El Paso native to publish 13th book, highlights female survivor stories

EL PASO, Texas  (KVIA) — Author Jennifer Montiel is using her story of overcoming human trafficking, domestic violence and sexual assault to help others facing similar challenges.

The bilingual author has deep roots in the Borderland. She was born in El Paso but moved away at a young age.

She recently visited the Sun City to celebrate the release of her upcoming book titled 'Strong Women Break Too: Real Life Stories from Women Who Carried Too Much and Steps to Reclaim Yourself.' The official release date is July 7, 2026.

At just 13 years old, Montiel was sexually assaulted by family members. At 16, Montiel was sold by her father. She would escaped human trafficking but fell into abusive marriages. She described her first three husbands as controlling and aggressive.

Following years of therapy, Montiel is now helping others through the power of storytelling.

"I had to find my voice at a very young age, and that's how I was able to voice and be an advocate for so many people,” she told ABC-7.

For over a decade, she worked closely with families and victims. Montiel took a break from her career in law enforcement to instead focus on her writing.

"Strong Women Break Too: Real Life Stories from Women Who Carried Too Much and Steps to Reclaim Yourself" features the stories of real women who have faced emotional trauma, exhaustion and healing.

Montiel hopes the novel provides guidance on how women can reclaim self-worth and identity.

Her godmother was featured in this publication. Irene Delgado said seeing her story come to life was surreal.

"I cried. I cried because, like I said, it's so surreal. It's like it's me, but it's, it's not me anymore. It was me. It was. That girl was a young woman, you know, 25 years ago. It's not me anymore. And I never thought I would get to the point where I'm at now. I, honestly, I thought I would die under his hands. I thought I was, you know, I was lost,” she said.

Delgado said her hope is that by sharing her story, others would find hope.

“I regret everything we went through. But seeing that and hoping that somebody will read the story and they will say, ‘You know what? There’s hope for me.’"

In the book, Montiel also shares her own story of overcoming her previous relationships.

“I think we all have a voice. We just need the right resources. I always tell everybody we have to transition. We're like a butterfly. We're going to transition and we're going to become something beautiful. Unfortunately, the the, the whatever happened, it will always be there. But there's always healing methods. We could heal through it to be able to continue in life,” she said.

The mother of three hopes other women are inspired to seek help.

“That was that's my goal when I write. How can I help? What difference is it going to make? How is my book going to be different?”

Her new book will be released this July. If you’re interested in checking out her other novels, click here.

If you need of help, the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence has a 24/7 crisis hopeline. Call 915-593-7300.