Jen Samson's Blog
June 6, 2024
Bipolar Disorder & A Place not Found
A Place Not Found
Writing a book about Bipolar Disorder has been one of the most profoundly eye-opening experiences of my life.
I know enough about grief to have felt comfortable enough to let it bleed onto the pages of A Place not Found. BPD? Not so much. I had a wonderful sensitivity reader who really just opened her heart to me and allowed me in.
What struck me the most was how our world hardly accommodates for those who struggle in this way. I can look back on my childhood and easily recall when people "with problems" were ostracized.
If you read A Place not Found, I hope you'll see that it is a not just a phase or a matter of just 'pulling yourself together'. These are lifelong disorders and require support, discipline, love and understanding.
xoxo
Jen
Writing a book about Bipolar Disorder has been one of the most profoundly eye-opening experiences of my life.
I know enough about grief to have felt comfortable enough to let it bleed onto the pages of A Place not Found. BPD? Not so much. I had a wonderful sensitivity reader who really just opened her heart to me and allowed me in.
What struck me the most was how our world hardly accommodates for those who struggle in this way. I can look back on my childhood and easily recall when people "with problems" were ostracized.
If you read A Place not Found, I hope you'll see that it is a not just a phase or a matter of just 'pulling yourself together'. These are lifelong disorders and require support, discipline, love and understanding.
xoxo
Jen
June 2, 2024
New book in progress
I need to write on here more often. I forget about Goodreads sometimes.
I'm working on my new book! My last book, A Place Not Found, took almost eight months to publish because there was just such a lot of research to get done. Eight months is not anywhere enough to understand how mental disorders can affect one's life, but I think A Place Not Found provides somewhat of a first step in just attempting to do so. Have you read it yet?
My new book has A LOT less angst in it. I think I, too, need a break from my stories lol. So, I'm writing something that might be easier to get through emotionally. This book is more of an emotional journey to self discovery when you find yourself in love with more than one person. It'll be my first time writing MMM and I almost regretted starting it lol cos I wasn''t sure I could do it. But I'm in too deep now so I must carry on. Let's see if I can get this one out by July!
Keep well, friends,
Jen
I'm working on my new book! My last book, A Place Not Found, took almost eight months to publish because there was just such a lot of research to get done. Eight months is not anywhere enough to understand how mental disorders can affect one's life, but I think A Place Not Found provides somewhat of a first step in just attempting to do so. Have you read it yet?
My new book has A LOT less angst in it. I think I, too, need a break from my stories lol. So, I'm writing something that might be easier to get through emotionally. This book is more of an emotional journey to self discovery when you find yourself in love with more than one person. It'll be my first time writing MMM and I almost regretted starting it lol cos I wasn''t sure I could do it. But I'm in too deep now so I must carry on. Let's see if I can get this one out by July!
Keep well, friends,
Jen
January 19, 2023
Burnt dinner
Without You
I started reading Without You by Marley Valentine.
Some friendly advice, always start reading this book on a Friday night, when there's no school or work the next day. Make sure the children, spouse, pets are fed and then make them sign in blood that they won't even breathe in your direction for the rest of the night.
I didn't do that and I burnt the first pot of rice. And also the second. No jokes.
I started reading Without You by Marley Valentine.
Some friendly advice, always start reading this book on a Friday night, when there's no school or work the next day. Make sure the children, spouse, pets are fed and then make them sign in blood that they won't even breathe in your direction for the rest of the night.
I didn't do that and I burnt the first pot of rice. And also the second. No jokes.
January 18, 2023
Book endings - bittersweet or hea
I've written two ending for my new book, The Sound Of Us and I have only a few weeks to decide which one to publish.
Do you enjoy bittersweet endings? Think Cruel Intentions, Me Before You. Or do you have a strict HEA policy? My daughter, who's a serious bookworm says she'd give a bittersweet ending 3.5 stars at the most.
I don't mind bittersweet endings as long as the book ends with some hope but I definitely prefer HEA's!
Do you enjoy bittersweet endings? Think Cruel Intentions, Me Before You. Or do you have a strict HEA policy? My daughter, who's a serious bookworm says she'd give a bittersweet ending 3.5 stars at the most.
I don't mind bittersweet endings as long as the book ends with some hope but I definitely prefer HEA's!
January 16, 2023
The Good Liar - CP Harris' new book
Author CP Harris is literally my hero. Her books have had a phenomenal impact on my life!
And I'm dying to read her new book, The Good Liar. There's no release date yet but we are getting a cover reveal soon and I can't wait for that too!
The Good Liar's blurb is absolute fire. Go check it out if you love messy, angsty love with impossible HEA's.
Triple warning for infidelity. The Good Liar
And I'm dying to read her new book, The Good Liar. There's no release date yet but we are getting a cover reveal soon and I can't wait for that too!
The Good Liar's blurb is absolute fire. Go check it out if you love messy, angsty love with impossible HEA's.
Triple warning for infidelity. The Good Liar
October 27, 2018
The book I've never forgotten
A few weeks ago I came across a book on Amazon that I had read when I was about 12 years old (that was about 25 years ago, by the way). It was called "Heaven" by VC Andrews.
I opened up the sample pages to read now as an adult, what I had read as a child. Reading the words, and remembering so vividly the time I first read this book ... it was such an emotional and scary and wonderful few minutes. As an adult, I got to look back at the girl that I had been and see how this book shaped my life, especially the way I loved my father, a man who struggled for so much of his life, but who was such an incredibly gifted and intelligent human being.
I have never forgotten this book. And when I read it, I told myself that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her Heaven. She is now 12 years old! :) When I showed her the book on Amazon, she was quite pleased to see her name - Heaven Leigh.
As a mother now and a wife, and a girl who lost her father not long ago to a life-long struggle with drug addiction, I am grateful for how books can change people. Rescue people, sometimes. And how books can help you make sense of the hard things in life.
Heaven
I opened up the sample pages to read now as an adult, what I had read as a child. Reading the words, and remembering so vividly the time I first read this book ... it was such an emotional and scary and wonderful few minutes. As an adult, I got to look back at the girl that I had been and see how this book shaped my life, especially the way I loved my father, a man who struggled for so much of his life, but who was such an incredibly gifted and intelligent human being.
I have never forgotten this book. And when I read it, I told myself that if I ever had a daughter, I would name her Heaven. She is now 12 years old! :) When I showed her the book on Amazon, she was quite pleased to see her name - Heaven Leigh.
As a mother now and a wife, and a girl who lost her father not long ago to a life-long struggle with drug addiction, I am grateful for how books can change people. Rescue people, sometimes. And how books can help you make sense of the hard things in life.
Heaven
