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As The Accused Is Busy Denying Responsibility, One Courageous Woman Unites His Victims To Bring About Justice

Trish Stevens
Ascot Media Group
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
(281) 333-3507

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As The Accused Is Busy Denying Responsibility, One Courageous Woman Unites His Victims To Bring About Justice

While on the campaign trail for Hillary Clinton, Madeline Albright recently said:
“There’s a special place in Hell for women who don’t help each other.”
Diane adds: “And there’s a special place in
Heaven for the women who do!”

Dallas, TX ─ While Bill Cosby, Roger Ailes and Philippe Padieu had vastly different lifestyles, their behavior was very similar. They could be described as sociopathic narcissists who have never taken responsibility for their actions or admitted any wrongdoing. Cosby used his fame to intimidate women, while Ailes used his position of power. Padieu knowingly infected women with HIV. Padieu and Cosby had long histories of criminal behavior – the only difference is that Padieu was found guilty and sentenced to 45-years in jail, while Cosby escaped being charged until recently and it was actually a male comedian who brought up Cosby’s history of sexual assaults in a comedy routine that went viral (see Wikipedia on Cosby). It’s a sad travesty in our society that it takes more than one woman to come forward in order to be believed. Diane Reeve, Andrea Constand and Gretchen Carlson are the courageous women who came forward and accused these sexual predators and, as these men were busy denying responsibility, these women were selflessly fighting for justice for themselves and other victims.

Padieu was Diane Reeve’s fiancé when he knowingly infected her (and many other women) with HIV. She tells the powerful story in her memoir, Standing Strong: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Sisterhood and the Court Case that Made History (HCI Books), of how she tracked down his other victims and this diverse group of women banded together in a landmark legal case against the man who deceived them all. It’s Dallas Buyers Club meets Erin Brockovich.

Her 7th Degree black belt in martial arts background connects the concentration, the punches to the gut, the restraint, the thrill, the power and the knowledge to any reader that dares to grasp on to this hard-to-put-down book. In her first chapter, Black Corvette, Diane Reeve accelerates into the moment her life takes a sharp turn. A day meant for sweet memories of her daughter’s wedding halts at a fork in the road of her life. Immediately, the reader has been captured to travel a hard-to-believe real life journey as Reeve unpacks the sick reality that Philippe Padieu, the love of her life, was deliberately infecting multiple women—women in their 20s through 60s, with little in common except their vulnerability and now… HIV.

Diagnosed with AIDs, Diane vowed to stop Philippe from victimizing anyone else despite her plummeting t-cell numbers and declining health. In a race against time, she tracked down as many of his conquests as possible. Against all odds, this unlikely group made legal history, successfully prosecuting Padieu and sending him to prison for assault with a deadly weapon.

It was a sisterhood none of them wanted to belong to, but it became their lifeline as they struggled with anger, the specter and stigma of an HIV diagnosis, and failing health. This fascinating case—won only through the help of new DNA science—is Diane’s story of victory and her mission to bring awareness and empowerment to others. As she explains, “Courage is doing what’s right, even when you’re afraid.”

Highlights from the book:

• “He made me feel strong yet protected, desired and cherished.”

• “I was never going to be able to forget this night, June 17, 2006; it would be forever linked with my daughter’s wedding.”

• “Even though we were all in the same boat, I guess I hoped to be better and prettier than the others.”

• “If there was anything in my life that I’d like to take back, it was the moment I hit “send” on that first e-mail.

• “I exhaled. Things were going to be different. This was a man I could trust.”

• “I was sure he could have just about any woman he wanted, and I was flattered that he chose me.”

• “I have to do the best I can every day to show people what it is to be a person living with HIV—a real person who is more than just a diagnosis.”

Receiving widespread recognition by the media in 2009, this historical case is exposed once more and even further into the psyche of Diane. Brilliantly written, the reader is able to feel the frustration, depression, hope and the many other inconceivable emotions that Reeve encountered as she fought the battle to bring down a pathological perpetrator, build a sisterhood, and manage her very own health all at the same time. The reader becomes a part of her team and sympathizes yet roots for her courage.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Diane Reeve, “the new face of HIV,” has a B.S. Degree in nursing and a M.Ed. in adult education. Her true calling is teaching martial arts. She holds a 7th Degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do plus black belts in three additional styles. She has been the sole owner of Vision Martial Arts Center in Plano, Texas, for over twenty years and she has promoted over 170 of her own students to black belt. In 2008, she was inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Diane is also broadening her efforts to be of service to others by speaking out against stigma and victim blaming. She is a popular speaker on the topics of AIDS awareness and women’s empowerment, and has become an avid advocate and activist for women.

Jenna Glatzer is the author or ghostwriter of more than 25 books. Her recent work includes The Marilyn Monroe Treasures, a Barnes & Noble bestseller; The Pregnancy Project with Gaby Rodriguez, also made into a Lifetime movie, and the authorized biography, Celine Dion: For Keeps.

Standing Strong: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Sisterhood and the Court Case That Made History
By Diane Reeve with Jenna Glatzer
HCI Books / April 2016/Available wherever books are sold
Paperback / ISBN: 9780757319020
Publishers contact info for direct orders: (800) 441-5569 or www.hcibooks.com

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