About I’ll Get You:
PTA president Kelli Peters had a normal, happy life in Orange County, California, where she volunteered at her daughter’s school, carpooled, and took care of her family. When a school parent angrily accused Kelli of keeping her son waiting during the afterschool pick-up, it appeared to be a simple confrontation with an overprotective mother. Kelli soon learned, however, that she was the target of a twisted plot against her that involved drugs, lies, schemes, and a campaign to ruin her life. The vendetta led to reputations tarnished, careers lost, secret lives uncovered, two parents in jail, families destroyed, and a $5.7 million dollar civil judgment.
“I’ll Get You!” Drugs, Lies, and the Terrorizing of a PTA Mom is the true story of an ordinary American woman who survived an evil conspiracy that turned her life upside down and shook her hometown to its core.
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Exclusive Excerpt:
In some ways, Kelli Peters was born to be a volunteer. Once she started helping in the kindergarten class, she never looked back. She passed out papers, took children to the bathroom, answered questions, showed the children how tie their shoes, and helped them write their ABCs.
“It was trial by fire,” Kelli says. “Kindergarten had thirty kids that year, so Mrs. Jones, the teacher, really depended on us. The kids were so needy at that age. They cried for their moms, so I was always holding one or another and comforting them. When they weren’t crying or asking to go to the bathroom, they were wiping boogers on the walls or running around like crazy monkeys. They just wanted to play all the time, and we had to balance that with trying to teach them something. I was constantly cleaning the classroom or chasing one of them down or soothing wounded feelings or tending to boo-boos. It was nonstop, organized chaos, but I loved it.”
During that first year of volunteering at Plaza Vista, she would walk through the classroom every day to have little kids with eager faces and bright eyes run up to her and give her hugs. They clamored to tell her about their days, their pets, or their latest interests. She pulled them close and listened to them pour out their hearts. Her own heart filled to the brim to see all of these wonderful little human beings talking over each other to share their interests with Miss Kelli.
“I was just an ordinary person,” Kelli says, “but they made me feel so special. I loved the feeling of helping children and being part of their learning processes and growing up. There was no better feeling than being part of their lives. I didn’t care that I wasn’t being paid. The reward was so much greater.”
At the end of the year, Kelli had t-shirts made that said, “I Survived Volunteering in Mrs. Jones’ Class.” The parent volunteers wore them around school, garnering knowing smiles and laughter of fellow parents and staff. Everyone knew that if a mom survived volunteering in kindergarten, she could survive anything.
The following year, Kelli again volunteered in the classroom, this time for first grade. That was the year she was first asked to run for the PTA.
“I’d successfully survived being a volunteer in kindergarten,” Kelli says, “and still showed up to volunteer in the classroom in first grade. Some parents had quit forever after the kindergarten year. Only the strong survived!” She laughs at the memory.
Kelli was not only shocked to be asked to run for the PTA, but surprised to hear herself say yes.
“I loved volunteering and always said yes to everything,” she says. “If someone needed help with something, I said yes. If they needed a parent to bring food for a party, I said yes. If a teacher needed help in her classroom, I said yes. Then I was asked if I would be interested in running for secretary of the PTA…and I naturally said yes. But then I immediately second-guessed myself. I was concerned that I didn’t have the experience. I didn’t think I would win. In my mind, I thought they just needed people to run.” She shakes her head at the memory. “Well, I had no idea that I was the only person running for the office of secretary. So guess what? I won.”
Once Kelli won the seat, her already busy life ratcheted up.
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About the Authors:
Sam Rule
Sam Rule is the pseudonym for a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of 75 books. His books have been translated into multiple languages around the world. He enjoys writing stories about fascinating people that capture public interest. He also enjoys a fine Malbec when the situation arises.
Kelli Peters
Kelli Peters is a mother, wife, PTA volunteer, animal lover, people lover, kid lover, and life lover. She has been with her beloved husband for 30 years and talks to her parents every day. Her greatest joy is spending time with family, friends, and children. She loves walking her dogs and going to the beach. One of her greatest achievements, besides raising her daughter, has been surviving a campaign of terror that almost destroyed her life. She is a testament to what the human spirit can endure with the support of community, friends, and family. She is forever grateful to the people who stood by her.
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