consider killing her own children?
- What signs should you look for in a sexual predator?
- Would you recognize a sexual predator if you saw one?
- Did you know that most sexual predators are people you know and trust?
- What kind of protection can you expect from the police and the judicial system?
While the answers may seem obvious, most people really don’t know what to look for to determine if their loved one or friend is a victim of sexual abuse. In fact, most of the signs are invisible! By the time we realize that a loved one has been violated, his or her life may have already been permanently affected. In the worst cases, we are too late to help.
Daleen Berry, a national expert in the field of sexual abuse and interpersonal violence, as well as an award-winning writer and accomplished journalist, had to answer all of the above questions. As she learned how to view her own abuse, she worked her way through the darkness and the silent suffering experienced by so many sexual abuse victims.
Berry has committed herself to helping other victims. Her work as a police reporter has given her a clear understanding of how widespread sexual abuse really is, how the stigma often prevents a victim from seeking help and how current laws do not adequately protect victims from perpetrators.
Berry is available to discuss how she emerged from the depths of learned helplessness and suicidal thoughts to find value in her own life. Her mission is to help others overcome the same trauma that plagued her and to engage society in more proactively preventing sexual abuse.
Writing helped pave Berry’s road to recovery. Her greatest therapy came as she reflected on her diaries, while writing her book, Sister of Silence. This inspirational memoir takes us deep into her thoughts and experiences as a victim of sexual assault. Her journey provides valuable insight into how even those closest to a victim often have no idea of what they are experiencing on a regular basis. Even worse, how medical professionals can dismiss what are obvious signs of abuse.
Berry will one of two keynote speakers addressing a national audience at “The Many Faces of Domestic Violence,” the 18th Annual Conference of the Association of Batterers’ Intervention Programs on March 1, 2012, in Anaheim, Calif. She recently spoke to social workers from all over the country at the “Hope for the Future: Ending Domestic Violence in Families” conference at the University of California, Berkeley. She’s also spoken to students at Johns Hopkins University, and other college classrooms and high schools around the country.
If you would like to talk to Berry about dealing with sexual abuse or interpersonal violence and how she overcame her own deafening silence, please email her at daleen.berry@gmail.com.
###
Updated For Immediate Release
Nov. 18, 2011
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
Sister of Silence e-book now available online
MORGANTOWN, W.VA.--Effective today, Sister of Silence is available in all available electronic formats, for the iPhone, iPod and iPad, the Kindle, the Nook, and any other readers. It is even available in a format you you can download and read on your computer.
In an effort to reach more people make sense of child sexual abuse cases like the one at Penn State, the price of the revised e-book has been reduced to $2.99. We believe this lower price will help many people continue having a dialogue about what it means to be a responsible parent, and talk to children about sex and abuse—long before and so those children don't have to become victims, too.
We believe parents need all the help they can get, and there is no better way to do that, than to provide what some people are calling a "groundbreaking tool" that can be used for just that purpose, at a price more people can afford. This lower price is not just about economics: it's about saving children, families and society, so wounded children won't become wounded adults.
###
In an effort to reach more people make sense of child sexual abuse cases like the one at Penn State, the price of the revised e-book has been reduced to $2.99. We believe this lower price will help many people continue having a dialogue about what it means to be a responsible parent, and talk to children about sex and abuse—long before and so those children don't have to become victims, too.
We believe parents need all the help they can get, and there is no better way to do that, than to provide what some people are calling a "groundbreaking tool" that can be used for just that purpose, at a price more people can afford. This lower price is not just about economics: it's about saving children, families and society, so wounded children won't become wounded adults.
###
Updated For Immediate Release
Nov. 8, 2011
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
Sister of Silence e-book pulled from distribution
MORGANTOWN, W.VA.--First the paperback was banned. Now its sister book, the Sister of Silence e-book has been removed from distribution, following the discovery of several errors within the text. Nellie Bly Books ordered First Edition Design, now marketing itself as an e-book “aggregator,” to pull the popular e-book from its 3,500 distribution sites on Nov. 7, after First Edition refused to correct the errors.
The e-book, by Daleen Berry, was supposed to be an exact replica of the author’s award-winning and well-received paperback. The e-book went into circulation at the end of June, but it wasn’t until a reader brought it to the author’s attention in early October that NBB became aware of the problem. NBB requested First Edition correct the errors—which included misaligned and missing text, missing line breaks and a change from italicized text to regular text, throughout the book.
“Without that, the meaning of what I wrote—which I styled so the italicized text would show my thought processes—loses all meaning,” Berry said. “But the missing line breaks are a huge problem, too, because they represent changes in time, place or setting. Omitting those breaks causes confusion for the reader.”
When e-books were first produced, their content was rife with errors. Since then, the process has—for the most part—greatly improved, and many e-books are published error-free. However, some companies still see within this emerging industry a chance to produce a product that costs little to make, while making a higher profit, by cutting corners.
That was the topic at the eBooks for Everyone Else conference in San Francisco last week. Specifically, several industry experts spoke about the importance of having high quality end product. Joshua Tallent, with eBook Architects, was one such expert.
“Automation can’t handle complex content,” Tallent told the audience about the industry process also known as conversion. “It’s not about converting your content, it's about designing your content,” he added.
Because of that, Tallent said the difference between having a quality e-book, or having one that contains errors, basically comes down to choosing a company that does the job right. “It takes somebody who knows how to do it,” he said.
After First Edition refused to make the necessary changes to the Sister of Silence e-book, the author and NBB decided to pull the product from such places as Amazon and iTunes.
“I did not spend 20 years crafting a product that has been edited and proofread dozens of times, and which took a first-place award in a state writing competition, just to see it fall on its face,” Berry, who owns NBB, wrote at her Web site.
“As readers ourselves, we demand nothing less from a book—be it paperback or electronic—than any other reader would: it must hold one’s attention, it must flow well and the transitions must be smooth and seamless. In its current form, the Sister of Silence e-Book does none of this,” Berry added.
###
The e-book, by Daleen Berry, was supposed to be an exact replica of the author’s award-winning and well-received paperback. The e-book went into circulation at the end of June, but it wasn’t until a reader brought it to the author’s attention in early October that NBB became aware of the problem. NBB requested First Edition correct the errors—which included misaligned and missing text, missing line breaks and a change from italicized text to regular text, throughout the book.
“Without that, the meaning of what I wrote—which I styled so the italicized text would show my thought processes—loses all meaning,” Berry said. “But the missing line breaks are a huge problem, too, because they represent changes in time, place or setting. Omitting those breaks causes confusion for the reader.”
When e-books were first produced, their content was rife with errors. Since then, the process has—for the most part—greatly improved, and many e-books are published error-free. However, some companies still see within this emerging industry a chance to produce a product that costs little to make, while making a higher profit, by cutting corners.
That was the topic at the eBooks for Everyone Else conference in San Francisco last week. Specifically, several industry experts spoke about the importance of having high quality end product. Joshua Tallent, with eBook Architects, was one such expert.
“Automation can’t handle complex content,” Tallent told the audience about the industry process also known as conversion. “It’s not about converting your content, it's about designing your content,” he added.
Because of that, Tallent said the difference between having a quality e-book, or having one that contains errors, basically comes down to choosing a company that does the job right. “It takes somebody who knows how to do it,” he said.
After First Edition refused to make the necessary changes to the Sister of Silence e-book, the author and NBB decided to pull the product from such places as Amazon and iTunes.
“I did not spend 20 years crafting a product that has been edited and proofread dozens of times, and which took a first-place award in a state writing competition, just to see it fall on its face,” Berry, who owns NBB, wrote at her Web site.
“As readers ourselves, we demand nothing less from a book—be it paperback or electronic—than any other reader would: it must hold one’s attention, it must flow well and the transitions must be smooth and seamless. In its current form, the Sister of Silence e-Book does none of this,” Berry added.
###
Updated For Immediate Release
Oct. 20, 2011
Contact: Tabitha Allen at 888-241-5534 or contact@nellieblybooks.com
Why was Sister of Silence Silenced?
LIVERMORE, CALIF.--One day before “Banned Books Week” officially began, copies of Sister of Silence, an award-winning memoir that is being read by students on the campuses of Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Berkeley, were pulled from library shelves in California. A group of 1,500 students and teachers were also turned away when Author Daleen Berry’s speaking engagement at a local high school was canceled at the last minute.
The event was arranged after the school’s librarian sent a mass email out to teachers and administrators to determine the level of interest in Berry’s speech. When teachers learned of the subject matter, which involves teen pregnancy and overcoming suicidal tendencies, their response was overwhelming, and they agreed those issues are ones students can relate to and need to hear. By Friday, an estimated 1,500 students and teachers were hoping to hear Berry speak.
After the cancellation, Livermore High School Principal Darrel Avilla said he and school board members would have to read the book before it could be shelved again. Three of the school’s four copies of Sister of Silence had already been checked out earlier in the week, so only the remaining copy was pulled from the shelf. But within minutes of the decision, six students who wanted the book were turned away.
Berry became a teen mom about the same time her school, West Preston High, was featured on 20/20 for having more pregnant teens than any school in the country. By age 21, she was trapped in a violent marriage with four children, and thought suicide was the only way out.
Instead, she went on to become an award-winning journalist, which she credits with saving her life and that of her children. “Pregnant teens today have no clue what they’re getting into. The physiological changes that occur during pregnancy cause emotions that make you responsible for that child—it’s a responsibility you can’t escape,” Berry said. “But most teen moms lack the education to get a good job to support their children. Most teens don’t get this chance, and end up trapped. Sometimes, because of that, they make even worse decisions—like suicide, or killing their children.”
Sister of Silence has been endorsed by Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell; Radio Hall of Famer Bob Edwards; Alyce LaViolette, MF, MFCC; Author Asra Nomani; and Ken Lanning, a retired FBI special agent.
Dr. Campbell says Sister of Silence “is a wake-up call for all of us to help end the silence, to make it easier for our sisters to speak up when this happens to them, and to confront the violence against women and girls!”
Berry said that’s what so ridiculous about this ban. “This book teaches students to find their voice, to speak up and basically, by refusing to allow them to read the book, administrators have silenced them. As a journalist, I find that very sad.”
Cathy Wolfe, who teaches human relations, is the first known high school teacher to use the book in her class instruction at Granada High School, in Livermore. Copies of Sister of Silence remain in circulation at that school.
Sister of Silence is also being taught at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Recently, Dr. Jean Shimozaki, LCSW, MSW, began using the book with her Bay Area patients. Shimosaki said it provides a step-by-step guide for healing from abuse.
Berry was in California as an invited guest at the “Hope For the Future: Ending Domestic Violence In Families,” conference, where she presented her story to social workers from all over the country. The event was hosted by the National AIA Resource Center, a branch of the University of California, Berkeley.
###
The event was arranged after the school’s librarian sent a mass email out to teachers and administrators to determine the level of interest in Berry’s speech. When teachers learned of the subject matter, which involves teen pregnancy and overcoming suicidal tendencies, their response was overwhelming, and they agreed those issues are ones students can relate to and need to hear. By Friday, an estimated 1,500 students and teachers were hoping to hear Berry speak.
After the cancellation, Livermore High School Principal Darrel Avilla said he and school board members would have to read the book before it could be shelved again. Three of the school’s four copies of Sister of Silence had already been checked out earlier in the week, so only the remaining copy was pulled from the shelf. But within minutes of the decision, six students who wanted the book were turned away.
Berry became a teen mom about the same time her school, West Preston High, was featured on 20/20 for having more pregnant teens than any school in the country. By age 21, she was trapped in a violent marriage with four children, and thought suicide was the only way out.
Instead, she went on to become an award-winning journalist, which she credits with saving her life and that of her children. “Pregnant teens today have no clue what they’re getting into. The physiological changes that occur during pregnancy cause emotions that make you responsible for that child—it’s a responsibility you can’t escape,” Berry said. “But most teen moms lack the education to get a good job to support their children. Most teens don’t get this chance, and end up trapped. Sometimes, because of that, they make even worse decisions—like suicide, or killing their children.”
Sister of Silence has been endorsed by Johns Hopkins University professor Dr. Jacquelyn Campbell; Radio Hall of Famer Bob Edwards; Alyce LaViolette, MF, MFCC; Author Asra Nomani; and Ken Lanning, a retired FBI special agent.
Dr. Campbell says Sister of Silence “is a wake-up call for all of us to help end the silence, to make it easier for our sisters to speak up when this happens to them, and to confront the violence against women and girls!”
Berry said that’s what so ridiculous about this ban. “This book teaches students to find their voice, to speak up and basically, by refusing to allow them to read the book, administrators have silenced them. As a journalist, I find that very sad.”
Cathy Wolfe, who teaches human relations, is the first known high school teacher to use the book in her class instruction at Granada High School, in Livermore. Copies of Sister of Silence remain in circulation at that school.
Sister of Silence is also being taught at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Recently, Dr. Jean Shimozaki, LCSW, MSW, began using the book with her Bay Area patients. Shimosaki said it provides a step-by-step guide for healing from abuse.
Berry was in California as an invited guest at the “Hope For the Future: Ending Domestic Violence In Families,” conference, where she presented her story to social workers from all over the country. The event was hosted by the National AIA Resource Center, a branch of the University of California, Berkeley.
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