All Comments on 'BDVFREE'

Even with your definitions it was hard to understand sometimes. How do Australians understand each other even? you speak a different language.

An excellent story which I had no diffivulty understanding.

Like you I hate DV!

Tough subject, but necessary. Domestic violence is so vile. Very well written.

However, not to be political, this is the second story published in two days where gun play was used in a nation with strict gun laws for their citizens. The other was set in England. Just a thought. Other than that, a great story.

Gold!

So sad but true regarding DA. Glad you were able to break the chain. I never saw any of that while growing up with my parents, but it did rear it's ugly head after I got married. Came close to hitting my wife a couple of times and had to learn to control my temper. Must have done something right because were were married over 50 years before she passed. Sure miss that lady. They say, "you only hurt the ones you love" but sometimes love isn't even a factor in the equation as seen in this story. Had to laugh at the ending where Penny delivers a kick to his "jingle bells". Unhappily but not all of the true life stories of DA have such a good ending. Thanks for writing and posting.

You spin a damn good yarn. Your stories are always entertaining and well worth the time to read them. Hope you treat us to another story soon. Thank you for all your hard work.

Beautiful but heartbreaking

So sad that this happens in our world, thank you for a great story

I personally didn't have to deal with violence, but as a incest rape survivor I have similar stories. I too have broke the chain, and know the pressures of momentum from your aggressors involving that break. The sometimes almost daily choices to walk right and true.

I'm sure writing this one brought up a lot of memories. Thank you for sharing. The more of us that aren't afraid to say 'You are not alone' the more we can heal as a whole.

I felt Connie and penny didn't have to change their last names. They were emotionally attached to blue but why change names as if it's a title of some property. People practice it alright, but I believe it's time the ol practices changed. But this won't stop me from thinking this was a really good piece of work. Gives me hope that DV is not a forever loop.

For people coming from difficult situations, a name change is often a sign of a new beginning. Imagine being in the situation of Connie or young Penny. Surviving such abuse, finding love and devotion, and starting a new life with a new person, thus changing your name is definitely a break from the past. Why on earth would you want to keep the name of your tormenter? It's not limited to marriage. I have a friend who was abused by his family growing up, and a few years ago he legally changed his name to his author pen name. His wife and two of their children changed their last names to match his when he did so. My ex-wife legally changed her first name, because she didn't like the name her parents gave her. Should have noticed that as a red flag, but eh, young love, what can you do?

As for the practice of changing one's name on marriage, it's not an "ownership" issue, but a unity issue. Not just for the couple involved, but also the families that are brought together in the act. It's also a symbol of change. The reasons for marriage in Westernized cultures have changed from the pre-Victorian era as well. Marriage has become a matter of the heart rather than a family obligation or an arrangement. You're no longer marrying your daughter off to some distant noble to forge an alliance or a villager in a better standing to enhance your own station.

Obviously, this does not apply to much of the world, as arranged and forced marriages are commonplace in many countries and cultures. Sometimes with tragically lethal consequences.

As for the story, I found it enjoyable. Having that many police officers involved in something like this would be exceedingly uncommon, and when such things do occur, (and they do indeed occur), it's mostly limited to small local law enforcement organizations and the sheriff or police chief is usually the source of the rot. Notable large scale example of this is the Detroit Police department. They are no longer allowed to have their own officer promotion boards. Officers from out of state departments are selected to oversee any promotion to Sgt or above. Weird but effective deal. Keep up the good work.

Brave characters, brave writing.

RB, one day I suspect Lit will lose you…not because you’re bored with here, but because you decide you'll try your hand at writing professionally. I think you can, and I hope you will give it a crack. We probably won’t know the book, but the story will come…

…This particular story has sadness, and it’s exceptionally sad because we know this shit happens for real. God damn, the last few weeks of news surrounding Australian political circles have demonstrated this ad nauseam, and also the outpouring of revelations since our recent Australian of the year spoke up, a brave woman, not so much because of the abuse she suffered but because she used her voice to expose it and fight the status quo, thus, encouraging so many to speak out...obviously that's just mainly on the R word, but DV is a part of that.

And your writing is brave because you gave it a voice. The trigger warning you gave was totally appropriate, because people have to deal with this sort of thing, years after the fact, even when they’ve survived, and it dredges up the hurt.

Damn great story, I wish I’d read it sooner.

A really, really good story. Great writing, this reader could identify with the characters because the writer did such a good job of making them real.

And while I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US my entire life, I felt like I was transported to being part of an active Australian family of characters and their surroundings. This story was a treat!

Thanks.

Great!

A wonderful story of redemption for two gutsy people.

I wasn't even supposed to read this story... I was going through your Romance stories again and hadn't really intended reading any in this category... Although it might as well have been placed in Romance as you pointed out in the introduction.

I just came off of reading Wings again, when I saw a comment pointing out I should read this one... so I did.

So, now here I am again kicking myself yet again for not having read a story way earlier than I did.

Five stars are all I can give unfortunately.

Speaking as a fella, there isn’t a hole deep enough or dark enough for the arseholes responsible for Domestic Violence, using an acronym like DV is fine, but it doesn’t convey the wrongness of the crime. That aside it’s a good story, my favourite character was of course Penny, dropping the ruined abuser of her mother with kick to the goolies at the end was a nice touch. It’s a cast iron 5⭐️ all day long, many thanks for writing and posting, cheers Ppfzz.

Definitely don't see this as an "erotic coupling" but more as a romance (you even tagged it that way). Regardless loved the story, looking forward to catching your next one.

Loved it!

I agree with your sentiments on DV. Only spineless shits indulge in that shit.

Great story. DV is such a serious subject to write about. You did an amazing job writing about this story of redemption and how the power of love can overcome even the most egregious things that people are capable of doing. Thank you for sharing it.

Worth reading as a reasonably well-written romance that offers a decent plot arc. On the other hand, it is editorialized into a sort of social justice porn that comes across as a bit pompously self-aware. I suggest that the story would be stronger if it stood on its own, sans the preachy virtue signaling. In any event, it is your story to tell. Thanks for sharing it.

Bravo. Shining a light on DV is a tough thing to do without dropping into sappiness or violence porn. Anything that brings a focus onto the blight that is DV is a good thing.

Dear, brave Rollinbones, in your preface you mentioned that writing this story was very triggering for you. I can't begin to fathom how much courage you needed to face your demons and to write and publish this story. At the same time, I can't estimate how many hurt souls will be encouraged by it, I only know that there will be a lot! You were able to take the reader on a real journey and evoke a lot of different emotions, with humour, compassion, hope and love.

A big thank you from a reader in The Netherlands who (thanks heaven) has no experience with DV in the family but has heard too many stories of less fortunate people.

Cheers!

Henk