Month: December 2016

Shaking the Family Tree: A Journey from Addiction to Recovery by Dallas H.

Written Dreams

Self-Help/Motivational

 

“Dallas H illustrates in a beautifully poetic way in Shaking the Family Tree the predictable pattern of addiction and its impact on relationships. She acknowledges the subtle role of alcohol as a Great Deceiver that is sometimes temporarily veiled as the Great Deliverer. An attractive invitation—through personal experience—into self-awareness, recovery, and healing.”

—Austin W. Houghtaling, Ph.D., LMFT, Sr. Clinical Director, Caron Treatment Centers

 

There was a boogie man in the closet and its name was alcoholism.

 

This story is not for the faint at heart. Shaking the Family Tree is an anonymous personal memoir of a recovering alcoholic. It is interlaced with poetic offerings that take the reader to the heart and soul of the ramifications of the disease of alcoholism. Dallas’s story is one of coming to terms with what has become her family’s unfortunate legacy. She and her sister were raised by two loving parents who did the best they could. As young girls growing up, they never doubted for one moment whether or not they were loved, and were infused with a strong sense of family values.

Alcoholism wasn’t a stranger to the family. It could be traced back for four generations and continues to reveal itself in three younger generations of Dallas’s family. In her memoir, Dallas explains her battle with co-dependency, and the genetic predisposition for alcoholism being the single thread that ties it all together of what made her life a living hell.

Dallas didn’t give up. Although she wanted to kick the habit, it wasn’t easy. With the help of a loyal sponsor, a lot of determination, and several hard lessons Dallas now shares how she conquered her biggest demons and became a survivor of alcoholism.

 

 

About the Author: Dallas H. lives in a small friendly city in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. In addition to being a recovering alcoholic, she is a proud mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She is also a part-time employee at a local bank, a loving sister, a loyal friend, and a poet. Dallas considers herself to be just another run-of-the-mill alcoholic and refuses to allow that aspect of her makeup to define her.

In 2017, Dallas celebrates 30 years of continuous sobriety. And although she understands that this fact will not negate the genetic pre-disposition that curses her family, she hopes it may have a positive impact on those others, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren who may be at risk.

News from Lake Boobbegone: A Breast Cancer Memoir from the Heart by Carolyn Redman

Written Dreams 2 Comments

Self-Help/Women’s Memoir

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Question: Does the world really need another breast cancer memoir?

Answer: Probably not.

But writing is the only way Carolyn Redman knew how to process a heartbreaking breast cancer diagnosis and the year-long treatments that ensued.  These honest, heartfelt, and sometimes humorous e-mails and essays, written solely to keep family and friends informed of her medical condition morphed into the definitive exercise in self-compassion and healing. In the end, no one was more surprised or more grateful than she was to find purpose and meaning masquerading as cancer.

 

 

 

 

About the Author:  

Carolyn Redman has been writing poetry and short stories since junior high school, where she was erroneously labeled by her guidance counselor as having the wrong kind of imagination. She persevered, earning a BA (cum laude) from Mount Mary University in English / Professional Writing, while working full time as an editorial assistant at an academic medical institution. She is a Wisconsin state licensed massage therapist who believes strongly in integrative medicine and the mind body connection. She was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she lives with her artist husband Tom and their cat, Sophie. This is her first published work.

Parts Unknown: An Alaskan Mystery by Toni Niesen

Written Dreams

Mystery

Toni Niesen makes her debut into the mystery field with Parts Unknown.

 

Somewhere over the Alaskan wilderness a plane has disappeared.

As winter approaches Anchorage, flight instructor Beri Quinn races to find a student who took off in one of her planes, and hasn’t been seen since. She’s convinced he’s still alive despite the Civil Air Patrol calling off their search. She strives to locate the missing pilot, save her reputation as a flight instructor and keep her business. But both in the air and on land, she must overcome gathering forces conspiring against her.

A single mother, Quinn fears losing custody of her son. She draws on her knowledge of aviation and musters the emotional strength necessary to overcome unseen adversaries and protect her family. With missing gold, sabotaged aircraft and unsolved murder, the stakes are high for Quinn and for her enemies.

To resolve her dilemma, Beri must answer one underlying question: did her student misjudge the weather and make a fatal mistake, or was he the victim of an elaborate murder plot? In her quest for an answer, she discovers unexpected betrayal and a massive criminal conspiracy. Told with suspense, humor, and a fighting spirit, this is a mystery for anyone who has ever dreamed of adventure in Alaska.

 

About the Author:

Toni Niesen lived in Alaska for twenty-four years. She worked in public health in Anchorage, and lived the life of a pilot vicariously through the exploits of her husband and friends. She is the author of short stories, three of which were published in Desert Sleuth anthologies. Parts Unknown is her debut novel. She currently lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with her husband, grandson, and Boston Terrier, Sushi. To learn more about Toni Niesen and her books, visit writtendreams.com.