McKeesport, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/21/2013 -- Literature is a powerful vehicle from which to inspire change. Nobody knows this better than Linda Foster, a battered victim, who is using the media to empower others to turn their own lives around. Fusing facets of her own life with powerful fiction, her latest novel is set to bring solace to thousands in distress.

Struggling for Love and Life is a raw and explicit fictional account of the abuse Foster suffered.

Synopsis:

Twenty-year-old Sarah Jones has no idea that the night of June 30, 1978, will be the beginning of the worst years of her life. A single mother living with her Christian parents outside of Denver, Colorado, Sarah is a shy girl with few friends and even less self-confidence. She works two jobs to provide her daughter, Tina, with life's necessities.

That night in the Riverview Bar, she meets a man who will change her life. In the beginning, Sarah is enamoured with William "Bill" Taylor's easy-going personality. She falls in love and believes she has finally met "Mr. Right." There is nothing that Sarah won't do for him. And in spite of the street life that Bill leads, she thinks being a good woman will win his love. But before long, she discovers that she harbors the wrong perception of love. Soon, Sarah is caught in a destructive cycle of mental and physical abuse while trying to protect Tina and her new daughter, Alisha. First, Sarah struggled for his love, and now she is struggling for her life.

“I am a survivor. I wrote this book to show the battered victim that there is another life, one filled with unconditional love and forgiveness. Mentally and physically abused victims don't always realize that there is hope. For others, it may seem that there is just no way out. Yet other's wait too late for help. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, and realize now, that you can't change a man that doesn't want to be changed. That which I had waged, took years off my life. In trying to win his love, I compromised, which almost cost me my life. “I was so close to being a statistic,” says Foster.

She continues, “Now, I have a second chance. Involvement in an abusive relationship is out of the question for me. It's not worth it. A happy relationship is deserving of me, and I will not take anything less from this day forward. This story needs to be told because I don't want anyone to go through the pain and suffering like I did. I want the readers to pay attention to the warning signs, and if you are in an abusive relationship, get out of it before it's too late. Stop taking chances. It may be your last!”

Since its release, the book has garnered a consistent string of rave reviews.

For example, Juakina said “This book will make you feel how the characters feel. You will not want to put it down. Filled with suspense, very emotional and has movie potential. A must have!”

With the book’s popularity only expected to rise, interested readers are urged to purchase their copy as soon as possible.

‘Struggling for Life and Love’, published by iUniverse, is available now: http://amzn.to/YC2ctF
For more additional information about the book, or to purchase your very own copy from her website, please go to lindastestimony.net.

About Linda Foster
Linda Foster currently lives in Pennsylvania, and is the parent of one son and two daughters. “Struggling For Love And Life” is her debut novel. She has also published poetry included in the International Library of Poetry, “Secret Hiding Places.” Linda Foster has written, as well as directed, several plays and skits. Her latest was “The Judgement Line,” followed by “Just in Time, (part 2).” She has also been an extra in these movies: “Silence of the Lamb,” starring Jody Foster; “Warrior,” starring Tom Hardy and Nick Nolte; and “Three More Days,” starring Russell Crowe. Her training in Culinary Arts has led her to a devoted ministry of feeding the homeless and those in need.