Counselor and Author Confronts What Too Many Women Endure Behind Closed Doors in New Book, 'Madness in Memphis'
Madness in Memphis is a gripping, emotionally charged story drawn from the author's own lived experience that offers a raw look at the shame, fear and resilience that define life with — and escape from — an abuser.
Patricia Gordon Stevens is a counselor and writer who runs Maxwell House Counseling, specializing in grief, bereavement, anxiety and trauma.
One in four women in the wealthiest nations — including the U.S., Australia and the U.K. — will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, December 16, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It could be happening to a coworker, neighbor, sister or friend. One in four women in the wealthiest nations — including the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom — will experience domestic violence in their lifetime, yet nearly half of those incidents will go unreported.
Licensed counselor and author Patricia Gordon Stevens knows this reality all too well. Drawing from her own lived experience, Stevens channels the shame, fear and resilience of living under seriously challenging conditions into her new book, Madness in Memphis, a harrowing yet hopeful portrait of one woman’s fight to reclaim her life.
“People think they know about domestic violence, but they rarely understand how complex and isolating it really is,” Stevens said. “It doesn’t discriminate. It affects women from every background, every income level, every walk of life.”
In Madness in Memphis, readers meet Morgan Sage, a devoted mother and successful stockbroker who longs to give her children the stability of a loving home. When she remarries, she believes she’s found that missing piece until her new husband’s charm gives way to cruelty. What begins as emotional manipulation escalates into stalking and physical terror, leaving Morgan trapped in a cycle of fear and self-doubt.
Supported by a small circle of allies — her mother, best friend, her brilliant work colleague and her new, compassionate attorney — Morgan discovers the strength to confront the man who vowed to love her but instead sought to destroy her. The story’s chilling realism reflects the lived experience of many women who endure years of coercion and control before finding a path to safety.
“I want people to know what it’s really like for a woman to live with a stalker and violent abuser — someone who is supposed to love her,” Stevens said. “It’s a dark, relentless world, but it’s not hopeless. There is a way out.”
Part psychological thriller, part survival story, Madness in Memphis blends gripping fiction with emotional truth, offering not only suspense but also understanding. The author’s background in counseling adds depth and authenticity, allowing her to explore trauma and recovery with compassion and insight.
“If a woman surrounds herself with the right support systems and people, she can find a way to flee with her children,” Stevens added. “But it’s nearly impossible to do it alone.”
Madness in Memphis is both a page-turner and a call to awareness — a reminder that behind closed doors, too many women face unseen danger, and that empathy and education remain vital in ending the cycle of abuse.
About the Author
Patricia Gordon Stevens is a counselor and writer originally from Memphis, Tennessee, now living in Kapunda, South Australia, with her British husband. Her debut novel, Madness in Memphis, exposes the emotional and psychological realities of domestic violence — drawing on her lived experience and her work with trauma survivors.
A graduate of Edith Cowan University with a master’s in counseling, Stevens now runs Maxwell House Counseling, specializing in grief, bereavement, anxiety and trauma. When she’s not writing or working with clients, she enjoys traveling and returning home to her restored 1860s cottage, which is often shared with a few furry visitors.
For more information, visit www.patriciagordonstevens.com, or find the author on Facebook and Instagram at Patricia Gordon Stevens Author.
Madness in Memphis
Publisher: Hembury Books,
Release date: November 27, 2025
ISBN-13: 978-1923517332 (Paperback)
Available from: https://www.amazon.com/Madness-Memphis-Patricia-Gordon-Stevens/dp/1923517333
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