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by Tj Kechula (Author)
Finally Freed is the true story of a young girl under the control of a man 13 years her senior. Tammie came into this world as a child of innocence. In only a few moments that innocence was shattered and stripped away by those she trusted most. After the violent rape at age 12, she realized that love and security were sacred and only for the privileged. She did not feel privileged. She felt tainted by her rapists, who made threats against her family if she told. As her self-esteem plummeted, she was left vulnerable to a master manipulator, Kevin. He gained control over her and her parents when Tammie was only 15 years old. Ultimately, he led her far away from the ones she loved. She lived a sheltered, abusive existence for 12 long years. In that remote desert, she frequently prayed for a way of escape. Being 1500 miles from home couldn't stand in her way! She had to learn how to be a real warrior, to fight, and win that battle against him. Even through all the physical abuse, continuously scornful insults, and humiliations from Kevin, God protected her. She found comfort in God's presence. She could hear His voice when Kevin left her alone on that hill. As the winds howled past the house on that vacant lot, God never left her side. Within herself, Tammie found a unique type of calm that took anything remotely good and made it appear inconceivably beautiful. She knew that the little girl inside her, the one who Kevin took away from her family, was still there. He believed that he owned her, but the truth is he never did.
