In this heart-breaking and inspiring memoir, Christina Maria Martinez shares how events that could've been fatal were, instead, the beginning of something wonderful.

Raised in a family struggling to stay afloat despite domestic violence, substance abuse and time spent in a children's home, young Christina felt like the ugly duckling. Even as she found more stability in her teen years, Christina felt shy and insecure.

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Maybe if she felt beautiful she'd feel loved.

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Then Christina met Tomas. As their relationship bloomed, so did her hopes for the future. That's when the unthinkable happened. A car crash sent her through a faulty windshield, nearly killing her. Confined to a hospital bed with severe lacerations to her face, Christina wondered, Why wasn't I grateful for what I had?

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Other questions haunted her: Would Tomas still care for her? Could anyone love her the way she looked now? In her darkest moment, she wished the accident had killed her.

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But friends and family rallied, preventing her from wallowing in pity. They helped her find strength to push past the pain, and eventually love herself despite her scars.

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Shattered Pieces Everywhere tells the story of a woman totally transformed--physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Now a wife and mother, Christina draws courage from her scars, wearing them like a warrior. She's spoken and sung before huge crowds and been the public face of multiple companies she and her husband have built. When she steps into the spotlight, she remembers her scars, knowing she is a better person for them. Like the woman Elizabeth Edwards described in her book, Resilience: The New Afterword: "She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her away, she adjusted her sails."

Excerpt from Shattered Pieces Everywhere:

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"Here's the thing about dark places. Sometimes, we don't get out of them by pulling ourselves out. Sometimes, it's just a simple step that keeps us around one more day. Then one more. Then another. Sometimes, it's just piecing together a string of "barely making it through" days until we get to a day that's okay. Which leads to days that are good. And then, eventually, when you least expect it, you find your way to great days..."

Formato	Tapa suave
Número de Páginas	266
Lenguaje	Inglés
Editorial	Division Street Books
Fecha de Publicación	2022-11-20
Dimensiones	8.5" x 5.5" x 0.6" pulgadas
Letra Grande	No
Con Ilustraciones	No
Temas	Femenino

Martinez, Christina Maria

When Christina Martinez tells the story of her modest upbringing, she does so with an appreciative happiness. Although her childhood was filled with many ups and downs, a bright smile fittingly defines her memories as full of life's lessons. Domestic violence, substance abuse and ultimately, growing up, she remembers her time spent in a Children's Home in Arkansas. She spent her childhood moving between New Jersey, California, New Orleans, Chicago, and Texas where music always served as a soundtrack to mold her determined demeanor. Even now, Christina's humble start remains the underlying melody for her continued success.As a young woman, Christina made it her goal to one day teach music as a form of therapy and healing to victims of trauma. But while studying at San Antonio College, her trajectory was altered forever. In June of 1998 she was involved in a car accident. She sustained a broken wrist, ankle, and facial disfigurement that required multiple surgeries and skin grafts. "I feel like my family has had my back forever," says Christina as she remembers the resulting surgeries, being confined to a wheelchair and her months-long recovery process.Her strong community of family and friends, along with her then boyfriend, now husband, Tomas, played a huge role in her physical and emotional well-being. "My friends and family gave me courage to make it until tomorrow," says Christina. "At one point in my life I realized tomorrow was worth living for. Today may seem difficult, but tomorrow? It offered me hope." Music continues to be a major part of her life. In 2013, on the 15th Anniversary of her accident, Christina performed at San Antonio's Arneson River Theater. The concert benefitted a local San Antonio nonprofit who's mission is to serve families with children in need of facial reconstructive surgery. Christina captivated an audience of family, friends and supporters with her gift of song, recapturing her tragic day, and transforming its memory into a story of resurgence.​Christina and Tomas, use their life experiences to help inspire through their personal and professional development courses, speaking engagements and hosted conferences. Christina and Tomas are proud business owners in Texas, spending much of their time and resources supporting their community, especially in the spirit of education. "I never saw myself as an entrepreneur," Christina admits and humbly acknowledges that the skills to run her businesses have stemmed from mentors, a natural ability to innovate, and the unconditional support of her husband and son, Enzo. Christina looks at her influence and accomplishments and is grateful everyday that she made it to her tomorrow.