Returning student of Texas A&M University- Commerce and domestic violence survivor, CJ Davidson published her first book, “A Daughter’s Curse”, last week in hopes of reaching out to victims of abuse.

“A lot of things that happened in the book are reflected on what happened to me during my younger years. I think a lot of people will relate to my characters just because a lot of people go through some sort of abuse once in their lifetime,” Davidson said. “I just want to get my message across to those that are suffering now, to let them know imagination is a powerful thing. If you don’t imagine, you’re not going anywhere.”

Davidson used her imagination to escape from reality and hold onto hope. After she and her nine siblings were split up by CPS at age 13 she decided to write a book. Written and published within a year and three months, Davidson wrote the book to show how far inventiveness got her and how far it can help others.

“A Daughter’s Curse” introduces a new mystical fantasy world incorporating the four elements earth, air, wind, and fire and characters with powers. Davidson’s main character, Brisnay, portrays herself and deals with situations similar to Davidson and her youth with domestic violence.

“She’s kind of going through the same thing as me. She was taken away from her real parents and suddenly she’s thrown into this whole new world, realism that she didn’t know existed. And that’s basically what foster children who are older, that were sheltered go through, that’s what I went through.

“You’re so sheltered, you’re only allowed to go to store once a month, school, or work. Whenever you get picked up by CPS it’s a whole new world. It hits you in the face, the littlest things like going to the movies- you didn’t even know existed,” she said.

Davidson demonstrates how relatable the fantasy world she created is to real life scenarios today. Her book includes the bad character who abuses her, the mother who is scared to leave the father, the girl who wants to leave but won’t leave her mother behind, and the forbidden love.

“There’s a dark side to show [the audience], what, exactly from the point of the child or the supposed person that’s being abused, they feel- their perspective,” she said.

Relating her forbidden love by CPS as the Council in the book, she explains how there were certain rules to follow and how a lot of people understand how that feels.

“I think this can relate to everyone’s lives because how society looks at certain couples, because they’re different or they’re not “supposed” to be together. I’m trying to bring that point across in the book. Change. Change because obviously we can’t help it, everything is changing, nothing is the same,” she said.

The book is more targeted for anyone over the age of 14 because they’ve had to deal with abuse longer than younger children.

“Even younger—we just want to give them hope that there is a way to deal with it. The reason the book came around was because when I came home from school there were times [I didn’t] feel safe and obviously your mind wanders around somewhere because you just have that free time,” Davidson said.

Davidson markets her book by word of mouth, social media, and connections. Hard copies of “A Daughter’s Curse” are being sold for $10.99 and a kindle version for $2.99, both on Amazon.com. She is currently in the works of writing a sequel that will relate more to adult issues.

Traveling out of Texas for the first time, she will be having her first book signing in Canada, Sept. 22-29. The Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children, CASA, director also reached out to Davidson in hopes of her speaking to graduates of their program.

Keep up with her book signings and speaking events at cjdavidsonofficial.com