Book Review: Losing Your Only by Dr. Debi Yohn

Losing Your Only by Dr. Debi Yohn is a helpful guide for parents or loved ones who have lost their only child.

Dr. Yohn is an international psychologist, author and speaker. This helpful e-Book is based upon her personal experience. When her only son, Levi, was killed in a car accident, her life took a different and unexpected path. Plunged into grief, she had to cope with the loss of her role as a parent.

In this moving narrative, Yohn shares the days, months, and years that have passed since Levi's death. In an effort to help others who have lost their Only, she discusses:

* the REAL journey--the four stages parents grieving the loss of their only child must go through
* the comfort she found in exploring spirituality and different belief systems
* the importance of celebrating the life of your Only and how it is okay to continue talking about your child after his passing
* Moving on
* How mothers and fathers might grieve differently
* How the loss of your Only affects extended family and friends
* The lessons she learned from Levi's passing

and much more!

Losing Your Only is a touching tribute to Levi. It will offer much needed support to those coping with the loss of an only child.

The digital version of the book is currently available at http://losingyouronly.com/. If you would like to be notified of the upcoming print and audio release, please visit this page and send Dr. Yohn your name and email address. For more information on Dr. Yohn's virtual book tour, please visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/12/02/losing-your-only-by-dr-debi-yohn-virtual-blog-tour/.

Author Spotlight: Saying Goodbye Edited by Mike O'Mary and Julie Rember

Saying Goodbye: to the people, places, and things in our lives is a collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. This is a powerful book that includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor.

Saying Goodbye includes stories contributed by thirty-one authors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. These stories show that there is sadness in goodbyes, but there is also irony and humor. It s perfect for book groups that want stimulating conversations about saying goodbye a topic that touches us all in one way or another.

Saying Goodbye is the first anthology from book publisher Dream of Things in a new series intended to fill the gap between popular anthologies of stories that are “short and sweet” (sometimes so saccharine-sweet they are hard to swallow) and the Best American Essays series, which are much longer. Instead of short and sweet, Dream of Things anthologies are intended to be short and deep.

Read the excerpt!

Foreword from Saying Goodbye

When my daughter was five, her great-grandfather died. At the funeral, I read a story about him, and his two sons-in-law each said a few heartfelt words.

After the last person spoke, my daughter, who was sitting in the front row next to her grandmother, stood up in her chair, turned around to face the room full of mourners, and said, “Is that it?”

That moment sticks with me because it shows that in the midst of the most solemn of goodbyes, there is sadness, yes. But there is also irony and humor and in some strange way, a sense of continuity. So it is, I believe, with all goodbyes.

Years later, Stephen Parrish, author of The Tavernier Stones, sent me a story called “Bridget.” I had just launched Dream of Things with the intent of publishing anthologies of creative nonfiction that will fill the gap between popular anthologies that publish stories I regard as “short and sweet” (sometimes so saccharin-sweet they are hard to swallow), and the Best American Essays series, which I love, but which are longer-form and more challenging to digest. So the goal for Dream of Things anthologies is to be not short and sweet, but short and deep. With depth comes authenticity. The result is stories that are easier to swallow because they are authentic, and easier to digest because they average 1,250 words in length.

Stephen Parrish’s story fit the bill…short and deep…but it didn’t fit neatly into any of the anthology topics that were in the works. So we created a new anthology—a collection of stories about saying goodbye. The topic struck a chord, and the stories came pouring in from around the world…from the United States, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere. The result is this book—a remarkable collection of stories, and the first of what I hope will be many anthologies from Dream of Things.

I say these stories are remarkable not just because of the quality of the writing and the subject matter, but also because a remarkable thing happened as I read them. I cried at sad stories and laughed at funny ones…that was no surprise. But I also learned valuable lessons about how people say goodbye—sometimes under the most difficult of circumstances. I learned because the authors who contributed to this collection were unflinchingly open and honest when it came to sharing very personal stories about how they and their loved ones say goodbye. It was a lesson that has better prepared me for whatever the future may hold. Thanks to the authors and their beautiful stories about saying goodbye to family members, relationships, jobs, pets, old homes, couches, jogging suits, the past, and other things, I will be better at saying goodbye in my life whenever the time comes. You will be, too.

I hope you enjoy these stories. Goodbye—for now.

Mike O’Mary, Series Editor

Read the reviews!

"Tender perspectives helping readers with their own goodbyes. If you have ever had to deal with loss, read this book. It will make you feel better." --Christina Johns, Midwest Book Review

"The stories are about love, really, not sadness. Despite all the sadness and grief that come with saying goodbye, there is love and joy and comedy on the Other Side."

--Gretchen Little, squidoo.com

"Couches, marriages, loyal dogs, husbands, fathers, and more. Saying Goodbye is put together well, for a freshman anthology effort from Julie Rember and Mike O'Mary."

--Book Nook Club

"This powerful book includes a number of sad stories, some very funny ones, and others that mix joy with sorrow. Taken together,they serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor.”

--Bright Ideas




Mike O’Mary is series editor of the Dream of Things anthologies including Saying Goodbye, an anthology of true stories about people saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives with grace, dignity and good humor. He is founder of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online retailer. He is also author of The Note, a book about the power of appreciation, and Wise Men and Other Stories, a collection of holiday-related essays.

Julie Rember is editor of the Saying Goodbye anthology from Dream of Things. She has been a newspaper reporter and editor, front desk manager at an Idaho resort, high school drama teacher, and, for the past six years, a freelance technical writer and editor. She also teaches workshops for writers on giving successful readings.

For more information, visit www.goodbyebook.com.

Gail Graham and Sea Changes

Today's guest blogger is Gail Graham, author of the literary novel, Sea Changes.

When Sarah’s husband dies suddenly, she is left with no anchor and no focus.
Grief is an ever-present companion and counseling a weekly chore with minimal results, but when Sarah decides to end her life her suicide attempt takes her to an underwater world where she finds comfort and friendship. Afterwards, back on the beach she wonders – Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Or am I going mad?



Her efforts to make sense of the experience lead to Sarah’s becoming a suspect in the alleged kidnapping of a young heiress. Now her worlds are colliding – and the people she trusts are backing away, not believing a word she says. She must decide what is real and what is not. Her life depends on it.

Gail Graham’s previous novel, CROSSFIRE, won the Buxtehude Bulle, a prestigious German literary award. CROSSFIRE has been translated into German, French, Danish, Finnish and Swedish. Three of Gail’s other books were NY Times Book of the Year recommendations. Gail lived in Australia for 32 years, where she owned and operated a community newspaper and published several other books, including A COOL WIND BLOWING (a biography of Mao Zedong) STAYING ALIVE and A LONG SEASON IN HELL. She returned to the United States in 2002, and now lives in Tucson, Arizona.

You can visit Gail online at www.gailgraham.net.

Gail is going to share a bit about the characters you'll find in Sea Changes. Make sure you stick with us to the end because we'll be giving you a chance to win an ARC of Sea Changes.



Sarah Andrews’ life has always revolved around her husband, Charles. Now Charles is dead and Sarah is alone in Australia, a country she doesn’t understand. My life is gone. But I’m still alive. Counseling doesn’t help. Nothing helps. I want to die. I’ll go for a swim, and just keep swimming.

She’s not afraid of death. But this isn’t death. This is impossible. There’s no such thing as a world at the bottom of the sea. I’m sad, I’m grieving, but I’m not crazy. I must have dreamed it, Sarah decides afterwards. Or maybe I had some sort of hallucination.

Even so, something happened. You can’t deny that. Something definitely happened.
The important thing is to act normal. If you act normal you are normal and people leave you alone. Besides, I am normal. I know the difference between reality and illusion. I do. Then how to explain the girl asleep on her couch? The girl exists. But did she really come from a world beneath the sea? Or is she the missing Queensland heiress they’re all making such a fuss about?

Charles always said, Anything is possible.

Maybe Charles was right.

*

Kahn is a middle-aged Australian psychotherapist. He keeps his distance from clients, never answering personal questions. They teach you this, at university. They teach you about the grief process, too. Disbelief, anger, bargaining, acceptance. Psychotherapy is a job, like any other.

Kahn is baffled by Sarah Andrews. Her tears, her sadness, it’s all too much. Of course, she’s a Yank and, you’ve got to take that into account. You’d never see an Australian carrying on like that. Even so, Sarah annoys him, and that’s unprofessional. You can’t let clients get to you.

All her talk about how different Americans are from Australians! Americans are romantic. Americans are inspirational. Americans have a work ethic. Well, so what? What’s so wonderful about a work ethic? In Australia, work is what you do to earn a crust. A job is a job and one job is as good as the next.

He has to let her talk. Allowing clients to speak freely like is part of the technique. And that’s what psychotherapy is, really. A technique, something you learn at university. Something you do to earn a crust.

*

Felicity Andrews is a thirty-something, single Australian journalist. (All right, she’s not technically Australian. She was born in America. But she grew up in Australia and she feels Australian, and that’s what counts. Right?) Of course, Mum wouldn’t agree. But Felicity and her mother Sarah rarely agree about anything. It’s too bad Dad died, but that was two years ago. It’s time for Mum to get over it, that’s what Felicity thinks.

Why can’t Mum just be like other people? (Other Australians, Felicity means) Mum has always been different from all the other mums. It’s irritating. It’s even embarrassing. Felicity sometimes thinks she’d give anything to have a normal mum, like everybody else.

And then there’s the money thing. Instead of investing Dad’s superannuation and growing it so that there’d be something for Felicity to inherit, Mum opted for an annuity that will only last as long as she lives. That totally sucks. I mean, how selfish can you get? So Felicity has to work for a living, and if she hasn’t got much time for Sarah, well whose fault is that?

WIN AN ADVANCED READING COPY OF SEA CHANGES!!!!

Here are the rules for this contest:

1) Comment here with your working email address so that we can contact you if you win.

2) Get an additional entry for blogging about this contest. Leave a comment here telling us where you are blogged about it.

Contest runs from today until on June 14, 2009. The winner will be announced at this blog on June 15, 2009.

This contest is open to residents of the United States and Canada only.

Good luck!

SEA CHANGES VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR JUNE ‘09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Join author Gail Graham as she travels the blogosphere in June 2009 with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations on her first virtual book tour to discuss her latest literary novel, Sea Changes (Jade Phoenix Publishing).

When Sarah’s husband dies suddenly, she is left with no anchor and no focus.
Grief is an ever-present companion and counseling a weekly chore with minimal results, but when Sarah decides to end her life her suicide attempt takes her to an underwater world where she finds comfort and friendship. Afterwards, back on the beach she wonders – Was it a dream? Was I hallucinating? Or am I going mad?

Her efforts to make sense of the experience lead to Sarah’s becoming a suspect in the alleged kidnapping of a young heiress. Now her worlds are colliding – and the people she trusts are backing away, not believing a word she says. She must decide what is real and what is not. Her life depends on it.

PRAISE FOR SEA CHANGES:

“This lyrical novel conveys incredible emotional depth within a fascinating storyline.” — Today’s Adventure

“An intriguing plot and fantastically detailed descriptions make Sea Changes a great book to read while pondering the possibilities of life.” — Holly Scudero, Sacramento Book Review

“…an avenue of hope and inspiration…” — Good Books in Bad Times

Gail Graham’s previous novel, Crossfire, won the Buxtehude Bulle, a prestigious German literary award. Crossfire has been translated into German, French, Danish, Finnish and Swedish. Three of Gail’s other books were NY Times Book of the Year recommendations. Gail lived in Australia for 32 years, where she owned and operated a community newspaper and published several other books, including A Cool Wind Blowing (a biography of Mao Zedong) Staying Alive and A Long Season in Hell. She returned to the United States in 2002, and now lives in Tucson, Arizona.

You can find Gail online at www.gailgraham.net

If you would like to follow Gail Graham on her virtual book tour, visit the official Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour site at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/.

Gail Graham’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service for an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com.