SEE ME by Adrienne Thompson

It's been a while since I've blogged, so I am happy to have a guest blogger visit my space today. Adrienne Thompson is sharing her new project (SEE ME) with us. Please enjoy!

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I am so excited to be able to share my newest project with Nakia and her readers!! (Side note: Nakia is one of my favorite authors and a great inspiration to me.) So, here goes!

SEE ME, is the story of Olivia Moy, the widow of a beloved and very celebrated author. When we first meet her, she is slowly losing the battle as she struggles to cope with her husband’s untimely death. Concerned about her condition, her son insists on taking her to his home where she soon befriends his neighbor. It is not long before Olivia begins to divulge the secrets of her marriage, secrets that can destroy her husband’s legacy and her world.

Olivia Moy’s story is one riddled with the harmful effects of Mental Illness. Mental illness is a subject that has been swept under the rug of society for far too long, and even as we make strides in bringing it to the forefront, it is still a taboo subject for many people.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness defines mental illness as "a medical condition that disrupts a person's thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are medical conditions that often result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. Serious mental illnesses include major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and borderline personality disorder."

Mental illness not only affects one person—it affects everyone around them and society as a whole. And the effects can last a lifetime if left unchecked.

The good news is that there is treatment available and it is possible for a person suffering from Mental illness to live a normal life.

I drew my inspiration for one of the main characters in See Me from an absolutely brilliant relative who suffered from mental illness for the majority of his life. His illness overshadowed his brilliance—making him a pariah in his community. My prayer is that this book sheds at least a little light on the effects of mental illness and brings to the forefront the need for more education and more activism.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

I sat on my front porch and closed my eyes as the warm rays of the sun bathed my face. I smiled. It was a small smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. Freedom. That’s what the sun felt like. Freedom. For so many years, I’d coveted it, craved it. Now, I had it and I honestly did not know what to do with it.

I opened my eyes and surveyed the yard. The grass was in terrible need of a trim. David always took care of the yard. David always took care of everything. David—his name alone brought back the sound of the gun going off and the smell of gun powder. David.

The buzzing of my cell phone interrupted my thoughts. I checked the caller ID and smiled again. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mother?" It was my son, Jason.

"Of course. Who else would it be?"

"You didn’t sound like yourself."

"Oh."

"How are you?"

I hesitated. "I’m fine." It was a lie and I was sure that he knew it.

"You don’t sound fine."

"Well, I am."

He sighed. "Okay, if you say so. What have you been up to?"

"Nothing really. Reading, sorting through some things, thinking. I’m sitting on the porch right now. The grass is getting so high..."

"Mother, you should move. I told you, you shouldn’t be worrying yourself with the upkeep of that house."

"It’s my home, Jason. Our home."

"My home is in Chicago, now. I wish you’d take me up on my offer. I’ve plenty of room."

I smiled. That was my boy. Always worried about me. "I’m fine, Jason. Really, I am."

He sighed. I was frustrating him. "Okay, well, I’ve got to go. I love you, Mother."

"I love you, too. We’ll talk later."

I laid my phone down and shook my head. I walked back into the house, into the living room. Reminders of David surrounded me. Pictures, awards, certificates. I sat on the sofa. Freedom—I had the freedom to cry.

So I cried.

See Me is currently available in Kindle and Nook formats. Paperback and Kobo coming soon.
Kindle: http://ow.ly/ePcsF

Nook: http://ow.ly/ePcxS 
 
To learn more about me and my books, visit my website: http://adriennethompsonwrites.webs.com/

Thanks, Nakia, for having me. I truly appreciate it!

Married at sixteen, a mother twice by seventeen, and thrice a mother and divorced by twenty-four, Adrienne Thompson is no stranger to adversity. Not your typical teenage mother, she went on to complete her college degree and to earn her nursing license. She attributes God's faithfulness as the catalyst for her success in life. Now, having raised two children as a divorced mother, with a third fast approaching adulthood, she is sharing a long hidden talent and passion with the world. Using the lessons that life has so expertly taught her as a guideline (betrayal, abusive relationships, self-esteem issues, witnessing the deteriorating effects of drug abuse), she has created stories that will both entertain and inspire the reader. Adrienne currently resides in Arkansas with her daughter and moonlights as a Registered Nurse.