Coping with bad things and Vampire Instinct

Vampire Instinct is not a read for the faint of heart but fans of Joey Hill already know of her penchant for dark sexual tales filled with BDSM elements.  It continues the saga of characters introduced in the story of Dev and Lady Daniela (Danny) (A Vampire's Claim) but after even more horrific acts have been perpetrated by the fledgling vampires created by Ruskin and his cronies.  Readers should be aware that there are multiple rapes and severe violent crimes described in addition to the “normal” kinky activities associated with multi-vampire meetings in this series but there is also a very emotional tale conveyed which centers around coping with inconceivable trauma as everyone tries to help Elisa and because of her, the remaining fledglings as well.  The decision to send them all to an island where they come under the supervision of a relatively young made vampire named Malachi is tempered by the knowledge that this is a last-ditch effort to salvage the fledglings and by extension, their champion Elisa.  Malachi has himself been damaged by his past and has carved out a niche where he is able to isolate himself with those he is comfortable around and rehabilitate the wild felids that he has rescued.  He has a ruthless determination that is ill-prepared for the deceptively weak and mild-mannered human that accompanies the potentially irredeemable fledglings.  The epic battles between the two as they find an unexpected solace in each other are entertaining and enlightening.  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9530571-vampire-instinct

Each of us has had bad things happen to us, some of us have experienced more horrific traumas than others but it is how we have coped that shapes us as individuals.  Sometimes there is a multistage process that continues to percolate over the years and sometimes we are arrested at one phase...whether it be avoidance, resentment, acceptance, ongoing pain or any other of the myriad of responses.  Sometimes scars are physical and sometimes they are non-tangible but real nevertheless.  Our support system is invaluable and it can be an additional burden if we don’t have anyone to help bring us out of the darkness that we can fall into but it is important to realize that ultimately, we have to decide for ourselves how we are going to respond.  A beautiful quote in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Retribution is ascribed to the Tsalagi, and reminds us that “you should never allow your yesterday to use up too much of today.  The past is gone and tomorrow is at best a maybe.  Live for this moment because it may be all you’ll ever have. “  I think that this reminds us that we have to decide for ourselves whether we are going to allow things that have been done to us to swallow up our future or whether we will make the decision to live each day to its fullest potential and go on from where we are at this moment.