Author: Marissa DeCuir

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania — Bridging the generational and cultural divide, physician Sam Stea’s debut novel imagines new solutions to the greatest global crisis of our time: climate change. “The Edge of Elsewhere” (Sept. 8, 2020), is a thrilling science meets climate-fiction adventure that follows refugees from the not-too-distant future in a race against time.

In a world reeling from ecological collapse, Abbey Lane’s waking life is a bleak routine. Between protecting her asthmatic older brother, Paul, and scouring gloomy ruins of Princeton with her best friend, Max, Abbey’s world couldn’t be more different from the technicolor eden she imagines in her dreams. But after discovering an old scientific notebook in the ruins of Princeton University, the trio find themselves in a world and a time they could never have imagined: New York City, 1971. There, they rediscover the beauty of the natural world, and meet a tragic music legend whose fate may hold the key to Earth’s destiny.

Born from his experience in the health care industry and his passion for literature, film, and music, Stea crafts an earnest coming-of-age story about the resilience of the human spirit in the wake of the most extreme circumstances.

“The Edge of Elsewhere”
Sam Stea | Sept. 8, 2020 | Science-Fiction/Climate-Fiction
Paperback | 978-1733135931 | $18.99 | Hardcover | 9781733135917 | $29.99

About the Author

SAM STEA is a practicing physician, proud husband, and father of a wonderful son and daughter. Some time ago, Stea took a simple and deliberate step back from the complexities of life to see himself in a much bigger picture, within a context of past and future, within the balance of the human species with nature, and with what is truly lasting beyond one’s own years.

His great hope is that others in health care, physicians, nurses, therapists of all kinds, scientists and administrators, and young people everywhere will join him in his fight to better inform the public that climate change is the greatest imminent health challenge humanity has yet to face.

In an interview, Sam Stea can discuss:

• His career as a physician and environmental activist, how the two are similar, and where their paths diverge
• How climate change has blurred the lines between science-fiction and reality
• The importance of climate awareness and steps individuals can take to further this awareness
• How climate crisis is also a health care crisis and the role health care providers play
• The impact of the medical industry on the environment, and the extreme and unethical detachment of physicians and nurses from the issue
• The process of writing his debut novel and how all demographics can relate to its messages and themes

An Interview with SAM STEA

1. What inspired you to write “The Edge of Elsewhere”?

“The Edge of Elsewhere” was inspired by my need to lend my hand to the climate crisis, which I see as the greatest health issue of the 21st century. With my busy medical practice, I cannot serve as an effective climate activist. But I can write. In my free time, I write. And I know the power of a good story.

2. How has your work as a physician informed you as a writer?

Each patient is locked in their own story. I don’t know the end, but I can, I hope, impart something to them — call it wisdom or simply keeping them human along with myself along the way. But to see them rise from the ashes! That is something. A patient getting a long-awaited transplant. Or someone recovering from critical illness. The hope and despair, frailty and strength — these simple things I see in them inspired me to write this book. It is mostly written for them, my patients.

3. What role do you think health care providers should play in addressing the climate crisis?

Health care providers need to lead us out of this climate mess. We must serve as the bridge between the hard climate scienctists and the public. We still retain the public’s trust — for now. I cannot understand this disconnect and cognitive dissonance. Not acknowledging the climate crisis for what it is, a growing existential threat to human health and survival, goes against everything physicians have sworn to uphold.

4. What do you think future generations will think about our actions on the climate?

Future generations will curse us if we fail to act, if we fail to break out of our simple, blissful complacency. In “Elsewhere,” we (those alive in the here and now) are called “sleepwalkers,” the seemingly ignorant and apathetic masses whose lack of action is incomprehensible to their grandchildren and great grandchildren.

5. What do you hope readers take away from “The Edge of Elsewhere”?

That they can see things differently, cherish the simple things, like clean water, a flock of birds, sunlight, or a cool breeze. If they can hold their children and think about their future just a bit more, that’s what I hope for. It’s all up for grabs right now!

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

LOS ANGELES – Tori Eldridge’s sequel to her lauded debut novel packs quite a punch — literally. Fused with Eldridge’s own personal brand of grit and renegade style, “The Ninja’s Blade,” (Sept. 1, Agora Books/Polis Books) is a no-holds-bar, action-packed thriller that will keep readers turning the page for more.

Following events in “The Ninja Daughter,” protagonist Lily Wong pursues her mission to save the women and children of Los Angeles. Hounded by the trauma from her previous confrontation with the Varrio Norwalk 66 street gang, Lily is on a desparate search for a kidnapped prostitution victim, eventually going undercover in the seedy underbelly of L.A. sex trafficking. All the while she struggles to appease the expectations of her Asian mother and grandparents, as well as kindle the spark of a potential romantic flame.

Behind the adventures of her modern-day ninja, the author examines themes of race, identity and values, as well as the timely issues of crimes against women and trafficking. Eldridge crafts a knockout of a novel that’ll leave readers wondering what’s next for Lily Wong?

Early praise for “The Ninja’s Blade”

“Lily Wong is gutsy, smart, and irresistible — just like ‘The Ninja’s Blade.’ Grab it!”
— Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award-winning author of “The Dark Corners of the Night”

“ ‘The Ninja’s Blade’ will have you on the edge of your seat, turning pages so fast toward the end that you risk death by paper cut. Lily may not be winded at the end of those ninja fights, but you sure will be. If you’re not reading this series, you’re missing out big time.”
― Tracy Clark, author of the acclaimed Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series

Praise for “The Ninja Daughter”

“Eldridge’s debut thriller introduces readers to a heroine for the #MeToo era and deftly explores the dangers of Lily’s avocation, the challenges of familial relationships, and the need to continue to fight the abuse and exploitation of others. … Readers who enjoy an action-packed adventure that doesn’t neglect character development and speaks truth about the human condition will welcome this quirky, passionate, and endearingly relatable protagonist.”
― Library Journal (Starred), Debut Pick of the Month, November

“Eldridge’s wild ride of a first novel marries Kill Bill with Killing Eve. Readers will want to see more of the feisty Lily. Eldridge expertly mines both domestic suspense and action thriller.”
― Publishers Weekly

“Tough, snarky, and grudgingly vulnerable, Lily Wong is an irresistible heroine set perfectly against a quirky millennial L.A. backdrop.”
― Booklist

“If you love a heroine who’s tough, brilliant, and never runs from a fight, look no further. ‘The Ninja Daughter is your gal. Tori Eldridge introduces the warrior-sleuth you’ll want fighting by your side.”
― Tess Gerritsen, NYT bestselling author of “The Shape of Night”

“The Ninja’s Blade” (Lily Wong Book 2)
Tori Eldridge | Sept. 1, 2020 | Agora Books | Thriller | Paperback | 978-951709-09-9 | $16.95

In an interview, Tori Eldridge can discuss:

• Her journey from the stage and screen to published author
• Her ninjitsu and women’s self-defense background and how it helped her develop the character of Lily Wong
• The #ownvoices movement and the importance of diversity in literature
• Incorporating her own mixed race heritage into her main character
• The representation of Asian culture and family dynamics throughout her writing
• Choosing to write about commercial sex trafficking of youth and the importance of bringing awareness to the issue through fiction

An Interview with Tori Eldridge

1. How soon into writing the first book of the series did you know Lily’s story was going to be continued?

I knew “The Ninja Daughter” would begin a series before I even wrote the first sentence. Lily Wong demanded I tell her story — one of heroism, tragedy, family, culture, and relevancy. Not only did she fascinate and motivate me to write, but she connected me even more deeply with current affairs, my city, my ninja art, and my heritage.

2. Echoing #MeToo and other calls for female empowerment, the series focuses heavily on human trafficking, self-defense, and crimes against women. How did these recent movements in today’s culture influence developing the series?

Lily Wong is a modern-day ninja concerned with the issues of modern-day women. This wasn’t a calculated decision inspired by current affairs. Rather, Lily emerged from my mind on a hunt for her younger sister’s rapist and murderer. Family relationships and duty are intrinsic to Asian culture, so Lily’s perceived failure as an elder sister is what drives her to become a big sister to a city and to fight crimes against women and children. The #MeToo movement also spoke loudly to me as a former actress in Hollywood and martial arts instructor. The demeaning behavior of the past must end. It’s time to redefine American culture with greater awareness and respect.

3. In “The Ninja’s Blade,” Lily is suffering from PTSD stemming from previous events in book one. Why was it important for you to acknowledge this trauma and how did it help you develop Lily’s character in book two?

Unless you’re a psychopath, violence — done to you or by you — leaves a mark. Past actions inform and often confuse our actions in the present. They can influence our decisions, affect us emotionally, and make us question our self perception.

This doubt and angst is part of the human condition. Seeing the actions that took place in “The Ninja Daughter” affect Lily in “The Ninja’s Blade,” not only deepens her character but will hopefully resonate deeply with readers.

4. The Lily Wong Series is set in Los Angeles, and the spirit and depiction of the city is just as important as the characters. What motivated you to have the book set there?

Los Angeles has been my city for over 35 years, providing me a deep well of experience and familiarity from which to draw. I view Los Angeles as a macrocosm of Lily’s own personality and urban multicultural experience. As Lily points out in “The Ninja Daughter,” Los Angeles is like dot art: View it closely and you’ll see dramatically distinct communities. Take it in as a whole, and our city presents itself in glorious harmony. The same can be said for Lily. In true Asian fashion, I’ve woven this sort of symbolism in “The Ninja’s Blade” and throughout the Lily Wong series. It’s yet another way that Lily and I connect with our shared Chinese heritage.

5. #ownvoices attempts to recognize diversity and promote representation throughout the literary community. What does it mean to you to be an #ownvoices author?

Writing from my own Chinese-Norwegian heritage, experience as a master ninjutsu practitioner, and longtime resident of Los Angeles, I was able to infuse “The Ninja Daughter” with distinctive authenticity. Personal experience and deeper insight is something readers can and should expect from an #ownvoices author. As for representation in fiction and media, I cannot express how important it is for people of all cultures and communities to see themselves portrayed in nuanced and empowering characters. Characters and stories that veer outside of mainstream experience expand our empathy and connect our society.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Clermont, FL — “Heavy Tales: The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As lived by Jon Zazula” is the detailed, never-before-told story as lived by Jonny Zazula. A riveting tumultuous journey from renegade youth to Metal music mogul, with detailed accounts of the struggles and successes along the way. How he created Megaforce Records, CraZed Management out of a flea market in New Jersey with his wife, Marsha to discover Metallica and launch a musical genre that forever changed the scope of music history. The hundreds of artists they worked with would go on to release some of the most prolific and important albums in heavy metal history, giving it it’s Golden Era. Penned by Jonny Zazula and co-written by Harold Claros-Maldonado, Heavy Tales details the stories of how Jonny Z worked miracles by managing and releasing albums by Metallica, Anthrax, Testament, Mercyful Fate, Raven, Overkill, Exciter, Stormtroopers of Death, Method of Destruction, Ace Frehley’s Comet, King’s X, Ministry, Mindfunk, Nudeswirl, Warren Haynes, Disco Biscuits, and many more, and how one night in 1984, he jokingly created Rap Metal before anyone else conceived the idea. With a foreword written by Chuck Billy, plus a bonus feature gallery with over one hundred rare photographs unearthed from the MegaVault, Heavy Tales is the definitive American story of a family man with a dream, determined to prove to the world that heavy metal belonged on the stage, on the radio, and in your living room.

Exclusive only to the Heavy Tales audiobook is a collection of Q+A’s taken from 10 live broadcasts from the Brothers Grimm radio show on Cranium Radio.com, where Jonny answers 89 unfiltered questions from listeners giving an even deeper look into his life.

“Heavy Tales”
Jon Zazula | October 29, 2020 | CraZed Management LLC/Blackstone
Audiobook | B085WB1L96 | $18.35
Nonfiction Autobiography

JONATHAN ZAZULA is the owner of New Jersey’s Rock n’ Roll Heaven record store and founder of Megaforce Records. Zazula’s record store in East Brunswick, New Jersey made him a central figure of the East Coast metal scene, regularly playing demo tapes sent to him through his underground tape-trading network. His central role in the East Coast metal scene would later be an essential factor in launching the career of Metallica. Zazula offered the band their first opportunity to play in the New York area, coordinated a touring schedule, and later released their debut album Kill ‘Em All. Zazula went on to sign and work with other artists including: Warren Haynes, Testament, Tad, Overkill, Frehley’s Comet, King’s X, Ministry, and Anthrax. He lives in Furlong, Pennsylvania, with his wife Marsha and daughter Blaire.

In an interview, Jon Zazula can discuss:

• His many roles in the music industry and how he got started
• Why he wanted to tell this story in his own words
• The legendary bands he’s been associated with
• His massive record collection
• The personal challenges he faced in his career

An Interview with Jon Zazula

1. What are some of the most impactful moments in your career?

Looking back, I realize some of the most impactful moments were the ones where I was able to see our bands live and feel the energy that surrounded them.

The first time, I ever had any major awakening in this business was right in the beginning at the Route 18 Indoor Flea Market. This was our first concert as promoters, it was the Friday the 13th Anvil Rock Show, and, I remember the feeling in the place was magical. It was a magical moment and a truly powerful evening

The second was when Marsha and I saw Metallica headline the Rio in Long Island, we had been watching them making mistakes and what have you, but this night it had all come together. It was incredible to see the band really get it and find their way on stage, it all seemed to have come together at that show.
The third was seeing Anthrax play Madison Square Garden. Headlining in their hometown of New York coming up from bars and reaching this height, it felt like an unbelievable accomplishment.

2. What about metal do you think appeals to music fans?

Right off the cuff, it is the unadulterated aggressive nature of metal music that allows people to release their tension and stress. Metal is not background music, it is foreground music, it is thinking man’s music. It requires your full attention as the listener and as the musician. It is no secret that some of the greatest musicians in the world play metal.

3. How do you think the music industry has shifted over the years?

Let me tell you, I am happy I am not in the music industry today, I was way better at the game back in the 80s. There used to be something organic about the discovery of music, and being a part of a scene, or for Metal, a movement.

Today, especially with the world shut down, industry heads have to be extremely creative about how they get their music into the hands of the fans. There used to be places people would go to find music, record stores, magazines, fan zines, tape traders. Today, it’s about song placement, influencer endorsement, and fitting into the algorithm of the internet user, it is very different. I give props to those out there today making it happen.

4. You faced a lot of personal challenges in your career. How did you overcome those to lead to such storied success?

Divine intervention

5. Do you have any advice for someone looking to break into the music industry?

The more involved you can be with the music the better. Today you truly need to wear many hats in order to be successful. Always be looking for new ways to get your music out there, new platforms, new media trends. Stay ahead of the curve, stay humble, and stay diligent.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nashville, TN – Already an award-winning author and speaker, healthcare change catalyst, and value creator, author Rebecca Whitehead Munn’s All of Us Warriors (She Writes Press, September 1, 2020) strives to demystify the challenging topics we all face. Following her award-winning memoir The Gift of Goodbye, Munn now brings twenty stories from the front lines and offers valuable support to those facing cancer.

The incidence of cancer continues to rise—but despite how many lives have been touched by cancer, hearing of a loved one or friend’s diagnosis still invokes such fear that it is hard to know what to do next.

In All of Us Warriors, Rebecca Whitehead Munn paints a realistic picture of the impact cancer has on an individual’s life, and she attempts to demystify the experience by sharing heartfelt stories from twenty survivors and the loved ones of those that passed. They are mothers and fathers with seven types of cancers and all stages of the disease. Each story includes advice regarding how to approach someone you love living with cancer and tips and tricks for helping others feel joy in the midst of pain. This inspirational book provides a positive outlook of strength and perseverance through belief in a higher power, reinforcing the idea that the reader is stronger than cancer and not alone, and offering real strategies that cannot be found in online medical sites. Like a conversation with a new best friend (or twenty of them), All of Us Warriors is full of understanding, acceptance, and practical advice gained from personal experience.

All of Us Warriors was announced as a finalist in Self-Help General and a winner in Health: Cancer for the International Book Awards and placed Gold in Health/Wellness for the 2020 Living Now Award!

“All Of Us Warriors: Cancer Stories of Survival and Loss”
Rebecca Whitehead Munn | September 1, 2020 | She Writes Press
Paperback ISBN: 978-1631527951 | $16.95
Self-Help

In an interview, Rebecca can discuss:

• Her personal experience with cancer
• Writing her memoir, The Gift of Goodbye
• Listening to the stories of other survivors and what inspired her to write All of Us Warriors
• People’s general understanding of cancer when they’re first diagnosed verses when they surround themselves with people with similar experiences
• How to deal with grief, and advice for those facing terminal illness
• Her experience in the healthcare industry and how that influences her writing

Praise for ALL OF US WARRIORS

“In this book Ms. Whitehead Munn truly captures the highs and lows of a cancer diagnosis. The stories she tells provide insights into living with cancer. Each story contains nuggets of advice that patients and caregivers alike will find helpful as they navigate a diagnosis. A must-read for anyone who knows someone with cancer and is looking for ways to understand their loved one’s experience.” — Christie Lockhart, Colon Cancer Coalition

“An inspirational, raw, and much-needed glimpse into how cancer changes life forever. It is both heartbreaking and inspiring to see how people face hearing the words, ‘You have cancer.’ This is a must-read for anyone who has been impacted by cancer.” — Aaron Grunke, founder of Survivor Fitness Foundation

“This book serves a tremendous resource for cancer patients and their families.” —Ricardo J. Komotar, MD, FAANS, FACS, Program Director, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami School of Medicine

“The word ‘cancer’ can be a frightening term to many. All Of Us Warriors strips away the fear, demonstrating time and again that there is always hope, that there can be joy in life, even when faced with the tremendous challenges of illness.” — Dr. Robin Williams, breast surgeon at Saint Thomas Medical Partners

“What a great book of stories…true stories of persistence, patience and determination. I highly recommend it for any family with a cancer diagnosis.” — Dr. Peter R. Ledoux, Breast Surgeon, PRMA

“This book is life-changing for cancer patients and their loved ones…This book opened a door that made me want to share my story and hear the stories of others. It demonstrates how much we each have to gain and to give within our unique community. It contains real information and strategies that cannot be found in online medical sites. It is simply a powerful fuel for the body and the soul.” — Doris Schneider, Author of Borrowed Things, By Way of Water, and Nana and the “c”

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Women are dying, and they aren’t going gently: A former anthropologist must investigate the roots of feminine spontaneous combustion in this incisive release

MONTCLAIR, New Jersey — How often have women fought against their invisibility? How often have they found a way to be seen by a society that rejects them? The 1975 Icelandic women’s strike, lesbian activists storming the BBC in May 1998, and the contemporary #MeToo movement represent an outcry from women who have had enough. But what if the precarious position of women led not to an outcry or protest, but to another more devastating expulsion of energy?

In Nancy Burke’s “Only the Women are Burning” (Apprentice House Press, October 1, 2020) three women are eclipsed by flames in a single morning, one at a commuter train, one at a school, one while walking her dog in the woods. The authorities decide the burning women are members of a cult, but when Cassandra learns her former best friend died in the fiery phenomenon she refuses to accept that explanation. A mom and former anthropologist, Cassandra finds herself wrapped up in the mystery of these fiery deaths, searching for a solution. As she delves into this strange episode in her once safe suburban New Jersey town, she must also face some buried truths of her own.

Part mystery, part science fiction, part suburban domestic novel, Burke’s “Only the Women are Burning” asks important questions about women in contemporary suburban lives. Fans of Margaret Atwood, Naomi Alderman, Meg Wolitzer, and Rebecca Solnit will enjoy this striking novel for both its poetic prose and the biting social commentary within.

More about  Only the Women Are Burning

“It’s rare when a story folds facts into an emotional roller-coaster but this novel hits the mark
… all told in vibrant prose with poetic edges.”

— Julie Maloney, award-winning author of A Matter of Chance and Director of
Women Reading Aloud, an international writing program for women

“Only the Women are Burning”
Nancy Burke | October 1, 2020 | Apprentice House Press | Mystery / Women Sleuths Paperback | 9781627202893 | $18.99

In an interview, Nancy can discuss:

• Where the idea for this book came from
• The important cultural and sociological nuances the book addresses
• Writing the story of a female sleuth, and constructing the puzzle that she must solve
• Reasons why readers of all genders should pick up this book
• How her work blends elements of multiple genres: mystery/suspense, science-fiction, domestic fiction, fabulism, feminist literature
• Whether readers can expect to see more from Cassandra in the future

An Interview with Nancy Burke

1. How long have you been working on “Only the Women are Burning,” and where did your idea for the book originate from?

The idea of women bursting into flame came to me nearly two decades ago out of the blue while I was sitting under an elm tree at my swim club. It poured onto the page like this: “The women began to spontaneously ignite, bodies bursting into miniature mountains of flame as they went about their usual daily routines.” I think it came from deep within, from a burning intellectual energy that couldn’t find a channel for release so just exploded in flame. I must have been feeling an intense need to do something else while I was raising my kids, but I hadn’t found it.

2. In writing this novel, were you inspired by other works of feminist literature, or by other female sleuths? How do you hope readers perceive Cassandra?

I have to dig way back into my reading lists for this question. I read Drinking the Rain by Alix Kates Shulman which was published in 1995 about five years before I started this work. A passage in there stays with me to this day, about the author’s husband who wanted her to co-sign a business loan, but she refused to risk her own financial well-being for his business idea. There was a distinct lesson in that about women and choice that was important beyond the usual issue of abortion. There were many, perhaps not outright feminist books, but with a consciousness raising influence. Margaret Atwood is a distinctly strong influence. I am a recent discoverer of Rebecca Solnit’s work. I’m listening to Recollections of My Non-existence right now.

I laugh, but I was a big Nancy Drew fan as a kid. Mary Stewart’s novels were also a big part of my reading life as a young teen. I particularly remember The Moon Spinners, about a girl who accompanies her anthropologist aunt to the Greek Isles and solves a mystery. And, I love listening to Tana French’s Irish detective stories on audiobook.

I first developed Cassandra into an unreliable narrator by giving her obsessive-compulsive tendencies. But I didn’t want there to be anything the authorities would use as excuses to not believe her, so she became a mom with a part-time job who was brilliant and well-educated but had no way to channel her brilliance. It took some time for her to emerge as a strong woman who should be listened to even though nobody does. Cassandra, the Greek prophetess has the gift of sight, but Apollo put a curse on her so nobody would believe her prophecies. I want readers to recognize that she (and they) deserve to be listened to because women know things in a different way than men do.

3. Religious imagery adds another dimension to this story. Can you describe the addition of that, and what it signifies to you?

Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken; the other spared. It’s from the Gospel of Matthew. Why one woman and not the other? Who we are and what we believe helps us to explain the unexplainable and gives us a sense that there is something we can do to change an outcome or ward off evil. If you study anthropology, which I did as an undergrad, you can see how mythology and religion were the first science. Cassandra is an anthropologist and is acutely aware that people process life and death and hardship in particular religious ways. She acknowledges it, but that in no way requires her to accept other’s system of believing. It’s called tolerance. We need more of that.

4. Can you outline some of the cultural and sociological topics this novel addresses?

Only the Women are Burning is a smorgasbord of interrelated topics so I can see why this question is important. Let’s see if I can outline them.

A. Family of origin can be supportive, but often is not when your dreams are inconsistent with family expectations.
B. Sisterhood is a mixed bag of love and disdain, shame and competition.
C. Marriage is sometimes undertaken with expectations that do not match, but you often can’t see that until you’re way in.
D. Education, and goals are extremely important, but women often abandon theirs because some choices (marriage/family/career) are mutually exclusive even if they at first don’t appear to be.
E. Women need each other for support and friendship always.
F. Motherhood is one of the most difficult jobs you can love to have. Women abdicate to the demands of the role because they love their babies/children more than anything including themselves. We miss our former selves.
G. Women really are still very much misunderstood by the men in their lives – as a species, and as individuals onto themselves (and not simply accessories to the man’s life).
H. There are still men who hide their homosexuality inside marriage despite the acceptance of LGBTQ by society. They can’t accept it in themselves due to upbringing and their definition of what it means to be a man.
I. Environmental contamination, climate change, invisible radiation contamination are present in our world and harm us.
J. Self-help groups, self-care, yoga, meditation, medication, drugs, alcohol, self-destructive behaviors are some of the ways we channel the energy inside and help it find a path toward expression. Be careful what you choose.
K. Abortion – don’t miss this one. It’s in the conversation with Phoebe.
L. Own your authority and never let anyone silence you.

5. What do you hope readers will take away from “Only the Women are Burning”?

This is the takeaway… Cassandra has an arcane collection of scientific knowledge accumulated over a lifetime of exploration and inquiry, relationships that succeed or fail; she’s made choices for better or for worse. All of these things allow her to know things in ways the authorities investigating the fires couldn’t possibly know. Only her professor who gave her the ring believed in her. We can all name someone who did that for us. Like Cassandra, I want my readers to find theirs, twirl that imaginary ring, and never let anyone silence or sideline you because your existence and brilliance is inconvenient. Only you can insist on your own truth.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Opportunity: Teacher needed in one-room schoolhouse on remote island in Maine. Certification in grades K-8 a must.

Julie Weathers isn’t sure if she’s running away or starting over, but moving to a remote island off the coast of Maine feels right for someone with reasons to flee her old life. The sun-washed, sea-stormed speck of land seems welcoming, the lobster plentiful, and the community close and tightly knit. She finds friends in her nearest neighbor and Callum, a man who appears to be using the island for the same thing as she: escape.

But as Julie takes on the challenge of teaching the island’s children, she comes to suspect that she may have traded one place shrouded in trouble for another, and she begins to wonder if the greatest danger on Mercy Island is its lost location far out to sea, or the people who live there.

“The Second Mother”
Jenny Milchman | Aug. 18, 2020 |Sourcebooks
Paperback | 9781492694441 | $16.99
Hardcover | 9781728226361| $26.99
Thriller

“Milchman is the Swiss Army knife of thriller writers…”

– LEE CHILD, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

PRAISE FOR WICKED RIVER

“A powerful story of survival told by one of the richest and most riveting voices in today’s
thriller fiction. From start to finish, Wicked River twists and tumbles and roars, carrying
readers along for one hell of a thrill ride.”
—WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER, New York Times bestselling author of Ordinary Grace

“A tense exploration of survival and psychological manipulation with a raw, sharply drawn
setting sure to please.”
—BOOKLIST

“Jenny Milchman has created the ultimate tale of endurance in the wilderness…James Dickey
set the bar for stories of survival, but Wicked River offers a nail-biting update that makes
Deliverance look like a stroll in the park. This is suspense queen Jenny Milchman at the top of
her game. Pack a thermos and settle in because readers will not be able to put this one down.”
—PAMELA KLINGER-HORN, Excelsior Bay Books

“A great mystery and thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat and second guessing ever going into the woods again.”
—AMANDA ZIRN, Bethany Beach Books

“Will keep your heart pounding… Any fan of a good thriller with psychological twists will love this book.”
—JACKIE WILLEY, Fiction Addiction

“This is Jenny’s most exhilarating novel yet. If you’re not already a fan, you will be!”
—LINDA BOND, Auntie’s Bookshop

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

SAN FRANCISCO — To say writer and educator Evelyn Kohl LaTorre has been around the world would be an understatement — she’s visited over 100 countries and counting! But this wanderlust first blossomed at an early age with her love affair with Latin American culture and a yearning for a life full of purpose, passion, and adventure, all detailed in her new memoir, “Between Inca Walls,” (Aug. 11, She Writes Press.)

In 1964, LaTorre becomes a volunteer for the newly formed Peace Corps and is sent to a rural mountain town in the Andes of Peru, where she and her roommate find a new sense of liberation and empowerment while discovering their place within the community. Over the course of 18 months, LaTorre teaches indigenous children in schools with dirt floors, trains shoeless students for marching competitions, and infuses herself in peasant farmer politics, all the while falling in love with a local university student.

And with this newfound romance, LaTorre fights an ongoing battle between head and heart: Does she adhere to the restrictive structures of her religious youth, or does she follow her passions toward an endless path of possibility?

LaTorre’s poignant narrative takes readers on a journey across both international borders and social barriers, as well as among languages, traditions, and cultures. Her emotional chronicles will speak to adventurers of every age, as well as those seeking transformation of their own.

“Between Inca Walls: A Peace Corps Memoir”
Evelyn Kohl LaTorre | Aug. 11, 2020 | She Writes Press
Memoir/Travel | Paperback | 978-1-63152-717-3 | $16.95

Early praise for “Between Inca Walls”

“Evelyn LaTorre creates a masterful portrait of place — from the Montana hills to the peaks of Peru — and illustrates how place shapes us. The many lovely metaphors and descriptions throughout the book invite the reader to see through the eyes of an innocent girl as she discovers exotic, lively cultures; absorbs the colors, sounds, passion, and intensity of that new world; and allows it to change her life path.”
— Linda Joy Myers, president of the National Association of Memoir Writers

“Walls typically keep people and things both in and out. In this memoir of her days as a Peace Corp Volunteer, Evelyn LaTorre breaks down those walls and tells a story of establishing relationships and projects in the mountains of Peru in the ’60s — a fascinating story of challenges faced in learning about oneself through the eyes of another culture. Once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down.”
— Dr. Jackie M. Allen, MFT, Associate Professor of Education, University of La Verne

“Scenes remain in my mind as if these stories had been my own. I found myself caught up in adventure after adventure, from copper ovens to shoeless kids playing soccer, from busy cities with cobblestone streets to roads that clung to the sides of mountains. I became captivated by Evelyn’s community of students and peers and the man who became Evelyn’s big love.”
— Charlotte Robin Cook, MFA, former publisher, current story editor,
and head fiction judge for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards

“Travel with Evelyn LaTorre during the early chaotic days of the Peace Corps as she arrives in Peru and must navigate finding housing and a suitable volunteer job in an unfamiliar land whose language she barely speaks. Along the way, she also finds friends, love, and respect for a new culture. An inspiring journey.”
— Tish Davidson, editor of the California Writers Club 2019 Literary Review

“Evelyn LaTorre made two trips. The first, in 1964, was an expedition to Peru with the Peace Corps. The second was in her memoir by retelling the story of that transforming experience.”
— Alaide Ventura Medina, award-winning author of “Como Caracol”

“One of the most enjoyable aspects of my position as President and CEO of NPCA is hearing stories of Peace Corps Volunteers, especially those from the early years. In Between Inca Walls, Evelyn Kohl LaTorre describes her many adventures serving as a community development volunteer in rural Peru in the 1960s. It’s fabulous. I really enjoyed it!”
— Glenn Blumhorst, president and CEO, National Peace Corps Association

About The Author

EVELYN KOHL LaTORRE grew up in rural Southeastern Montana, surrounded by sheep and cattle ranches, before coming to California with her family at age 16. She holds a doctorate in multicultural education from the University of San Francisco, and a master’s degree in social welfare from UC Berkeley. She worked as a bilingual school psychologist and school administrator in public education until her retirement. Evelyn loves to travel; to date, she and her husband have traveled to some 100 countries. You can view her stories and photos on her website, www.evelynlatorre.com.

Her writing has appeared in World View Magazine, The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, the California Writers Club Literary Review, the Tri-City Voice, Dispatches and Clever Magazine. She is currently completing a second book about the struggles and triumphs of a bicultural marriage in the U.S.

In an interview, Evelyn can discuss:

• Her love for travel and experience visiting over 100 countries
• Travel writing and how her experiences abroad have influenced her as an author and an educator
• How her experiences in the early days of the Peace Corps differ from those volunteers have now
• How her time in South America has shaped her life and the value of travel, social activism and education
• Her career as an educator and the importance of acquiring a multicultural education

An Interview with Evelyn Kohl LaTorre

1. What initially drew you to the Peace Corps, which at the time was just a fledgling organization compared with what it is today, and did you have any say over where they sent you?

When in college in 1962-63, I worked weekends with other college students who helped Cesar Chavez take a census of migrant workers in the Fresno area. The warmth, food and music of the Mexican culture captivated me. I joined with a group of college students, called Amigos Anonymous, and in summer 1963, I lived in a small Mexican town where we started a school and a library. Joining the Peace Corps was a logical next step. I requested an assignment to Peru because a boy I liked, who’d worked with me taking the census in the Fresno area, had joined the Peace Corps and been assigned to Peru.

2. What impact do you think your experiences have had on your identity as an author? Did writing your memoir make you more aware of this?

I’ve loved reading and writing since I learned how in first grade. I write what I’m passionate about. I’ve been attracted to the Hispanic culture since I discovered it at age 19. I was often hired to work with Mexicans and Latin Americans because of my fluency in Spanish, so the culture has been some part of me for the past 60 years. Marrying a Peruvian also keeps me closely allied to that identity. Writing my memoir required me to put in words the way I’d always felt. It made me more aware of all parts of me.

3. What advice do you have to travelers looking to forge meaningful experiences?

I truly believe that living abroad helps one develop a clearer sense of self. Adjusting to all kinds of unknown circumstances and communicating in foreign languages as one travels abroad, results in a more open and flexible world view. Foreign travel develops self-reliance and self-confidence. Being exposed to different — and maybe better — ways of being and doing, encourages one to question one’s own country and identity.

4. Can you describe the experience of becoming exposed to Latin American culture for the first time?

Full immersion in a Hispanic country is covered in the first chapter of “Between Inca Walls,” when I tell about the difficulties in crossing the border from San Isidro to Tijuana, Mexico. My first experience in Parlier, California, where I volunteered weekends enthralled me with the sensuous nature of the music, food, colors and ways of enjoying life to the fullest. I admired the way the Mexican migrants were so accepting, nonjudgmental, and loving of others. It was so different from my strict Catholic, German-English upbringing.

5. Did you experience any sense of culture shock between your early travels from Montana to California and finally Peru?

No way. I loved seeing the mountains and the ocean for the first time when, at age 15, I traveled by rail from Montana with my family to visit relatives on the West Coast. The following year, I eagerly left the limited opportunities available in the cattle country of Southeastern Montana to move to California for my father’s job. I hadn’t fit in to the cowboy culture in so many ways.

6. What advice do you have for women facing similar choices today that you faced in the late ’60s and early ’70s?

You don’t always get what you want, you may get what you need instead. Follow your desires, instincts and your heart. You are stronger than you imagine. Don’t let others’ narrow opinions influence yours. Things can work out and challenges may bring you rewarding adventures that you’ll never forget. One needs to take risks in life. You can be what you decide to be through your own efforts, though it’s helpful to have family, luck and opportunity beneath your wings to carry you along.

7. Was it difficult for you while writing the book to disclose personal information and stories? How do you decide what information to include and what topics are off-limits?

Yes, very. Lesser people like to judge others’ decisions when they don’t match their own narrow views. I remember the day I presented the chapter about the circumstances of my first pregnancy to my writer’s critique group that had some men in it. But I soon discovered that writing about embarrassing incidents takes away the embarrassment and shame. It is a relief to be honest, which one must be in a memoir.

My husband is a very private person and insisted I change his name and not put any photos of him in my memoir.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – It’s early in September 2001, and twelve-year-old Abbey is the new kid at school — again. Tennessee is the latest stop her family has made in a series of moves, thanks to her dad’s work in the Army, but this one might be different. For the first time, Abbey has found a real friend: loyal, courageous, athletic Camille.

But everything changes after September 11. Abbey’s “home” looks like it might fall apart as America changes overnight. Abbey’s body changes, too, while her classmates argue and her family falters amidst the pressures of a new national crisis.

Like everyone around her, she tries to make sense of her own experience as a part of the country’s collective pain. With her mother grieving and her father prepping for active duty, Abbey must learn to cope on her own.

Written in gorgeous narrative verse, The Places We Sleep (August 25, 2020, Holiday House Books) tells the story of Abbey’s journey and provides an accessible portrait of the military family experience during a tumultuous period in our history. At once personal and universal, this is a sensitive, tender-hearted coming of age novel, a perfect read for fans of books like The Thing About Jellyfish, and poetry fans of all ages.

The Places We Sleep
Caroline DuBois | August 25, 2020 | Holiday House Books
Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Narrative Poetry
Hardcover | 978-0-8234-4421-2 | $16.99
E-book | 978-0-8234-4820-3 |$9.99

More about CAROLINE DUBOIS

Caroline Brooks DuBois found her poetic voice in the halls of the English Department at Converse College and the University of Bucknell’s Seminar for Young Poets. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, under the scholarship of Pulitzer Prize winning poet James Tate, among other greats in the poetry world.

DuBois’s writing infuses poetry and prose and has been published by outlets as varied as Highlights High Five, Southern Poetry Review, and The Journal of the American Medical Association and has been twice honored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Her debut middle-grade novel-in-verse, The Places We Sleep, is published by Holiday House and to be released August 2020.

DuBois has taught poetry workshops, writing classes, and English at the middle school, high school, and college levels. In May 2016, she was recognized as a Nashville Blue Ribbon Teacher for her dedication to her students and excellence in teaching adolescents.

DuBois currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where she works as an English instructional coach and sometimes co-writes songs for fun with her singer-songwriter husband. She has two teenage children and a dog, Lilli, and she enjoys coaching soccer and generally being outside.

In an interview, Caroline can discuss:

• Her experience as an educator
• Inspiring and motivating reluctant readers
• Narrative poetry and storytelling in verse
• Her personal experience of 9/11 in the South
• Her path to publication
• Writing for a middle-grade audience

An Interview with Caroline Brooks DuBois

1. What was the inspiration behind “The Places We Sleep” and what drew you to writing it in verse?

Pregnant when 9/11 occurred, I feared bringing a child into such a frightening and unpredictable world. In the years that followed, my brothers and my brother-in-law were all called into active duty and deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. These events inspired Abbey’s story. I wanted to write about how world events have rippling effects on individuals and familial relationships in unexpected ways. Abbey’s coming of age story unfolded naturally in poetry, perhaps as a lyrical way to process 9/11, but also likely because I’d recently completed my MFA in poetry.

2. How much of the novel is inspired by your own experience growing up in the South in a military family?

Although I did not grow up in a military family, both of my grandfathers served in the military, as well as both of my brothers, my brother-in-law, and my sister-in-law. Abbey’s story is about being a military child, but it’s also about many other things—identity, loss and grief, creating art in the face of tragedy, tolerance and acceptance, and friendship. It’s about how world events can touch individuals in large and small ways.

3. What was your experience of September 11th, 2001? How are children particularly impacted by national trauma?

On September 11th, 2001, I was working as an editor for a company in the South. The news rippled through our office, as we all had family and friends in the affected cities. Like JFK’s assassination for my parents, the Challenger explosion during my youth, 9/11 was one of those impact moments that you cannot forget, one of those moments where people can typically tell you exactly where they were when it happened, what they were doing, and maybe even what they were wearing. The current national trauma of the Coronavirus pandemic may have a similar impact on youth. Children are impacted by national trauma in ways adults cannot always understand; therefore, reading stories and creating art about such traumas can help children process such events in a safe space.

4. Why do you think this story is important for the middle-grade audience?

Middle grade students I’ve taught often have had only a fuzzy understanding of the events of 9/11, and the nonfiction texts they’ve typically enjoyed the most in my classroom were almost always couched in a narrative story. I hope Abbey’s story will spark curiosity in young readers about 9/11 and the monumental lessons we learned and are still learning from that tragedy. I hope the book will leave readers with a memorable story about a girl who may not be all that different from themselves. Furthermore, I hope student readers are gently nudged to learn the names of others with whom they share classes and hallways and to act with kindness and dignity to those they may not know or understand. Maybe it will even inspire some young reader to choose to deal with life’s challenges through art or poetry or other forms of creativity.

5. “The Places We Sleep” is your debut novel. What was your journey to becoming published like? Do you have any advice for other aspiring novelists?

I won’t sugarcoat it—my journey to publishing this novel was arduous and filled with more than one agent and my share of rejections, definitely not an instant success story aspiring writers might crave to hear. Fortunately it was dotted with minor accomplishments along the path to keep me going. Publishing is like training for a marathon in endurance and perseverance, and I’ve been collecting writing knowledge for years from attending conferences, maintaining critique groups, teaching adolescents, reading literature for children, and by returning day after day to the blank page to chase a story or poem. My advice is know your audience by interacting with them, and then tell the stories that your heart demands that you tell. Also, learn to wear and enjoy wearing many hats—writer, reviser, learner, reader, promoter, and so on and so forth.

6. What is the writing process like for a novel in verse?

Writing a novel in verse is a unique experience in that each poem can act as a scene or a portion of a scene, like the bones of a novel. A distinction from the traditional prose novel is that there are a lot less connective tissues to string scenes together. Therefore, the writer has to consider how the narrative will develop, while ensuring the language is precise and intentional in word choice, connotation, and imagery. At its best, a story poem is a picture painted with words that also reveals character and develops plot. Books in verse create more white space between scenes as well as playful or dramatic visual messages with syntax, punctuation, and form, which can motivate or hook adolescent readers.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Willa Goodfellow’s series of edgy, empathic, and comedic essays sheds light on
an often-misunderstood mood disorder

BEND, Oregon –– She was going to stab her doctor, but she wrote a book instead.

In her new book, “Prozac Monologues: A Voice from the Edge” (Aug. 25, 2020, She Writes Press) mental health journalist and Episcopal priest Willa Goodfellow shares her journey to recovery with transparent detail — from an antidepressant-induced hypomania that hijacked her Costa Rican vacation to the discovery that she had been misdiagnosed to learning how to manage life on the bipolar spectrum.

This raw, vulnerable collection of essays offers both a memoir and a self-help guide to others struggling with mental illness, including those on the bipolar spectrum who, like Goodfellow, are often initially diagnosed with depression.

Part of “Prozac Monologues” was penned in a hypomanic state and allows the reader to witness the inner workings of a racing and agitated mind. But Goodfellow also dedicates much of her work to describing in clear and accessible language the mechanics of a bipolar brain and how it is diagnosed, with the help of academic psychiatrists and current research findings.

“Prozac Monologues: A Voice from the Edge”
Willa Goodfellow | August 25, 2020 | She Writes Press
Paperback ISBN: | Price: $16.95
E-Book ISBN: | Price: $9.95
Self-help/Memoir

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Willa Goodfellow is the author of “Prozac Monologues: A Voice from the Edge” (Aug. 25, 2020, She Writes Press). Her early work with troubled teens as an Episcopal priest shaped an edgy perspective and preaching style. A bachelor’s degree from Reed College and a master’s from Yale gave her the intellectual chops to read and comprehend scientific research about mental illness—and her life mileage taught her to recognize and call out the bull.

So she set out to turn her own misbegotten sojourn in the land of antidepressants into a writing career. Her journalism has attracted the attention of leading psychiatrists who worked on the DSM-5. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid, graduated from NAMI’s Peer-to-Peer program, and has presented on mental health recovery at NAMI events and Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa.

Today she hikes, travels, plans seven-course dinner menus, works on her next writing project, “Bar Tales of Costa Rica,” and stirs up trouble. She lives with her wife, Helen, in Central Oregon, sometimes Costa Rica, and still misses her dog, Mazie. Connect with Willa online at:

https://willagoodfellow.com
https://www.facebook.com/WillaGoodfellowAuthor/
and on Twitter @WillaGoodfellow

In an interview, WILLA GOODFELLOW can discuss:

• What is bipolar disorder: not as simple as the movies make it
• Misdiagnosis and the misuse of antidepressants
• Understanding suicide and suicidal thoughts
• What recovery means for those with chronic or recurring mental illness
• Faith, religion, and mental illness

An Interview with WILLA GOODFELLOW

What motivated you to write this book? Did you experience any hesitation, and if so, how did you overcome this?

The opening scene of the book describes a traumatic experience. My brain was doing strange things. I didn’t know what was real. I was paranoid and scared. “Bizarre”,” the first monologue, was my attempt to deal with that experience by calling it a bizarre “thought” and getting some distance by turning it into a comedy routine. It wasn’t until 14 years later that I really faced it, rewrote the scene, being as specific as I could be, and for the first time took it to my therapist, and asked her to tell me clinically what had happened to me. I still hesitate to talk about it. But the more people have found out about the book, the clearer it has become to me that others really need to hear this story. So, I take a deep breath, and I tell it.

How is bipolar defined? Is it different than depression?

In the DSM, the book that doctors use to make diagnoses, bipolar is a mood disorder that shows up in two ways. Depression is the first way, with symptoms like sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, weight changes, sleep disturbance, agitation, fatigue, feeling worthless or guilty, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and thinking about suicide. Bipolar is depression plus other experiences of mania or hypomania (mania-lite): intense feeling (whether up or irritable), inflated self-esteem, no need for sleep, flight of ideas, racing thoughts, distractibility, excess activity, and risky behavior. That’s how it’s diagnosed. But inside there is a lot more going on, a whole series of mis-timings and misalignments in a lot of different systems. Bottom line, bipolar is external and internal difficulty in maintaining balance.

Was there a defining moment that made you realize you were wrongly diagnosed?

I was on an airplane, talking with a doctor, a family physician about the first version of my book—the monologues from 2005. When he heard my story, he said when I get home, I should google the Mood Disorder Questionnaire. “Just remember MDQ,” he said. So I did. I added up my score, and it said I should talk with my psychiatrist about whether I have bipolar. Well I didn’t want that diagnosis. I didn’t tell anybody for another year or two, until I just was not getting better. Eventually I realized I wasn’t going to get better until I faced it, so I asked my psychiatrist to look at my diagnosis again, and told her about that time I wrote a book in a week while on vacation in Costa Rica.

Why is misdiagnosis so pervasive in mental illness?

Mental illness diagnoses are made on the basis of external signs and symptoms. They call them symptom silos. You get slotted into the silo that fits best on the day the diagnosis is made. But there’s overlap among diagnoses, variation in how each one shows up, variation over time, plus memory difficulties that affect what you report to the doctor. So when symptoms change, diagnoses change. They don’t use biomarkers in diagnosis, objective measures like blood tests, genetic testing, MRIs and fMRIs, which are pictures from inside the brain. People are doing more research into biomarkers these days, and I do believe they will make a difference.

What advice would you give others who think they may have also been misdiagnosed?

First, learn as much as you can about the bipolar spectrum. I’d recommend a book by Chris Aiken and James Phelps, Bipolar, Not So Much. Take the diagnostic instruments, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire and the Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale. Keep records of your own experience, what medications you are taking, what the side effects and your symptoms are. Use a mood chart daily, and track energy level, as well as mood. Get solid, concise information to take to your doctor, not just your vague memories or how you feel on one particular day.

How can people who think they may have been misdiagnosed advocate for themselves?

Now personally I hate this advice, but I take it from Aiken and Phelps. You need to have a good relationship with your doctor, and your doctor needs to feel in control. So, don’t walk in with your own self-diagnosis or overwhelm her/him with questions or challenges. Be precise, have your records in order so you don’t take a lot of time. Express appreciation for how hard you are to treat, or something the doc has done to help you. Ask wondering kinds of questions like “I wonder what this means, that I have these fluctuations of energy, or that I keep having these particular side effects to all the antidepressants we’ve tried.” I also found it helpful to bring my spouse with me to support me and to give information that I didn’t have the insight to give.

What is your relationship with antidepressants?

My personal relationship with antidepressants is that they are the wrong meds for my condition. So, they were dangerous to me. All medications have side effects. And often side effects fade over time, as your body and brain get used to this new chemical that’s been introduced into your system. But the really bad things that antidepressants are accused of, and that happened to me, things that got worse over time instead of better, are sometimes an indication that you’re taking the wrong med. You have to watch out particularly for agitation, irritability, insomnia, and increasing suicidal ideation. Those are things you have to tell your doctor about.

What do you think are the most common misconceptions about taking antidepressants?

One common misconception is that antidepressants are “happy” pills. You just pop the pill and you feel great again. That’s not how it works. Antidepressants don’t help you avoid your problems. Depression is like a coat of concrete that surrounds your thoughts, your emotions, your energy level. If antidepressants work for you, then they break up that concrete so you can move again and become yourself again. But then you have to do the work. You have to think through your situation, whatever that is, understand your feelings, all of them, make good decisions, and show up for your own life.

Similarly, what is your relationship with therapy?

I’m a big fan of therapy. I have had different therapists, each taking a different approach. What worked at one stage was less useful at another. I changed therapists once when we just got stuck. That experience actually helped me later. I learned how to speak up when things weren’t working with the next therapist and to renegotiate our work. Therapy has taught me a lot.

This book chronicles some of the darkest moments of your life, yet you pepper the pages with hope and even humor, something you wouldn’t expect to find in a memoir about mental illness. Why use humor?

Yeah, so many depression memoirs are just so. . . depressing. Now, when somebody isn’t willing to tell me the bad news, then I don’t trust them when they tell me they have good news. So, I try to tell it like it is. On the other hand, I don’t want to make myself miserable when I read my own book. Humor gives me just enough distance from my misery to let me face the ugly truth and then lets me lighten up, so I can get to a realistic hope.

Why do you feel it was important to consult with psychiatrists when writing this book, and what value do you think that it added?

I wanted a book that would not merely tell my story but also help others who might be on the bipolar spectrum to understand it. Bipolar is not simple, and we need all the information we can get to manage it. And to the extent that I am also addressing psychiatrists and psychologists on the topics of diagnosis and treatment, I want them to know that I’m not just shooting from the hip. I’m a really smart person, and I can read the research, but I didn’t go to medical school. So, I am indebted to a couple of research university psychiatrists, Ronald Pies and Jess Fiedorowicz, who helped me make sure that I got my facts right.

Is it true that part of your book was actually written in a hypomanic state?

Oh yes, I still have the scribbled yellow pad pages to prove it. I was driven, I was urgent, it was the most important thing I had ever done in my life, and I could not be diverted from it by something as mundane as. . . walking on the beach in Costa Rica! My wife was upset at the time that I wasn’t doing things with her. But I didn’t have any sense that there was anything wrong. And for years I didn’t understand how worried she had been. You know, even after writing a book about it, there’s a part of me that still thinks she was overreacting. That’s called lack of insight, and that, too, can be part of mania and hypomania.

You are very open about discussing your own struggles with suicidal thoughts. What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about people going through similar experiences?

The biggest misconception is that suicide is a choice, that suicidal people sit down, make a list of pros and cons, think it through, and decide. Suicide happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain, when people just reach the end of what they can do. The second biggest misconception is that there’s nothing you as a friend or family member can do, that only professionals can help. That’s just wrong. You can be a resource. Now, arguing with them doesn’t help. But anything that you do to relieve another person’s pain, any act of kindness helps to tip that balance away from pain and toward life.

You are an Episcopal priest. What difference did your faith make in your mental illness?

First, my religion, belonging to a church itself, gave me a foundational set of practices, a tradition of saints who had suffered in the past, and a wide group of friends that held me, so I knew that I was not alone, no matter what it felt like.

As far as my faith goes, I never believed that God is a fixer for good people, or that prayer works like the drive thru window at a fast food restaurant. Nevertheless, I was angry. I mean, this is happening to a priest? Seriously? –What can I say? The spiritual life is a series of discovering over and over that the God we believe in is not as big as the God Who Is.

How can we change the way we discuss mental health and be better advocates and allies?

The brain is part of the body. Like the rest of the body, it can malfunction. It can also recover. And if it is chronically ill, the illness can be managed. There’s nothing spooky or weird about that. We need people to push for a health care system that treats the whole body, neck up as well as neck down. It’s that simple.

Your book takes readers on a wild ride through your mental health journey. What is your life like now? How do you manage your mental health, and have you instituted any other effective lifestyle changes?

Mental health recovery works on four basic strategies: lifestyle, education and self-awareness, support, and medication. When you’re not in crisis, the most important is lifestyle. It’s been a long time since I was in crisis. But paying attention to my health is still a daily practice, especially keeping to a regular schedule. I stay on top of this, sleep, diet, exercise, therapy, self-monitoring, rescue meds as needed, so I can feel okay, so I can pursue my goals, so I can write, and speak, make dinner for friends, and enjoy my family, my beautiful home with its view of the magnificent Cascade Mountains, and my annual trip to Costa Rica. There are periods when I wobble, and there probably always will be. But my life is good. It is worth the effort.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/