Grief and Healing: What Helps, What Hurts

Grief and Healing: What Helps, What Hurts

I will be working with sand artist Dawn Scott at this event Jan. 17th at 7PM at Epworth United Methodist Church in Franklin, TN. I'll discuss how you can be more confident when reaching out to someone who is grieving. Dawn will speak and perform her remarkable sand art. Have you ever seen this done? Here's a clip of Joe Castillo to give you an idea how it works.

Caris hospice will be participating, and there will be books and CDs available for purchase.

More to come!

SO Excited About This!

Have you had someone close to you die? Were you responsible for handling "the arrangements"? If so, you have my sympathies, truly. It can be a confusing, complicated, exhausting and emotionally torturous process. There are so many different aspects to be addressed, most of which are time-sensitive. You're suddenly charged with dealing with unfamiliar territory- funeral details, obituary, etc., all while grieving.

It's HARD.

Karen Zinn watched as friends went through this, and wondered why there wasn't one website that helped families navigate the after-death ordeal. That's when she began to build what I feel is the best single site to help anyone survive a death. Heart2Soul.

When she asked me to be their grief support expert, I immediately accepted. Other contributors include Letitia Baldridge and Peggy Post!

I think you'll find a wealth of information and support at Heart2Soul, as well as a place to create an online memorial.

Do you love it? Are we missing something? Did you already know about it? Let me know what you think.

Interviewapalooza!

Before this book came out, I wasn't comfortable discussing my mother's death with very many people. I remember calling my sister after my publisher's publicist brought up the subject of promoting the book. Unlike me, my sister has long been open about it, even doing volunteer work in Mom's memory. I asked her how she did it. She told me to just get started, and it would get easier in time. She was right.

The first interview I did was with Maureen Hunter, in Australia. Maureen has built a remarkable grief resource site since the death of her beloved son, Stuart. Somehow, the distance, (and her musical accent), put me at ease. Soon we were chatting like old friends. Having survived that, I felt the concept of speaking about my private nightmare was possible!

I want to thank all the talented hosts for having me on their shows. They all told their own grief stories as well. Thanks for letting your listeners in, and for sharing my message of healing and hope.

Connie and Sheila Talk

Inspirations/Generations with Bridgette Mongeon

Conversations With Charlie Dyer Scroll down to 8/2/11

Maureen Hunter's Stepping Through Grief

Watch This Space

One of the best parts about writing a book is the people I get to meet. During a recent event, there were two women in the audience who stood out. During the Q&A portion of the presentation, they asked some very insightful questions, and I was glad they stuck around afterward. It wasn't until they asked me to be a guest that I discovered they hosted their own radio show! They are the kind of people who make you feel instantly comfortable, as if you've known each other for years. I'm excited to "introduce" you to Connie and Sheila, as well as a few other show hosts, so stay tuned!

I've done several interviews for HEALING lately, and will post links to four of them right here tomorrow.

.....And Security Was NOT Called

Today was Chris Bohjalian's session. He was accessible, brilliant and hilarious. He seemed genuinely grateful for his success, thanking the audience for reading his books. He actually thanked us for reading in general, citing a chilling study showing a decline in reading in this country. He then got a laugh for giving the exception- YA books about vampires.

He took questions at the end. I asked the first one, winning a t-shirt. That's right, I won a t-shirt. This is probably what I will wear with my author badge from this day forward.

Thanks, Chris. You were pressed for time, yet were gracious enough to stay for a signing. Hope to see you next year!

So........there's something I should tell you about the Southern Festival of Books. It starts today, and while I'm very excited about participating, (Noon in Senate Chambers, signing to follow in the Colonnade), there's another reason for my excitement. An author from Vermont will be there. I need to meet him.

A little background. I am a full-fledged, card carrying Fitzgeraldophile. Not just F. Scott, but Zelda too. Very much Zelda too. Well, despite my strong preference for non-fiction, I found myself in an airport store buying a Chris Bohjalian novel. Why? Because he interweaves elements of The Great Gatsby in it. I know. I got chills too.

So, cut to this year, reading about the authors who will be here and I see Chris Bohjalian's name. I am both thrilled and terrified at the prospect of meeting him. Here are my top hopes, in no particular order-

*Please let me recognize him, so as not to ask him if anyone has seen the great and powerful Bohjalian by mistake.

*Please, if given the opportunity to meet him, allow me to form words in English that make sense. Not fainting would be good too.

*Please, if after meeting him I should see him again across the plaza, keep me from yelling, "Hey, Chris!! It's me, your good friend, Alicia!" In other words, please don't let me scare the man.

I'll let you know how it goes. The panel, the signing, and any Bohjalian incidents. Unless of course, there's some sort of court order preventing me form discussing him anymore.