I wanted to take a minute today and talk about the new series that I'm working on. About a year ago, I published a book of short stories about postpartum depression/anxiety and pregnancy loss. As a survivor of both, it means so much to me to spread awareness about these issues. I've seen it time and time again when I talk to other moms that are suffering: when I open up about my experiences, it gives them permission to do the same. When we start talking, we open the door for real improvement.
The book of short stories is called Hush Now. You can find it here for $.99 Hush Now: Short Stories
It's raw and real. It's fiction but based on my own personal experiences and those of other women that have opened up to me. It was rough to write. I won't lie to you. I wouldn't lie to my top five fans now, would I??? But it felt so important to me, so I pushed through the tears and bad memories and wrote it. Then I kind of left it alone.
But I wasn't done with it.
I recently decided to pick it up again and turn some of those stories into full-length romance novels. My idea is to have all of these women connected by the health care professionals that they visit. They will make very small appearances in each other's stories to illustrate the point that we have no idea what the stranger sitting next to us is going through. These books will obviously have a very different tone than my Stone Girls series, especially Even Though You're a Weirdo. That one is all sarcasm and awkward situational humor. I love it. I love funny and witty. I'll get back to funny and witty soon. Promise. I just need to write these books, you know?
I finished the first one! Yay! It's about Britt, the young single mom with anxiety. It deals with a really heavy topic, but I tried my best to add a little humor, a lot of sweetness, and a pinch of hope. Nothing I write is perfect. I'm fully aware of this, but I hope that I've created something beautiful that will stick with people after they read it.
You can find it here Don't Try to Save Me
And now I'm working on the next book in the series. This one is called When the Smoke Clears, and it's about Olivia and Brady as they wade through the grief of miscarriages. It's also a romance, as I spend a lot of time focusing on their love story. Pain can tear people apart, or it can bring them closer, and there's no possible way for the pain of losing a baby to not affect your relationships. Once again, I'm trying my best to add a little hope and sweetness to this heavy topic. This one feels even heavier to me, so after I finish, I might need to take a little break from this series.
Phew! Glad I got all of that off my chest!
So, if you're down to cry with me, if you've experienced the old PPD/PPA, lost babies, or if you just want some sweet happy/sad stories then read this series!! If you HATE crying, then wait for me to get back to light-hearted sarcasm. I already have plans for it, so fret not.
If you made it this far, then you really are a fan! Thanks for sticking with me, Samantha. SAMANTHA? I don't even know a Samantha! Fun fact, did you know little boys also like Frozen? I mean, they don't like it as much as they like Ninjago, but it has a place in our lives, for sure.
Have a lovely day in COVID quarantine. Thanks for reading! 😘
