Hey there,

Just in case you’re interested, my publisher, Medallion Press, is airing a short interview I did with them last month at the Book Expo of America in New York.

I haven’t heard it yet, but it should be good. Here is the link. Let me know what you think. (Sorry, you will have to copy and paste).

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=98942333223&h=JgsOm&u=jteb5&ref=nf

Best, Dawn

I found this on the side of my refrigerator. It has been there for about a year-and-a-half, written by my then almost 8-year-old daughter. She knows I have written this book. She knows it is about a real hard time with a man who hurt me, but she cannot comprehend the depth of cruelty that occurred and how humans are capable of inflicting terrible pain on one another.

Still, she will get older and with age have more exposure to an unfair life. With the passage of time, I hope she will see why I wrote this book. I hope she will see how my intention was to expose an ugly truth that is too often swept from sight, and passed off with excuses as okay. I hope she will see how I wrote this book with her in my heart, her mom’s story of pain and consequences, to protect her.

She cannot change who her mother is, and she does not need to take on my path. She has her own story, and I love her for drawing me this picture….

Dawn __

Click here for more information on my upcoming presentations.indexcfm

Hey everyone,

Great news! Today is the day that I finish my paper on Throwaway Teen Abuse Prevention. The next few weeks I will be turning this into a power point presentation and putting it out to the public on June 10, 2009 at Eastern Oregon University to faculty, students and the public. Through a grant I received from the Wildhorse Foundation and sponsored by my local shelter, Shelter From the Storm, I am able to give my presentation at three venues. The second presentation will be at Cook’s Library in town and the third will be a EOU’s Writing 131 class during summer session. I am more than thrilled…and a bit nervous.

As some of you know, I come to this topic because of my own story. I was a throwaway, a kid who grew up with violence and neglect at home. I was abandoned and left vulnerable as a teen, that in my case, made me “easy” to approach and seduce by John Holmes.

I don’t always understand why it doesn’t sound strange to people that a 32 year old porn star was seeking out the company of a 15 year old kid. He buddied up to my dad and sold him pot. My dad looked the other way. In truth, everyone looked the other way. Why?

As I conducted my research for this presentation, it truly sucked discovering how much of a statistic I was. Along with the overwhelming government statistics I found, I also uncovered terrible hidden narratives, short stories written anonymously in classrooms, that to me, more accurately represents the many unreported teens living today in painful and unfair circumstances. Knowing this also made me very aware that I was/am not the only one, and ignites my passion to raise awareness and educate communities to prevent and care for these throwaway teens.

Stay tuned please. The more I discover the more I want to share the hope.

Peace always,

Dawn

Last night, my little 15-year-old Chihuahua, Tinkerbelle passed away in my arms. Her heart gave out, four-and-a-half years after she was diagnosed with a heart murmur. I held her for a long time after she went, stroking her head and mourning the loss of this precious being who loved me no matter what. Then we laid her in a beautiful basket with her favorite pink blanket and daughter’s stuffed animal, lit candles and said prayers. My daughter and me cried ourselves to sleep and woke up this morning slapped down with the painful memory that she is really no longer with us. We miss her terribly.

Moving through the empty house I realized she left very few possessions behind, but did leave a huge absence of spirit. She was pure love. If I could only have a measure of the love she owned on a daily basis, I should be a happy woman.

She was named “Thor’s Faerie Princess, aka Tinkerbelle” after my first Chihuahua, Thor. In my book I write about Thor, how he saved me from hopelessness. Tinkerbelle saved me too.

We are so very, very sad tonight…

Hey there everyone!

I know, it’s high time to be posting something…anything! Right?

I’ll start with news of a committee that I sit on. The President’s Commission on the Status of Women, or PCSW. This is a committee based out of my local University, and every year during National Women’s Week the PCSW selects from a pool of outstanding women from the community, faculty, staff, and students. This is my second year serving here and there is always alot of work to get things organized, but everything finally came to fruition the first week of March. Kathleen Dahl won for outstanding faculty and Sharon Mendoza won for outstanding citizen. Professor Dahl had quite a history of being the odd woman out and standing strong, so her success as this year’s awardee was deserved. But Ms. Mendoza was the underdog, and won my heart.

It snows where I live in the Winter. Well, let’s be real. It snows Fall, Winter and half of Spring to be modest. At the corner of our town square, every Friday early evening a small handful of people stand waving a blue flag with the words “peace” sewn in white. The thing is, on many of the blustery, freezing, evenings there is only one person standing waving her flag for peace. It is Ms. Mendoza.

That image, the one of her standing with her flag in some of the most frigid weather in Eastern Oregon, was the face of courage and bravery to me. And as I closed my eyes to contemplate on the cast of deserving nominees, Ms. Mendoza’s lone figure wouldn’t leave my thoughts and I placed my vote.

It’s tough to pick an awardee out of a pool of very deserving women, but I think we (the committee) did good.

Peace, Dawn

Jade at her stocking

Hey there everyone. It is two days after Christmas and I can tell you it has been a mixed bag of emotions. Christmas Eve is spent at my mother’s house, where an early Santa gift exchange happens and we eat sauerkraut with pork roast and sausages. My mom overdoes everything, my daughter is excited, and I love that part of the evening.

There is also all the emotions of a family gathering with resentments between some, and the cloudy hurtfulness of other members infused in alcohol and drug abuse. My father moved back from Thailand a year or so ago and in that short time has managed to build walls up between his children, treating some of them with great love, and others with little interest and a badmouth. When he intentionally keeps his favorites away from the children he looks down on, he breaks hearts that don’t deserve it. I am not one of his favorites, but I am in good company with my brother. I don’t get upset for myself anymore, but I am torn up inside to see how my brother still hurts over the rejection of his father. A rejection he still gets after more than 40 years. As my aunt (father’s sister) tells me, dad is repeating what their dad did to them, continuing to keep alive a cruel pain that was probably born hundreds of years ago.

Ah! I love Christmas anyway! The evening at mom’s is only a few hours long and I do love laughing with my nieces and most of my nephews and their friends. My step-dad is one of the kindest hearted people I know. It was too cool to see my nephew, Christopher, excited with the “Tenacious D” DVD I got him, especially since we both love Jack Black. Once at home, Jade and I got ready for bed, and Santa. It’s tough to get to sleep when you are nine-years-old on Christmas Eve. In the morning, there were lots of presents, laughs and visits from friends who I am so lucky to have in my life.

I love Christmas. For me it is all about spirit and giving, and in email and phone calls I got some of the best messages of love, caring and inspiration a person could receive…especially for the book. One email in particular, although very short and partially misspelled, gave me the greatest message of courage and inspiration. Thank you.

I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

Dawn

Christmas morning!

MEDALLION PRESS LAUNCHES A NONFICTION LINE! St. Charles, Illinois—August 1, 2008— Medallion Press, Inc., is pleased to announce the debut of a nonfiction line, with the first title available in stores August 2010. This new imprint will cover areas of motivation and strength, self-help, and autobiographies. This will be the seventh imprint for Medallion Press, adding it to the family of fiction imprints, including the new Medallion Masterpiece Collection, which will unveil its first title in November 2008.

The first release of our nonfiction line will be an autobiographical look at the life of Dawn Schiller, a woman who, as a teenager, became wrapped up in the bizarre life of legendary porn star John Holmes, and the drugs, beatings, and murders that soon consumed her world. In The Road through Wonderland, Dawn will give a recounting of her life, starting with her childhood, leading through her relationship with John Holmes, and through the struggle she encountered to overcome her past. In 2003, Lion’s Gate released the film Wonderland, a look at the life of John Holmes and his connection with the Wonderland Murders. Actor Val Kilmer, who played John, and actress Kate Bosworth, who played Dawn, will both contribute a foreword to the book.

_

IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE…….

Today is John Lennon’s birthday…..

Today marks six weeks since my daughter’s surgery, she has been given the all clear by the doctors. We call this her recovery day.

Today I can announce the news that “The Road Through Wonderland” has found a publisher.

JUST IMAGINE….

Thank you all for keeping the faith,

Dawn

My latest DV Shelter event took place last night. I would like to share with you some of the wonderful people that gave of their time and talent. The event was an amazing success. I will post pics later along with many more thank yous to all the volunteers. All my best, Dawn

Jimmy Lloyd Rea – File photo
People who love the blues and a good cause are in for a rockin’ good time Saturday night when Shelter From the Storm hosts the second annual Jimmy Lloyd Rea Birthday Bash at the La Grande Eagles Lodge. Not only does the 7 p.m. fundraiser at 1212 Jefferson Ave. coincide with Rea’s birthday, it also comes along at the start of October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Shelter board member and event organizer Dawn Schiller said it all fits together very nicely. “This is a wonderful way to launch the observance, and also to let the community know the shelter is available to everyone and working hard to eradicate violence,” she said. Proceeds from the event will benefit the agency, which is Union County’s domestic violence crisis intervention service. Rea and the local musicians siding him are donating their time and talent to the event. “Jimmy is a staunch advocate against violence, and he shows it with his actions and his words,” said Schiller. “That goes for all the musicians who will be there.” Rea, an ever-popular blues singer and bass guitarist, lives in Baker City when he isn’t touring. He has been playing the blues since the 1960s. Though Rea is internationally known and has performed with legends like Pete Karnes, Muddy Waters and the group Canned Heat, he often plays small towns in the Northwest. He grew up in Baker City. His father, Baker County Judge Jimmy Lloyd Rea, often presided over cases involving domestic violence. That gave the son a chance to see the consequences of violence up close. “A lot of times, the cases were about parents beating and abusing their kids. I saw that it turned those kids sideways,” Rea said. “It’s always driven me crazy. I can’t stand that abuse stuff. This is my way of helping the people who need it.” Saturday night, Rea will appear with singer-guitarist Al “Too Loud” MacLeod, keyboardist Matt Cooper, guitarists Larry Robb and Jerry Smith, drummer Tim Erickson and saxophonist Greg Johnson. Sit-in musicians will include Russell Hunt, David Lundquist, Luke McKern, Michael Beyer and Dave Yoder. Hunt, of La Grande, is a Navy veteran who played saxophone in the Navy Stage Band. He was once selected to play his instrument on the Tonight Show, but was unable to make it because of his service commitment. Lundquist, of Wallowa County, is a flutist who learned the blues at the Boots and Saddle Inn and Apple Jack’s in San Francisco. He is also a visual artist who created works for the Grateful Dead and Harvey Mandel. Tickets for the benefit, priced at $10 per person and $15 for families, can be purchased at Shelter From the Storm, Sunflower Books, the Eagles Lodge and at the Saturday Farmers Market in Max Square. “We were a packed house last year,” Schiller said. “The Eagles were pleasantly surprised to find all their chairs filled with people.” The event is sponsored by Sorbenot’s Coffee, Domino’s Pizza, Pizza Hut, New York Richie’s and Coca-Cola.

Since my posting of my daughter’s accident last October I have kept any update of her condition very private. For many reasons I have been cautious, scared to talk about my little girl’s struggles to be completely healed. She has had a tough eleven months that have put even the best of news that has not had to do with her health on the back burner, leaving us hesitant to celebrate anything but the news of her complete recovery.

So here is the best news I could ever possibly receive and share. Jade had her last surgery on August 28th, and has pulled through 100 percent. The bruising of her brain is completely healed. The air pocket in her brain has filled with fluid and the bone has healed around the titanium plate in her head perfectly. The screws that were pushing out towards her scalp have been removed successfully and there has been no sign of infection. The wound is healing and the stitches are dissolving along the same scar the doctors had originally created so she wouldn’t have more than necessary scars. She has three more weeks of down time before she can play fully again, AND she has entered the third grade with a surge in confidence and a sudden acceleration in her reading, writing, spelling and math skills. Her eyesight has strengthened back to normal and she is going to start piano with me, Mom, taking a class right after her session, so we will be learning together.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am. There are no words to describe how lucky I feel. And just in case it may appear that I am complacent about the miracle that my daughter is alive and on the last steps to full recovery, I want to scream at the top of my lungs…..THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

I have more good news for everyone who has been following my story too. So more to come, and more to finally celebrate.

Peace,

Dawn