Jackie Brewer Van Dyke
ABOUT THE BOOK.
Born into a broken home, rife with alcohol and abuse, she dreamed of escape. Will she finally find freedom in a place she swore she'd never be?
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Jackie Brewer Van Dyke yearned for a fairytale family. Promising herself to never end up like her violent father and her abused mother, the young girl morphed into "the fixer" in her household, convincing herself that she alone could put an end to the cycle of abuse. Determined to conceal her pain, she hid behind the façade of someone who was bold and strong; often overcompensating by developing perfectionist tendencies in a desperate effort to fit in with her peers. She dared not let anyone see the inadequacy she felt inside.
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After years of her trying to fix the people she loved, with bittersweet and heartbreaking results, Jackie's pursuit of perfection slowly descended into unrecognized depression and dependence on alcohol. She was shattered and disillusioned, failing to recognize her own brokenness. Until she landed in a pit caused by her own poor choices and was changed forever.
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In this inspiring story, Jackie strips down emotionally to give a no-holds-barred account of spiraling from being a fixer, to recognizing codependency and her up-and-down journey toward letting go. For those who can relate to finding themselves in a destructive and painful cycle of pretending to be "all put together" outwardly, yet on the inside masking deep insecurities and pain from childhood, the born storyteller presents a raw, unflinchingly honest, and ultimately hopeful message. Everyone deserves to be set free from childhood trauma and attain happiness.
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Join Jackie on this journey of overcoming Adverse Childhood Experiences, becoming self-aware, and finding healing. From small-town Alabama, all the way to the castles and countryside of Scotland, you might find that a young girl's dream of finding her fairytale can look totally different from how she imagined.
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR.
Jackie Brewer Van Dyke is a southern gal, born and raised in rural Alabama. She has been a storyteller from way "back in the day". As she grew older, she especially enjoyed writing skits and plays, giving her the chance to dress up, be on stage, and pretend to be someone else. A character. Even as an outgoing little girl, she preferred to keep herself hidden, always wondering if she would be judged as being in a family from "the wrong side of the tracks." Only in the past decade, Jackie decided to just "get nekkid", deciding to strip down and live life uncovered and authentic.
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Dogs are her favorite "people" and Wick the Weimaraner is her best friend and loyal follower. Most days Wick lies at Jackie's feet as she crafts words into story while enjoying her two favorite food groups - chocolate and coffee - accompanied by 70's music bouncing off the walls of her writing room.
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Currently living west of metro Atlanta, Jackie is a Jesus-loving wife, mother, and "MJ" to five amazing grandsons. She enjoys thrift-store shopping and refinishing furniture because she relates to the "junk" people throw away, believing that with a little love and a coat of paint, usefulness, and beauty can be restored.
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Jackie retired from her "real job" - a lifelong career providing eye exams to help people see better. Now she likes to do "I" exams, a careful process of self-discovery that she loves sharing with readers. Yeah, she loves a good metaphor.
BOOK TRAILER.
MY FAMILY.
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