Privacy is paramount

Yesterday someone posted a comment on Facebook about my book, Sister of Silence. They know my family and inadvertently used my ex-husband’s name. It was an honest mistake—but one that upset my children, nonetheless.
There is a reason writers of memoir and even some nonfiction writers change names and hide identities: one good one is to protect loved ones, who may not want to be associated with the negative topic under discussion. Or the subjects being written about may not want to worry about people trying to contact them, or dig even deeper into their family secrets.
In my case, I chose to disguise the real identities of several people—because I did not want to hurt my children any more than they already have been. Because that is a great deal, indeed. So the last thing they need is for someone to call attention to it by using our real, given names.
I know yesterday was an honest mistake and the person responsible feels worse than they need to—so please, just a gentle reminder for next time. Because it’s hard enough to escape the past, without someone drawing even more attention to it than is necessary. Especially when you come from a small town, where everybody knows everyone else.
My name is real in the book; I saw no need to change it since I wasn’t writing under a pseudonym. But I changed the names of many victims, including my children, out of respect for their wishes and their privacy. I would really appreciate it, and thank you in advance.
Editor’s Note: Sister of Silence is $14.99. To order your copy, go to: http://nellieblybooks.com/sister-of-silence.html
Daleen will read from SISTER OF SILENCE and sign copies at the Bookshelf in Morgantown, W.Va.: Friday, March 11 from 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, March 12 from 2-5 p.m. Also, will be at Serenity Cafe in Fairmont, W.Va., on Friday, March 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.