- AUTHOR and MEMOIRIST -
Stephanie Hammond
CURRENT PROJECTS
Editing Last Days in Atlantis
It's a few years since Last Days was first published and my thoughts about the story have matured with the years. I have wanted to rewrite it for some time and now, with life settling a bit for me, I've decided now is the time. If you've enjoyed reading about Mari, you won't be disappointed in her upgraded adventures I'm sure.
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I've always loved the image of Mari on the cover but now the time has come to give the cover a modern look. I am happy with the cover www.GetCovers.com did for An Addict in the Family so I know I'll be happy to use their services again.
Release of the new version is planned for 2024. Stay tuned for updates via my newsletter which you can join here
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With the Memoir titled An Addict in the Family - A Mother's Tale of Heartbreak, Courage, and Resilience now available on Amazon, my thoughts turn to other memoir topics I've been gestating this year.
Untitled as yet, I've scoped the outline for a memoir on my journey to find my great-great-grandmother, Mary Ann. That journey started when I was a pre-schooler and ended, after a fashion, when I visited the land where she lived most of her early life.
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A second topic centres around relationships - my marriages, and the time in between. I'm excited about the prospect of revealing more of myself - to you as a reader, and also to myself. I'm looking forward to seeing what emotions come up for me, and how they are resolved.
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Crafting my first memoir has been a healing and cathartic journey as I revisited the last 3-4 years. Learning how deep my son was into the web of addiction, struggling to deal with the justice and rehabilitation systems, and trying to understand why my son was making these choices, took their toll on me and our family.
Documenting my journey about this time gave me an insight into the importance of connecting with those who've got your back, who are willing to sit with you while you pour out your soul, and who are willing to challenge you to take care of yourself first. That memoir is a story of hope for others on a similar journey of loving someone in the throes of substance use. I wonder what theme will come from my next memoirs.
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Memoir
Life is full of ups and downs. When we face our challenges, we are forced to confront our limitations and find ways to overcome them. By understanding the downs of life more clearly, we may be able to find solutions and take action to improve our situation, rather than being paralyzed by fear.
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I’ve been fortunate in life, especially over the past few years (the subject of my first memoir), to have had opportunities to gain clarity and understanding around my life experiences. This clarity and understanding have given me opportunity for personal growth and a sense of empowerment.
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I love sharing what I’ve learned, how a better understanding of myself and the world around me, and by extension around you too, can help us overcome fear and move forward.
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A natural progression from writing a memoir is to host a podcast called An Addict in the Family. Named for my memoir, this will be a space where I discuss social and health issues relating to families and their journeys with addiction. I will interview others with a lived experience of the topic so they can share their stories.
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I invite you to sign up to my newsletter at the bottom of the page to receive progress reports on my writing projects. And you might like to join me on Facebook.
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Thoughts from recent experiences - in a Podcast, perhaps?
My publisher is Delahoyde Publishing Co Ltd. My daughter Phoebe Wilby and I set the company up predominantly to publish our own works. We've taken the name for the company from the Delahoyde branch of our family. Click on the logo to go to the Delahoyde Publishing site and read about our ancestor, John Thomas Dullahide (Delahoyde).
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