title: Bittersweet: A Story of Abuse & Recovery
author: Emma Avery
description: Emma has lived through some of the cruelest times that any one person can live through. Here, she tells her story in hopes that it will inspire others to get up and live in spite of the adversities life hands them. She is positive, honest, warm, loving, caring and giving ... thats why she was given the nickname Sunshyne. The authors life started in the very Deep South in the small farming community of Wrens, Georgia, where she grew up with her grandparents and five other siblings. Emma loved sports and was named Athlete of the Year in 1963 from Jefferson County High School of Louisville, Georgia. Shortly after that, tragedy struck when she and several of her family members were hit by a train while driving. The accident left Emma a bilateral double-leg amputee. Emma wouldnt allow something as life-changing as that stop her from living a life filled with wonder and joy, despite its many ups and downs. Learning to walk again using two prostheses wasnt easy, but Emma prevailed and was able to walk strong and well for many years without assistance. She drove a car and did numerous things that some people with their natural legs would never even attempt. Emma puts her head and heart in everything she sets out to do. She knew that she had a rough road to travel, and she knew in her heart she wouldnt be walking alone. In the midst of it all, she found her way through by the grace of God and the guidance of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Avery always kept herself busy, taking on a janitorial job just to prove she could do it; and went from one challenging job to another until she found her hearts work at Independence University, an extension of the Great Lakes Center for Independent Living in Detroit, Michigan. Here, she shared with individuals with disabilities of all kinds as a Peer Counselor, Class Facilitator, and Motivator. She was also affiliated with the Toastmasters, a public speaking group. Emma has shared her story as a guest on television, radio, and as a speaker. She has appeared on Detroit television talk shows Kelly and Company and Just Ask; WDET Radio, and as a guest speaker for the Commission for the Blind, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and churches such as the Congregation of Jesus Christ Apostolic in Detroit. She has appeared in her hometown newspapers and several other publications.
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  WICKED FIRSTS
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  By
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Elisabeth Naughton
  
  
  
  
  
  Alexandra Ivy
  
  
  
  
  
  Cynthia Eden
  
  
  
  
  
  Laura Wright
  
  
  
  
  
  Katie Reus
  
  
  
  
  
  Joan Swan
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  FIRST EXPOSURE by Elisabeth Naughton
  
  
  
  
  
  A film that could make her career. A weekend that will change her life…  
  
  
  
  
  
  When actress Avery Scott’s assistant goes missing researching a role for Avery
  at an exclusive adults-only resort, Avery finds herself with only one choice:
  travel to the resort herself and look for clues. She hires an elite operative
  from Aegis Security to accompany her. She just doesn’t expect to get former
  undercover FBI agent Cade Blackwell—the man who ripped out her teenage heart
  twelve years before. One weekend at the sexiest resort in the world with the
  only man she’s ever loved will expose her to more than just a kinky new
  lifestyle. It’ll expose her to numerous wicked firsts 