GUEST POST with Brittnay Lewis

I'd like to introduce to you another advocate for depression and anxiety, Miss Brittnay Lewis. She's here today to talk about her passion and spread awareness. 

How is depression different from feeling sad? What is it like to live with anxiety?

It’s much easier to go about your day-to-day life when you just feel sad. When I’m depressed I feel like I’m drowning. I cry a lot. I withdraw completely and don’t want to be around anyone. When you have depression and anxiety you battle your own mind. It’s like you are your own worst enemy, you’re fighting the feelings and thoughts you’re having, and you often feel like you’re losing.

What is someone’s day-to-day life like when they suffer from depression and/or anxiety?

            I can’t speak for everyone but I often feeling like I have difficulty breathing. I go back and forth between wanting closer relationships and not wanting to be involved with people, or wanting to get out of the house but not really wanting to at the same time. I worry a lot- about everything. I clean a lot when I’m anxious and when I’m depressed I just sit around and cry a lot. When it gets really bad sometimes people don’t take care of themselves very well. I lose my appetite and forget to eat. I either won’t want to shower or want to just sit in the tub for a long time. I will want to lay in bed but be too worried about whatever it is that’s causing my anxiety that I can’t rest. So to put it simply- life with depression and anxiety is hard. I feel isolated a lot of the time.

How old were you when you first started feeling this way?

            I can remember having these feelings as early as five years old. I would have really bad stomach aches and go to the nurse’s office at school every day. I was always extremely tired and lethargic but couldn’t sleep at night. I’ve never really slept through the night my whole life. My mind races at night and I frequently have anxiety attacks when I’m trying to settle myself down to try and rest.

How do you manage your symptoms?

I try different things. If I’m depressed and I feel like I have to cry, I start by just letting myself do that. Then I try to shower and straighten my hair and put on a nice outfit. Usually chocolate helps me feel better and talking to a friend. If I’m anxious I clean my house.  When my house is messy is makes my anxiety worse so that helps and I usually feel anxious when I have a billion things I need to do, so I make a to-do list. I’m sort of weird about that so then I’ll go through the list and number the things I need to do in order of importance and then re-write it on a new piece of paper so it’s neat. Sometimes my anxiety gets so bad that I can’t do any of that and all I can do is pace back and forth through my house praying and trying to take deep breaths. Chamomile tea helps with my anxiety also. Counseling has helped me a lot. It helps just knowing someone is there when you need them, even if there’s no crisis going on- someone to tell you that you aren’t crazy and help you organize your thoughts and brainstorm solutions to whatever problems you might be having.

I also strongly recommend writing. I’ve always been a very creative type of person and a big introvert. Writing has always helped me cope with my feelings- and sometimes escape them. If you don’t like writing, I suggest painting, sewing, quilting, and cooking. Creating something is relaxing and can give you a confidence boost when you need one!

What is life like for you now?

            In short- crazy, haha. I am a stay-at-home mom, mother of two. I have a seven-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son who is autistic with developmental delays. My husband is a Marine. I have multiple physical disabilities. My son has anywhere from four to five and a half hours of therapy a day and we usually have multiple adults at the house working with him. I am always working on multiple projects at once. Right now I am promoting my book of poetry, Shine Through the Darkness, which focuses on depression and anxiety and how I got saved (available as an ebook and paperback on Amazon), preparing my first YA novel Finding Freedom for publication, writing the second novel in that series and I began writing a children’s series targeted toward children with special needs to help teach self-help and daily living skills. My son is the main character. I also write articles for websites and ghostwrite books for clients. My depression is usually better because I’m busy, but lately, my anxiety has been through the roof. I’m a huge introvert, so doing interviews and going to bookstores and libraries to pitch my book is hard.

Have you felt embarrassed to tell people about your depression or anxiety?

            Sometimes I do but not always. I don’t usually talk to people I’m not close with. I’m a big introvert and don’t usually enjoy talking very much. That’s a big reason why I became a writer. J

Do you have any advice for women struggling with depression and anxiety?

Know that you ARE NOT alone. Get counseling. Reach out, even though you don’t want to. Find some way to force yourself to keep taking care of yourself and keep your relationships intact even if you don’t want to. And please, PLEASE if you EVER have thoughts of suicide- tell someone immediately!

Now let's talk more about poetry.....

When did you start writing poetry?

The first poem I ever wrote was when I was in middle school. I think I was in second or first grade. Ready for a laugh? Here it is:

The Rat Went Splat 

There once was a rat 

Who ran under a mat. 

A cat came and sat 

On the mat. 

Then, SPLAT! 

The rat was quiet after that… 

Why do you write poetry now?

To try to make sense of my feelings- to escape.

Do you have a process for writing your poetry?

Not at all. I write what comes to mind. I write what I feel.

Who are your favorite poets to read?

If I had to name some I would say Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Frost, but believe it or not, I don’t really read poetry.

Do you have any books to recommend on anxiety & depression?

This isn’t really related to anxiety or depression but I try to live by the Bible as best I can. It’s my guidebook for life <3 br="">
What other projects are you working on (that you can tell us about 😉)
I’m writing a YA series, I have one book completed that is getting ready for publication and I’m writing the first draft of the second book in that series, and I’m writing a children’s series. The children’s series is targeted toward preschoolers and special needs children/youth. I’m hoping to help

teach self-help and daily living skills. I only have one book that is written so far and my graphic artist is doing the pictures for it now. There are twelve books so far that I have outlined for that series and my son Jeremy is the main character. He has autism and developmental delays.

What is your blog about?

My blog is written with teens and young adults in mind. I have only done two posts so far as I have been busy with my books and I write articles and ghostwrite books for clients (I actually have a list of ten articles waiting for me when I finish here), but they are about recognizing unhealthy relationships and perseverance. I plan to write more on building strong support systems and self-esteem/confidence.

Where else can we find you on Social Media?

You can find me on twitter @BLewis and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/brittany.lewis.5055.

You can view my website at www.brittanynicolelewis.blog.wordpress.com and if you like you can email me at Brittany.lewis2008@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you!

Thank you, Brittnay, for hanging out with us today. It was a pleasure to have you here. 

Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello Book Tour (GIVEAWAY)

 Title: Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello

Genre: Nonfiction/Christian/Grief & Loss

Audience: Adult

Formats: Paperback and Ebook

E-Cover By: RaeBeth McGee-Buda

Paperback Cover: Marcy Rachel

Editor: Lee Ryder

ISBN-10: 1484801466

ISBN-13: 1492110884

Date Published: October 15, 2013

Synopsis:

The journey of pregnancy brings hope, joy, and love for the expecting mother. The hope of giving birth to a new life. The joy of feeling this new life grow inside of her. The love that starts with a test that doesn’t ever end. Dreams for the unborn child flood the new mother’s mind, as well as those around her. Each step of the pregnancy is a cherished moment. The anticipation of meeting her cherished baby builds from the very first month and ends after birth.

This is the story of one mother and how a few words changed her life forever. How a piece of her faded when she heard these words: “There’s no heartbeat.” When RaeBeth Buda laid in the hospital in labor, she and her husband heard those dreaded words.

What happens when all of those dreams are shattered in a moment’s notice? How does one cope with the loss of their child? This is the story of their journey and of the devastating grief of the loss of her daughter, Dakota Emily Buda.

*****

Small Teaser

Shortly after our perfectly imperfect wedding, my husband and I headed off to our honeymoon. We were thrilled. It seemed like things were finally falling into place. He had a great job and we were happy. The honeymoon was amazing. We decided to take a trip to the Pocono’s for the most amazing time at the most beautiful and entertaining resort we could find...Pocono Palace. I felt like a princess. We overly enjoyed our honeymoon. We took walks, played games in the game room, and made some memories would will last a lifetime.

Of course our honeymoon went by too quickly and after two weeks, we headed home. I was glad to though because I was missing my daughter. She’s an amazing little girl who has one heck of a sense of humor. She brightens our world.  There’s not a day that goes by where she doesn’t make us laugh or make our hearts melt. Her personality is amazing and her outlook on the world is impressive.

Let me introduce to you our princess, Emma.  She’s our world, our breath that we breathe, and we love her more than life itself. She’s a daddy’s girl and isn’t your typical little child. She loves to get down and dirty with her daddy when working on cars, but won’t hesitate to spend the day getting her nails painted with Mommy.

When we got back from our honeymoon, life went back to the way it was. Emma started first grade and Greg went back to work. I had a book I needed to finish writing. I tried so hard to finish this book but out of the blue, I started to get sick. My stomach would hurt and I was exhausted. Several weeks went by and I didn’t seem to be getting any better.

Then it came to me, I might be pregnant.

6 Things You Didn't Know About Becoming a Published Author 

1.    It takes time. I thought a writer sat down and wrote until their hearts were content. When they finished their book it was time to throw it together and boom ... it’s done. Boy was I wrong. It takes a lot of time and sometimes it takes many people working together when working against a deadline.

2.    Editing is tough. After I got done writing my book I wasn’t prepared for the extensive amount of editing that needed to be done. I went through the manuscript. Then I had a few close writer friends go through it. Once they were done I went to my critique group. I did another round myself. Lastly it went to a professional editor... twice. 

3.   It takes time and devotion. When choosing to be a writer I never thought I’d have to devote so much time to it. At times I catch myself saying I need a staff of people to help. Especially when it comes to promotion.

4.   Bloggers are your friends. At first I was skeptical on reaching out to them for help. I didn’t want to hear no or worse not hear from them at all. But so far I’ve come into contact with some amazing bloggers who I want to thank for all their hard work. Without them I think it’d be harder for authors to get their work out there.

5.   Reviews. Pay attention when its right. Don’t get all worked up over the bad ones. Some may come across harsh. Those are the ones you ignore and don’t respond to. At times reviews can be helpful even if their less than perfect. Authors can learn from them. They can show an author what they need to work on.

6.   Social media is your friend as a published author. At this time I’ve sent out press releases to local newspapers for my release and haven’t seen anything yet. But I’ve had loads of help through all different types of social media sites to help me get the word out. I’m thankful for those.

So with this I go by saying follow your dreams and never stop. Even when the tough gets going. Push through it and it’ll make you stronger.

About the Author:

RaeBeth McGee-Buda was born in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1987, the second daughter of Rachel Yost and Arthur Curtis McGee. RaeBeth grew up loving to read and write poetry, as well as short stories. Her childhood dream was to become a teacher. Rae Beth's dream of writing was created in her eleventh grade literature class where writing became her passion.

RaeBeth married in August 2012 to her husband, Gregory Stephen Buda Jr. and resides in a small Pennsylvania town of Fairchance. RaeBeth is a full time mother of one beautiful little girl and a mother to an angel in heaven as of May 27th, 2013.

She graduated from American Intercontinental University in 2010 with her associates in business administration. She enjoys spending her time writing and feels that connecting with readers is her main goal.

Author Links:

Facebook | Blog | Twitter | Website | YouTube | Pinterest | 

 Goodreads | Amazon | Authordb

Email

raebeth.buda@gmail.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What NOT to do as a new author....

By RaeBeth McGee- Buda

Being a new author is exciting. You took the time to sit down and bring an idea for a book to life. The process takes you months or even years to complete. Your new baby has gone through the extensive process of editing and then formatting. Once the cover design is complete you’re thrilled and excited to get your book into the hands of your soon to be fans.

How does one go about it? 

How do you get your target audience to notice your book?

There are several ways on the Internet to do this. Nevertheless, what ways are the right ways? I’m here to share my experience as an author and blogger. I have seen a few things within the past few months since my books release. 

One of the things I see some authors doing is spamming pages & groups on Facebook with their book information and purchase links. This is okay to do providing you share on the right pages. Always ask for permission before you decide to share your link on another profile, unless it has been stated within the description that authors can freely share their book information. 

I highly dislike when an author comes to my page, which I have set up for my fans and my work, and shares their links. As an example, “I’ve stopped by to like your page. Here’s mine for you to like.” Sharing this is okay providing you DO NOT message the author a few hours later and ask them AGAIN if they liked your page. When you like someone’s book/author page, don’t automatically expect him or her to like your page in return. Perhaps the genre you write isn’t one they enjoy or a topic their not interested in. One message is enough. Plain and simple.

The second thing I have seen new authors do is jump from event to event on Facebook spamming their book cover, description, and purchase links regardless of what the events are about. You NEVER share your book information in ANY way on an event unless you contacted the host and they gave you permission. Most events are hosting and highlighting another author’s work. Therefore, when you do this... you’re taking the spotlight off them. That is like going to someone birthday party with you’re own cake to celebrate your birthday.  So not the right thing to do.

The third thing is you NEVER create a group or event and automatically add someone to it without asking first. Most authors are part of so many groups; they have a hard time keeping up with them. Adding them to another one without asking is a great way to create a dislike between that author and you. 

So in conclusion to this article the best way to begin getting your work out there is to always ask. Never just do. This could lead into a very bad situation for you and your reputation. 

To find out more about RaeBeth, visit her on her website here.

First Love Blog Hop featuring Gillian Joy

Good morning/afternoon depending on where you are. I want to thank you for stopping by. Today on The Writing World we are going to hear from Gillian Joy, author of Guardian and Forever. 

One step when publishing a book is picking the right book cover for your book. Gillian is here to talk about how she chooses the correct covers for her books.

Good morning Gillian. It's great to have you here. 

Book Covers! Why is it so hard to make a decision?

So you've written this amazing story, your almost ready to publish and now your book needs a nice cover, something simple but effective. There are pages on the web that let you design your own cover for a minimal charge and I remember when I started with Guardian I figured, hey I design houses for a living how hard could it be to design a cover for a book?

So I start with something basic and come up with a few options but then I can't decide which I like better. So I jump on Facebook and upload a couple of the options so people can let me know what they think. Problem there is that different people like different covers. This is a lot harder than I realized.

 I've managed to come up with a couple of alternatives I quite like but nothing that really stands out at me. I think to myself that here has to be something else, and luckily there are. There are quite a few book cover designers out there who know exactly what they're doing and after perusing a few recommendations I jump on the paragraphic site and have a squiz. Wow, some of those covers are absolutely fantastic but still none is quite right, there's one girl who looks perfect for Hannah but the rest of the cover is just too prissy, so I contact Tisha and she is more than happy to help come up with something else, she plays with some of the images and we do a little to and fro before I settle on the final design that I love, but even so, I still feel a bit apprehensive. It's so hard to be unbiased when it comes to your own cover. I can look over covers on the bookstore all the time without so much as a second glance at what could be a really good book. But how do I know if I would do the same thing to the cover I'd decided on. So I go back to Facebook again. This time around the praise is unanimous, maybe I'm on the right track.

 Not only was the new cover the most popular by far, but it even managed to triple the number of likes on the page at the time. Defiantly all good. If people were liking the page because of the new cover then they'd defiantly pick up the book. Wouldn't they? Some eighteen months later and I still cant be objective. I do love it though. What do you think?

Thank you so much Gillian for your time and sharing your thoughts. It was great having you here.

******************************************************

About the Author

I'm a 41 year old mother of two who designs houses for a living and lives to write.
I grew up in the Western Suburbs of Sydney Australia the eldest of five children. I had two younger brothers and two much younger sisters. I say had because one of my brothers died when I was only nineteen. 

I once had a boss who told me I had had a hard life but I never actually saw it that way. Life is what it is, and I had food, clothes, a roof over my head and a family who loved me. What's so hard about that?

These days I live on the Mornington Peninsula, south east of Melbourne Australia where I spend as much spare time as I can either with my nose in a book or writing away on my phone. I love it here, there aren't too many places in the world that with less that a ten minute drive you can watch the sun rise over the water, or you can watch the sun set over the water, and there's just something extra special about watching the sunset over the beach, something dreamy and romantic. I live with my husband, two beautiful but will full kids a few fish and a very spoilt English Staffie named Cleo.

I'm sure you don't want my whole life story so that's about it in a nutshell. I suppose though I should add that I really am a proud Australian. I love bbq's, thongs and Vegemite sandwiches and I even call my friends "mate". Oh and in winter I can't live without my "ugg" boots.

Guardian Blurb:
Headstrong and determined, Hannah always knew that she would become the Guardian. She was the keeper and the protector of all supernatural. What she didn't expect was that it would mean she would have to endure the agonising death of her mother first hand as their supernatural connection brings her to her knees, or that it would mean that she could never be with the man she loved.

Blond haired, blue eyed Gabriel was her handsome childhood friend, but would circumstances prevent her from ever being able to explore her true feelings for him?

Jesse, the dark alluring but incorrigible vampire would give anything to be with her, but as the guardian Hannah is forbidden to fall in love with the supernatural.

With her life in turmoil over her conflicting emotions about Gabriel and Jesse and her frustration at being unable to exact revenge for her mother’s horrific death, Hannah flees her life in an attempt to start over. But can we ever really escape from ourselves?

There is no escaping destiny no matter how hard she might try and Hannah must learn to reconcile her commitment to her family with her responsibility as the Guardian and her duty to her heart.

Forever Blurb:
Hannah’s life has never been easy, despite her strong willed determination and her extra “gifts”, it's still always been hard work keeping an entire world full of the supernatural under control, but having achieved a small semblance of control over most of the custas, Hannah was hoping to be able to slip back into her life of normalcy. Wishful thinking when you're the guardian of all supernatural.

With all the issues she’d had to endure in her past, she'd never had to worry about the mermaids before, so why would they choose now to suddenly start haunting her dreams and her life. Then there are the fairies to contend with as well, just when she manages to get one aspect of the crudelitas under control, the others decide it’s time to start causing problems.

All Hannah wants is some quiet family time and a chance to reflect on her feelings for Gabriel but instead she's thrown back into the thick of the supernatural world, and this time it threatens to invade the quiet family life she has worked so hard to establish. There's no running away this time, she has to front the challenges head on, but forever can be a long time if you can't be with the one you love.

And coming soon Revenge (no cover art available at this time)

Revenge Blurb:

Hannah finally has everything she wants out of life, devoted friends, a loving family, and the man of her dreams. Or does she? Life is never easy when you are the “Guardian” of all the supernatural beings, but surely this much heartache is more than one person was ever meant to have to contend with?

The Nephilim are on the hunt again but this time it’s not only the vampires they are hunting; and knowing that Hannah is still on the lookout for a new Custas, why would the witches be willing to work in conjunction with them? Then there’s Gabriel; after waiting for centuries to be with Hannah, what could possibly ever entice him to want to kill her. With all the supernatural issues she has to contend with how is it even possible a human could be any sort of a threat to the family life Hannah has built.

For over three centuries, one thing has been Hannah’s main driving force, but is it even possible for her to ever track Phelip down and get the final Revenge, and the final peace she has been hunting for.

If you would like to know more about Gillian you can visit her here:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon