Blog Archives
You Are Not Alone
Ninety Days is a powerful collection of poetry that takes readers through the six stages of relationships. Why was this an important collection for you to write?
The most important section for me to write was the healing section of the book. Writing the book was a therapeutic process for me and this part was especially important in my process.
My favorite poem from the book was the second one under Attraction. Do you have a favorite poem in this collection?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite. I put so much emotion into each and every poem, but one that I really felt connected with even after publishing was the 11th poem under the healing section. It really speaks to the growth and the developing love for myself after such a traumatic experience.
What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were younger?
You are beautiful, you are valuable, you are worthy of all good things.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your collection of poetry?
I want my readers to know that they are not alone, that in this lifetime we will all experience pain, heartbreak and loss. Healing isn’t linear but eventually you do come home to yourself and find peace.
Author Links: Website
Journey Between Two Worlds
Growing up under the dictatorship of Hitler, author Karola M. Schuette was accustomed to a life that seemed monotonous at best. Always tiptoeing, always careful of what you say or do. You don’t want to be under surveillance, do you? She stayed affectionate to her aging parents as she developed into a young lady being the model German citizen to not attract attention. Around the same time, Hitler lost the war, and although she did not patronize their ruler’s tyranny, she was still German. The allied forces made sure she never forgot that. To Karola, it was as amusing as it was unfortunate. She relied on humor at times to get through. Even after the war, the hopelessness and destruction it left behind seemed unsurmountable. Life was difficult, but Karola was still grateful even for the smallest things. But right when she least expected it, she met the man who would move heaven and earth, just to make her happy and keep her safe.
Journey Between Two Worlds is Karola Schuette’s auto-biography that started from stories she remembered and the three binders of notes and photographs that she kept growing up. Despite moving across the world, the binders remind in surprisingly good condition. It is from this she started to tell her remarkable story.
It is a retelling of her journey as a young girl who grew up in a nation that Adolf Hitler drove to the ground. Then unexpectedly, she was swept off her feet by a German-born American soldier. Marrying him would mean moving to another country, thus her Journey Between Two Worlds. I found it hard to put this book down for two reasons: one is a realistic account of a woman’s adversities from girlhood to immigrating to another country, and two, Karola is hilarious. Her writing style feels as if you’re reading a letter from an old friend. Talking about the absurd amount of paperwork to get from one place to another, how nosy her neighbors were and how cigarettes turned out to be such an invaluable commodity are just the start of the entertaining topics she remembers.
Journey Between Two Worlds is a captivating memoir that has the perfect blend of history, comedy, and a retelling of a love that is so certain and unwavering. Readers will find her true story an eye-opening experience told with such personality they won’t want to put the book down.
Pages: 186 | ASIN : B097H4YMMD
Ninety Days
In her second book, Ninety Days, author Chyenne Daley shares a collection of poems about tragic love life. Broken down into six stages: Attraction, Intimacy, Uncertainty, Betrayal, Nostalgia, and Healing. Through her poems Daley depicts the good, the bad, and the ugly side of falling in love, facing the denial and gaslighting of a cheater, and recovering from the heartache and mental problems that can arise from a toxic relationship.
These collections of poems are graphic and depict a powerful truth of what some women and men go through when facing a cheater; worse, a toxic cheater. Daley uses very few metaphors in her poetry. Her poems are very blunt, direct and there is almost no room for misinterpreting her words. “There was always red flags, There is always red flags.”
At the beginning of Daley’s book, the poems began with rhythm. As I continued reading her collection, the poems slowly lose rhythm and became more symbolic. For example, “I remember when I saw those eyes, I knew they were for me, I declared you my own before you even got, the chance to know me…” The beginning of this poem has a decent rhythm to it, but by the end: “Protecting myself such ideas was, Essential despite the potential bliss, I could have eaten you up almost immediately, But I told myself to wait.” The poem’s end is abrupt with the change in rhythm, and I was pleasantly surprised by the change of pace.
I liked that the author didn’t stick to one way of writing poetry, instead she jumped from strong symbolism without rhythm or focus on a balance between rhythm and symbolism. This leaves the author’s poetry open for interpretation and unpredictable. In the section of Uncertainly the author looks to have shifted perspective from first POV to second POV. Where the author used “I” and “me,” Daley uses “You.” “…Will you take it as a sign to proceed, Will you risk the danger…” I do not know if this is intentional, but it threw me for a loop. I was not expecting this change in POV so abruptly. I did have to take a step back to reread the poem again but it didn’t take away from the meaning of the poem. I found Daley’s poetry deep and I easily connected to the emotional content.
Ninety Days is an emotion invoking read that will have you wanting more. This thought-provoking collection of poetry will have readers experiencing a wide span of emotions.
Pages: 44 | ASIN : B09PZF462P
Be True to Yourself
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine takes readers through your emotions as you battle depression. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Depression is a soul-destroying condition. It permeates every aspect of a person’s life. If it is clinical depression, it can be extremely challenging to overcome. Its pervasive nature changes a person from the inside out, so sufferers who make it to the other side are very different people to those who went into it.
My depression lasted ten years. Coming out of it as a young person in my early twenties, that was half my life. That decade was so transformative and profound that the lessons I learned—including new ways of behaving and thinking—remain my core approaches, today.
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine was an important book for me to write because my experiences are shared by many others: sadly, the frequency of depression remains very high, and although the triggers and causes may differ, the resultant reactions of being stuck, feeling anxiety and fear, having panic attacks and thinking suicidal thoughts are all too common.
I have a wealth of raw materials which provide a first-hand account of what it is like to be in the depth of depression, and it is now time for me to ‘pass it forward’ in a way that hopefully will assist others: fellow-sufferers whose experiences are validated through seeing them mirrored in my book; and people without direct experience who gain insight into what it is like to be in that position.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story through poetry. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing to write about was suicidal ideation, because people thinking these dark thoughts are the closest they can be to madness without actually being locked up. It’s terrifying to have such thoughts invade the mind, unbidden and unwelcome, unable to be stopped. When I finally crawled out the other side of my darkest days and could reflect on my past with some distance, it was petrifying to realise how unwell I had been, how deep I had sunk and how out of control my situation had been … especially when I realised the danger that had put me in. It’s challenging to come face-to-face with the reality that I actively considered death a better option to life, because that is the ultimate end-game that most people don’t go to willingly.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
Be true to yourself: ultimately, the only person anyone needs to answer to is themselves. All the kindly-provided advice and help from others amounts to little if it doesn’t feel right in your gut, so listen to your instincts and be guided by your intuition.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I have ideas for several books, in various formats, which are parked at the moment. My next project is a memoir of my mother, integrating other key influences in my life. My mother is an inspiration, a trailblazer in many ways, and her life deserves to be heard about by more than her family circle.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon | Reedsy | ArtsHub | Readers Favorite
Sustained effort is required to rise out of depression once it is established as a daily state of being. The poetry and artwork in this collection exemplify the resilience required to rise above the despair of mental ill-health, and with candour and sincerity depict the internal strength which facilitates reaching a place of well-being.
When to Run, Born Scared
When to Run, Born Scared by Stephanie King is a book about a young Canadian girl who suffers through an abusive childhood. She struggles to find a way to survive her horrific home life and tries to escape several times. But she ends up back in the same terrible place again and again. In a bid to finally be free from her father’s control, she finds herself in a situation that is just as bad as the one she was so desperate to leave behind. Will she ever be able to put the past behind her and make a good life for herself at last?
The theme of this story was finding a way to survive somehow. Reading about the things Stephanie had to endure in her life, like childhood abuse, rape, drug and alcohol addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, domestic assault, and medical issues that required multiple surgeries and a long recovery, it was amazing that she was able to survive. In addition, she had the strength to persevere after going through so many terrible things. I was surprised that she continued to put her trust in people after her own family had shown her the true evil that could be found in the hearts of people. Sometimes she had to trust other people because she had no other choice. However, Stephanie proved that she was a survivor. No matter how many times she stumbled along the way, she never gave up and kept fighting to survive. Stephanie’s story continues in Book Two, Among the Guilty, Under Attack.
The first chapter of the story jumps around, talking about Stephanie’s father’s childhood and mentioning him fighting in the war, then relaying experiences that happened during Stephanie’s own childhood, then going back to before her father left to fight in the war. This is how memories work sometimes. They don’t always follow a logical path but are connected in one way or another.
I felt that it wasn’t always clear how old Stephanie was during certain incidents that happened throughout the book, and I would have liked a clearer picture of the timeline. The inclusion of the graphic descriptions of sexual abuse of a child was hard to read through, but it also allowed me to connect with Stephanie and understand the depth of suffering she endured.
When to Run, Born Scared is a deeply personal memoir of what one woman had to do to survive the life she was dealt. Readers looking for a personal account of hope and survival will appreciate Stephanie’s story.
Pages: 245 | ASIN : B08TH74KR9
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine by Annabel Harz is a collection of poetry, artwork, and color that come together to describe the writer’s journey from abject desolation to hope. This is not an anthology to dip into and out of; it’s instead like the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” in that if you don’t see it through to the end, it’s the saddest, most bleak story ever told.
The first two-thirds of the book tells the story of a lonely woman, abused and slowly dying from crippling depression. This whole section is skillfully summed up in the poem “My World,” describing her willingness to give away her world “to anyone who wishes to take it” because she is “too tired and not strong enough to fix it.” This section of the book has a nearly overwhelming number of poems written from the depths of her depression. They speak of the darkness that can consume those living with depression. Like how depression does not have a set of rules, many of her poems lack metaphor or even meter. These pieces are not only poems; they are plaintive howls of despair from a pit of desperation and pain. Phrases, like “washed by the tides of fortune,” create moments of magic for the reader. For me, the perfect description of the girl in the first part comes from “Emotional Backlash,” in which she is a “glass girl, exposed and ready to shatter.”
The poems are beautifully illustrated by Harz as well. Some of the pictures are childlike, some powerful, and some are little more than doodles. But they are almost all effective in representing the poem they are paired with. “Life Force Within” gracefully depicts the writer’s entire journey from suicidal desolation into hope, where “Each footstep of your journey transforms you into a petal of the flower you will become.” The collection is completed with dignified composure in “I Am.”
Journey into the Shadow and the Sunshine is powerful, resonant, and ultimately uplifting. This poetry collection will stay with readers long after they finish reading the last poem. Lovers of poetry, those struggling with depression, women looking for someone that understands, this collection has something for all.
Pages: 110 | ASIN : B09JM6BYWX
Survival
Survival, by Anthony Antonio, is a sweeping tale of secrets, friendships, and prohibited passions. It follows the life of Daniel Roberts as he overcomes the loss of his father, an abusive mother, and poverty. He finds love and happiness even as he continues to fight against the system, the codes of silence, and social degradation. A novel filled with themes of greed, jealousy, vengeance, poverty, violence, romance, and self-identity. Antonio shows what humans have been doing to the planet by focusing on the country through the eyes of one person.
Antonio tackles several tough subjects in this complex and deeply thoughtful novel. By focusing the viewpoint through the eyes of Daniel, the author is able to give readers an in-depth and personal look at the experiences and emotions that Daniel endured. From early life through abuse and tragedy to finding love and the challenges that came with that love, readers will see inside Daniels’s mind and see how the world treats him.
The writing style allows readers to follow along with Daniel’s thought process, drifting between past and present memories. Readers will wake up in the city with Daniel in the first chapter and be introduced to several characters before entering into Daniel’s own psyche. The process of getting to know Daniel through his memories and wondering thoughts gives readers an organic approach to discovering his story, rather than the author just laying out all the information in a linear fashion.
Anthony Antonio gives readers a sweeping story of love and treachery filled with looks into the human mind, their strengths and weakness, and leaves readers with a sense of trepidation. His poetic writing style adds to readers’ experience, helping them feel the emotions that Antonio puts on the page.
Survival is richly detailed and brimming with imagery. This memorable novel will enchant readers of historical and psychological fiction. The characters will remain with readers long after the last page has been read.
Pages: 664 | ASIN : B098DDF5R2
I Grew Up Invisible
Lenore Ossen Author Interview
An Invisible Child is a memoir of your life growing up with an abusive mother. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I have an unusual story to tell. It is a true story. It is a story about pain, despair, and a struggle to survive. It is my story. I grew up invisible. I was unloved, abused, and shut away from the outside world. There was no school for me, no classmates, no friendships with other children. Under my psychotic mother’s rules I was not even allowed to be touched or speak to family members. I was my mother’s prisoner, and I lived in panic and fear. Later, when I left my mother’s asylum I found it very difficult to function in the world. I started to write my story for myself, with a need to release my pent-up feelings by writing about them. In the process, I was able to free myself of some of the unbearable pain I experienced in childhood. I soon realized what a compelling story I had to tell. So I decided to put it out into the Universe with a hope that others might learn from what I went through and be able to overcome as I have. Writing this book has also helped me to find my own voice.
The book recounts many memories that were sad and sometimes unbelievable. What served as a guide for you while writing your story?
My feelings and memories were my guide, plus a file my uncle kept on me when I was growing up. My uncle was persona non grata and was not allowed into my mother’s apartment. But he was collecting information from my grandmother and father about the abnormal isolated life I was living with my mother. As I went through the file I found all kinds of information, including a legal document stating that my mother was about to take her life along with mine when I was four. I used the file to write about all sorts of hidden details of my childhood that I never knew about.
Writing a memoir causes one to look back at their life in a different lens.
Writing a memoir causes one to look back on their life in a different lens. Is there anything you see differently now that you wrote this book?
Yes, I am now much more aware of how horrible my life was when I was growing up, I just didn’t want to see it. I didn’t want to deal with the reality of it. Now that I have been able to confront my past, I have been able to feel my feelings, cry my tears, and finally accept my childhood for what it was — and go on from there. I am no longer terrorized by my mother’s demons, and her voice in my head has been replaced by my own. I revised my book several times, and each time I have come closer to the truth of who I really am.
The story ultimately serves as a message of hope. What do you hope readers take away from the book?
I do hope my book will be helpful to those of you who feel lost and alone in a world that can be cold, cruel, and indifferent. What I want to convey to my readers, more than anything else, is a feeling of hope. One can suffer, the human spirit can be crushed and one can plummet into an abyss, but one can rise above despair. I know – because I have, as I went from one crisis to another, learning and growing emotionally, overcoming the pain that dominated my life. By persisting and not giving up, one can eventually succeed and make a life that is fulfilling, with pleasures and joys from just being alive.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
![An Invisible Child by [Ossen MSW, Lenore]](https://i0.wp.com/images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41rURvlQuOL.jpg?resize=293%2C440&ssl=1)
Trapped in the twisted world of a psychotic mother, Lenore Ossen is shut away from the outside world. For her, there is no school. No classmates. No friendships with other children. Under her mother’s insane rules, she can’t even turn to family members for solace, and so, day after day, she lives in panic and fear. How can she survive such terrible treatment? In deep despair, Lenore learns to retreat to the safety of her own mind. There she creates a world of fantasy and yearns for someone to take her away from her deranged mother. But there is no one. Most people suffering such abuse would go out of their minds. What makes Lenore different? How does she endure? What drives her to rise above her traumatic past?
In this compelling true story, Lenore Ossen describes what living in isolation with a psychotic mother feels like to an innocent child. In telling how she broke free of the nightmare enslaving her, she reaches out to give hope and comfort to other victims of abuse.
