“…may we all tell the stories that come straight from our hearts, especially the ones that are difficult to unpack, the ones that could use a little more light. Is it a story that’s hard to tell? I’d argue those are the moments when we are guarding treasure, when someone needs what we have. May we all have the courage to dig deep.
I wish you a chisel, a shovel, maybe even dynamite to blast through the walls that keep your story hidden, and the courage to dig, dig, dig.”
This has been the busiest year of my life. Losing Ares, the next book in my Ares Ascending sci-fi romance series will be out on October 12th. Back in June Stealing Ares, the first book in the series, won Georgia Author of the Year in the romance category. That was a huge surprise! When I heard it was entered under the romance category, I figured the judge would take one look at it and say, “What’s this sci-fi book doing in here?” But, they gave it the close read it deserved, and it won. Thank you to my wonderful friend and fellow Wild Women Who Write Take Flight podcaster, Kathy Nichols, for nominating me. And here I thought it was a massive long shot.
Also in June, my urban fantasy that I wrote back in 2015, Nicholas Eternal, finally saw publication. It certainly carries a piece of my heart as it is very loosely based on the time I spent as a children’s advocate in the CASA—Court-Appointed Special Advocates— program, which advocates for the needs of abused and neglected children. However, I didn’t have a set of holy daggers and a supernatural tracking ability to hunt down those who harm the vulnerable like my protagonist Nicholas does. In the meantime, I’m busy marketing all these things, giving book marketing talks, and co-authoring a marketing book with my friend Roger Johns, a thriller author.
Of all these things, as wonderful as they are, what I am most proud of is the memoir that is in preorder about mine and my oldest child’s journey with Harm OCD titled, You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD. It was hard to write, hard to revisit all those memories, but I know, ultimately, the harder these things are to unpack, the more desperately they need the light. The very fact that it’s difficult means that it needs to be done.
The paperback will be released on October 26th, followed by the eBook on November 2nd. The book will make its debut at the Mind, Body, and Soul Women’s Wellness Conference on October 20th at the Lake Oconee Church in Greensboro, GA. I will be speaking on a panel with other female writers, talking about having the courage to tell our stories.
To that end, may we all tell the stories that come straight from our hearts, especially the ones that are difficult to unpack, the ones that could use a little more light. Is it a story that’s hard to tell? I’d argue those are the moments when we are guarding treasure, when someone needs what we have. May we all have the courage to dig deep.
I wish you a chisel, a shovel, maybe even dynamite to blast through the walls that keep your story hidden, and the courage to dig, dig, dig.
Here’s the overview for You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD.
You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD takes the reader on the journey of me and my oldest child, Finn, as we grapple with the unseen, misunderstood beast known as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This includes me finding teenaged Finn shaking and dry heaving on the bathroom floor and saying if the violent, looping images they see in their head could come true, then they don’t deserve to live.
While an estimated 1 in 40 adults and 1 in 100 children suffer from OCD, it is estimated that up to 50% of both groups also suffer with the intrusive violent thoughts of Harm OCD and it is estimated to be even higher among youths at 70%. These thoughts include frightening, recurring mental images of hurting oneself or others. The fear and stigma of disclosing such notions keep sufferers from getting help. No one wants to admit to thoughts of harming someone they love. But they’re not murderers: they just have Harm OCD.
In this memoir, I reach into my past of dealing with Harm OCD and attempt to drag some light into the present to illuminate both our paths.
“You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD is a prime example of the kind of candid, thoughtful memoir needed to convince people they are not alone in their mental health struggles and that capable help is available, and often essential.” —Doug Smith, M.D., DLFAPA Director of Community Psychiatry at Northeast Ohio Medical University
“…written with deep reflection and honesty, as well as infinite love. You will not be disappointed in this beautiful memoir.” —Beverly J. Armento, author, Seeing Eye Girl: A Memoir of Madness, Resilience, and Hope
“You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD rocked me. I’ve been a medical doctor for 38 years and have never read a more brave, authentic and honest description of mental illness and its effects on the individual and the family. If you are a human who desires to help others, this book is for you.” —Martha B. Boone, M.D. author of The Unfettered Urologist
Look for You’re Not a Murderer: You Just Have Harm OCD on October 26th or you may preorder here.
To check out my fiction, feel free to head to Kimconrey.com
Harm OCD: You Are Not Alone 