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Her Place, Any Region
Dana Vilandre Interview
Her World is a creative collection of women’s literature from writers around the world and published by Her Place, Any Region. What is Her Place, Any Region and how does Her World support your cause?
Her Place, Any Region is a non profit organization which supports women and their families personally, professionally and emotionally. Through a myriad of resources we help women overcome devastating life circumstances such as homelessness, job loss, divorce and death of a spouse or child.
Our organization supports other benevolent and charitable causes through collaborative efforts. Her World, Creative Collections, is a compilation made up of women’s works from around the the world who have donated their works to support the programs in Her Place, as well as other causes of which they chose.
100% of the profits are donated to charities and benevolent causes.
Her World brings women together through the art eclectic, sharing their experiences, their talents and their hearts. Her World is a glimpse of what Her Place is really about, and why it is so important to have the support for these circumstances women face throughout life that traditional resources lack.
What was the collaboration like with all of the authors to put the compilation together?
Creating Her World started as an idea in 2011. Her Place was already in the works, and through that development we found that these creative women expressed themselves in ways that was unprecedented. The talents these women have come from such a deep place of sincerity and love, and bringing them together in print was powerful.
It was a fun project, and it took a lot of trust from the women to allow us to create this and treat it with the respect it deserves. We started pulling together pieces in 2016, and after a few attempts to complete it, we focused for 4 months straight to finalize it though the end of 2019 into 2020. The women were incredibly patient and were still on board throughout the 4 years.
There are 33 women from around the world featured in Her World, so you can imagine it was quite a project.
The final result was exactly like we imagined it to be, and we are all very happy with how it came together.
If someone wanted to get involved with Her Place, Any Region how would they do that?
Her Place, Any Region, has various programs within it; CreateFam, Glimpses, and Books, Bands, Businesses and Brands. While our primary focus is Glimpses, which is centered around helping women re-establish themselves after devastating life changing circumstances, CreateFam is community/volunteer focused and not gender specific, and Books, Bands, Businesses and Brands is a resource for women with businesses.
People can learn more about all of our programs and contacting us through our website http://www.her-place.org.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
We are currently accepting pieces for our next book: Another Year in Her World. We anticipate it to be released February 2021.
Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
![Her World: Creative Collections by [Her Place Any Region]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51+EnlkKcxL.jpg)
Her Place, Any Region, introduces you to Her World, Creative Collections. Enjoy a literary journey through the experiences, hearts, and minds of 33 women from around the world. Compiled in one single readable book, view life from the eyes of phenomenal female artists and authors in the form of photography, song lyrics, book excerpts, personal life experiences, prose, and poetry. We hope you enjoy this incredibly broad spectrum with which these stories are written, bringing women together to share a glimpse into each other’s lives, during a time unifying the population of women is more important than ever.
When Life Felt Overwhelming
Dana Vilandre Author Interview
Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick is an inspiring memoir following one woman’s journey through homelessness and heartbreak. Why was this an important book for you to write?
The book was written during a time that I had personally fallen on hard times, and had few people that I could turn to to share my days with. I wrote the stories to women in an online private group that were supportive of the non profit I was creating which was founded on the emotional support for women facing life challenges such as I was facing. Writing is cathartic, and sharing about ‘her’ days helped keep me going when life felt overwhelming.
I appreciated the way in which you told the story so that all women could relate. Was this a conscious decision or was it a writing style that came naturally?
As I ventured into the journey to create a place to help women who were facing challenges such as divorce, death of a loved one, homelessness, and financial devastation, I ‘met’ women from around the world that were dealing with similar situations just as I was dealing with. I wrote the stories from a sincere place, sharing as I would to a dear friend. It was a natural flow, and as I wrote I had women continually say to me they thought I somehow was writing about them. This encouraged me to keep the stories about ‘her’, so others could see they were not alone with their experiences.
You share both good and bad experiences from your life in a way that is easy to relate to. What is something you see differently now that you look back at that time?
As hard as things were during that time, there isn’t a lot I would change. I accomplished a lot despite the odds I faced. I had a lot of panic attacks and fear, and I also had a lot of growth and healing from things that I had gone through throughout my life. There isn’t a lot I see different looking back to what I was experiencing at the time, and the book reaffirms to me that it is ok to take the time to heal and figure things out without being dictated by what everyone else thinks one should do differently.
I found your book to be ultimately inspiring. What do you hope readers take away from your story?
I think that there are times that people go through things that others cannot relate to, simply because they have have never had to. The book reflects that no matter what happens, we can get through it. There is no set time for a person to heal, and there is no set road a person should walk. Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick brings her through a time of feeling alone, and devastated by the loss of friendships and support, finding strength and persevering with conviction and faith that she was doing what she needed to do. She was able to be emotionally there for her children, and keep her outward self brave and, most of all, kind, when she didn’t feel a lot of kindness around her. Maybe through the stories told others will relate and find their own ‘place’ like ‘she’ found in the creation of Her Place.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
![Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick: Homeless In New Hampshire by [Dana Vilandre]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41baOx4jKSL.jpg)
Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick’ is a woman’s journey through homelessness and heartbreak, with comical moments, crazy adventures and a search for self. Read about ‘her’- a woman who could be any woman, and the depth of her heart and she ‘rewrites’ her life.
Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick
Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick is one woman’s heartfelt, and sometimes funny, journey through life as she copes with the hardships of being homeless and suffering from depression while struggling to come to terms with choices from her past. This absorbing memoir captures a hard period in the authors life, utilizing writing she did at that time. We are invited to experience lowest point and join her at the end in a high point as she figures out what is important in her relationship with men, God, and herself.
At first, I didn’t know how to take this fiction or non-fiction, halfway through I settled on non-fiction. As I saw no sign of a plot, no in-depth cast of characters, just the introspection of ‘she’, which is an interesting way to go about telling the reader that she was finding herself. We don’t find out her name until the end. By keeping the main character nameless and with little backstory to start, It was easy for me to see myself in her. The writing style showed her thought processes and state of mind very well. I understood right away that she was a person struggling with a mental illness. She seemed distracted and her thoughts were always jumping from subject to subject. What we do learn is absolutely fascinating and sometimes heart-wrenching, but I felt that I didn’t understand how she got to that point. I wanted to know the hardships she faced, what was so wrong with her ex, where were her children? My desire to dive into these topics is motivated by the authors engaging writing style and curious approach to life.
The author uses great descriptive words in the book by opening each chapter with either “her” writing or a description of what “she” was doing. The beginning of each chapter is set up nicely and you get a sense of the mood she is in. There were some lovely scenes when she was with her children and you really get the sense that she is a free spirit. Gypsy NoMad Hippie Chick is a delightful memoir that conveys the message that it is okay to be who you want and to live life your way.
Pages: 116 | ASIN: B084ZS93TT
LITERARY TITAN 