Posted on 06 July 2010.
– Vancouver artist, Sandra Yuen Mackay, has struggled with the symptoms of schizophrenia and with the effects of the medications that she needs to keep the symptoms under control from the age of 15 . Now in her 40′s, Sandra is married, a successful artist, writer and an advocate for improving the knowledge about this disease.
Ms Mackay” vividly re-creates her world of schizophrenia introducing readers to a whole new stratum of perception” according to Library Journal. It is an enlightening portrayal of her illness, hospitalizations, relationships, therapeutic activities and quest for recovery. It will hold readers captive. The book, they said, “provides a surprisingly gripping narrative similar to An Unquiet Mind written by Kay Redfield Jamison.
Best selling author and psychiatrist, Julie Holland, said that “there are precious few people who have experienced psychosis and can convey it accurately, clearly and concisely. Sandra Mackay’s story is an important one for all of us in the mental health field – doctors, patients and their families.”
David Laing Dawson, a psychiatrist, writer and film maker said that she “puts the reader nicely in her shoes experiencing the paranoia, misinterpretations, hallucinations.” Dr. Dawson is the author of Schizophrenia in Focus and the soon to be released The Adolescent Owner’s Manual.
Susan Inman, author of After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity called My Schizophrenic Life an “important book (that) should be read by anyone wanting to understand how someone can recover from schizophrenia”.
Sarah Sinanan, Coordinator, The Art Studios Vancouver, BC called this book ”a fascinating perspective of growing up and developing a mental illness early in life, courageously told!
Sandra MacKay has written a fast-paced, interesting and readable experience of learning to live with a complex mental illness; …. She writes with keen insight so that the reader is part of the experience and learns from it simultaneously. The ongoing dialogue between Sandra, her family and her caregivers offers the reader a sense of the roller coaster ride in dealing with the mental health system and shows also her transition to the road of recovery.
This is an authentic and honest journey through an illness experience that teaches us the value of individual effort and the recovery process.
For more information on this book visit http://www.bridgeross.com/mackay.html
My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery From Mental Illness is published by Bridgeross Communications (ISBN 978-0-9810037-9-5, $19.95, 210 pages) and is distributed by Ingram Books. It is available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Chapters/Indigo and in kindle format.
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Coming next from Bridgeross is The Adolescent Owner’s Manual by Dr. David Laing Dawson – A highly readable guide for parents of teens
Posted in Books
Posted on 30 June 2010.
– An Old Castle Standing On A Ford
Caroline Oceana Ryan
ISBN: 9781609114664
Eloquent Books
Reviewed By Karynda Lewis
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 5 Stars
The storied nation of Ireland has a long, fabled history the full extent of which awaits the discovery of anyone brave enough to traverse its borders. In the year 2000, Caroline Ryan embarked on such an endeavor, convinced that due to decades of fierce internal conflict she would find little more than the hollowed out remnants of what was once a proud, powerful glory…quite to her surprise, though, Caroline eventually crossed paths with a host of intriguing characters and personalities that would forever change how she viewed the wondrous Emerald Isle…
Throughout the pages of An Old Castle Standing On A Ford, author Caroline Oceana Ryan takes the reader on a vicarious journey through the hallowed history and culture of Northern Ireland. Leaving no proverbial stone unturned, Ryan shares the numerous sights and sounds that brought her curious sojourn to vivid life, highlighting the people and places that make the storied nation such a unique cultural treasure. In light of her eye-opening discoveries, Ryan herself eventually undergoes a curative transformation, ushering in a spirit of healing from her own dark past, which only serves to augment the significance of her enriching journey.
Richly rewarding, An Old Castle Standing On A Ford takes the reader on a compelling trek through one of the world’s foremost cultural wonders. A highly recommended read.
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Apex Reviews is a seasoned team of authors and editors with a combined total of over 75 years’ experience in the publishing industry. Our reviews have been cited in various media across the globe, garnering accolades from editors, agents, and booksellers.
Posted in Books
Posted on 27 June 2010.
– The Weight Of Glass
Stuart Heatherington
ISBN: 9781452423364
Reviewed By Karynda Lewis
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 5 Stars
The devastating ramifications of abuse can be difficult for anyone to handle let alone the most innocent among us. After years of vicious cruelty and horrid mistreatment, it’s no surprise that many tortured souls ultimately succumb to the gripping throes of addiction in order to cope with the lingering pain that stems from their living nightmares and for some, the prospect of emotional and spiritual healing is anything but a foregone conclusion…
Such is the heartrending story told in The Weight Of Glass, the powerful debut by author Stuart Heatherington. In masterful fashion, Heatherington relates the tragic tale of a family torn apart by abuse when the widowed mother remarries an ex-pastor who eventually turns the once-happy family’s life into a hell on earth. The abuse only intensifies after the mother dies, leaving her three children alone and vulnerable to their new stepfather’s lustful, destructive rage. Years after their tortuous ordeal, brother and sister Lee and Amy reunite in order to scatter their baby sister’s ashes, each hoping to reach the peaceful point of closure that has eluded them for so long.
By highlighting the egregious effects of abuse, Heatherington does a superb job of shining a much needed light on an appalling issue that none of us can afford to ignore. In graphic detail, The Weight Of Glass chronicles the slow, agonizing descent into confusion and internal chaos from which the victims of abuse often find it impossible to escape. In Lee’s case, alcohol addiction becomes the life-saving crutch that eventually handicaps his ability to heal, but Amy’s unchecked resolve may hold the key to finally releasing him and her from their tortuous demons. Through their personal sagas, Heatherington inspires a compelling sense of empathy in the reader that, hopefully, will encourage the special kind of vigilance required to end the ruinous cycle of abuse once and for all. A highly recommended instant classic.
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Apex Reviews is a seasoned team of authors and editors with a combined total of over 75 years’ experience in the publishing industry. Our reviews have been cited in various media across the globe, garnering accolades from editors, agents, and booksellers.
Posted in Books
Posted on 26 June 2010.
– Revenge can be awfully sweet when you have a cheating wife, a lousy job, and nothing to look forward to, except perhaps, payback time when you become a werewolf
A Taste of Home introduces Toby Liberman, a man whose wife is cheating on him with the town sheriff. Stuck in a dead-end job, Toby is also frustrated by a daughter who’s mature far beyond her years. One night, Toby encounters a mysterious creature in the woods that bites him. After being charged with a triple murder, Toby realizes he has been transformed into a werewolf.
Whether it’s the man in him or the animal, Toby sets his sights on the sheriff. But is Toby the only one in town with a secret to hide? Has he bitten off more than he can chew? If you love werewolf stories, you’ll feel right at home with A Taste of Home.
A TASTE OF HOME (ISBN: 978-1-60976-176-9) will be available on September 16, 2010, for $16.95 and can be ordered through the publisher’s website:
http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/ATasteOfHo …
or at www.amazon.com or http://search.barnesandnoble.com.
Wholesalers please email BookOrder@AEG-Online-Store.com.
About the Author: Chad Miller lives in Greenville, Texas, with his wife, Nez, and their children. He is currently working on The Vow, and is developing the next book in the Taste of Home series, Far From Home.
Strategic Book Group
P.O. Box 333 Durham, CT 06422
http://www.StrategicBookPublishing.com - http://www.EloquentBooks.com – http://www.StrategicBookMarketing.com
http://www.StrategicBookGroup.com
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Strategic Book Group specializes in promoting the works of new and previously undiscovered writers. We make books available to bookstores and Internet distributors throughout the United States and Europe. SBG is aggressively seeking new talent.
Posted in Books
