By Lilli Dickens

AMERICUS — Dishonorable. Wicked. Unrighteous. Evil. These are just a few words that come to mind when one reads or hears about a case of domestic abuse. Tonya Cannon, a survivor of domestic abuse and Americus resident, has turned her dark past into a bright future with her career, ministry, and new book: If You Hit Me One More Time.
Cannon was born and raised in Florida. After the tragic loss of her parents, she went to live with her extended family and stayed with them for the remainder of her childhood. Eventually she was married and had five children with her husband. During the 12 years of this marriage, Cannon was heavily abused by her husband. While her children were still young, she would have to endure a version of hell no woman should have to experience.
Though Cannon was being abused, she was not alone. Helping her in her battle with the abuse was her church. Women banded together around Cannon to support her and her children in this trying time. Her bishop and his wife also helped Cannon, as well, by helping care for her children.
As the years went by and her children grew, Cannon’s three sons began to try to protect their mother from their abusive father. It was then she decided that they must escape this dangerous and potentially deadly situation; so, one day while her husband was at work, Cannon packed up her house and her children and left for another state to get away from her abuser.
Because of this act of bravery, Cannon and her children have made new lives for themselves here in Georgia. She has lived in Americus for approximately six years. Cannon loves the family-oriented feel of this town, and believes this is the type of nestled community she has always wanted to settle down in. She works as a business realtor, insurance agent, and attends college to earn her bachelor’s degree in psychology. It was in Americus that she also met her new husband, an Americus native and one of her biggest inspirations.
Cannon’s new book, If You Hit Me One More Time, recounts the story of her abuse and how her faith helped her overcome it. Her inspiration for writing the book comes from her compassion for women going through what she went through, and her desire to help them find hope in their own circumstances. She hopes to inspire young women in this situation to push through and bring light to the fact that domestic violence is not a personal problem but a national one.
If You Hit Me One More Time is to be released Jan. 2. Cannon will be having a book signing and meet-and-greet at 11 a.m. Jan. 8 at Lake Blackshear Regional Library in Americus.
The book can be found in several Americus locations or on Amazon.com.