Writer Title:

Cheryl Landes

E-book Title:

The Finest I Can Do: A True Story of Navigating the Complexities of Psychological Sickness and Homelessness

Web site Hyperlink:

Social Media Hyperlinks:

Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/clandes.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheryllandes
LinkedIn:

Publication Date:

March 8, 2024

Writer:

Tabby Cat Communications (self-published)

What’s your e-book about?

The Finest I Can Do is a memoir about my navigating and surviving psychological sickness as a caregiver. My late husband had signs of a psychological sickness the final 20 years of his life. The signs had been by no means recognized as a result of he didn’t belief anybody, and he didn’t consider he wanted assist. This e-book describes my experiences throughout his decline, which resulted in elevated monetary issues and each of us changing into homeless at completely different occasions and in several places. I used to be homeless 4 occasions from 2005 via 2009—3 times in Massachusetts and as soon as in Seattle—and my husband was homeless the final 11 years of his life in New York Metropolis.

What impressed you to write down your e-book?

I wished to indicate a distinct facet of psychological sickness and homelessness. The media portrays mentally unwell and homeless individuals as violent and hooked on medicine. In actuality, most people who find themselves scuffling with their psychological well being are usually not violent, and people who is likely to be dangerous have a tendency to harm themselves as a substitute of others. In response to Psychological Well being America, 95-97% of homicidal violence utilizing weapons is just not carried out by individuals with a psychological sickness.

Folks 65 and older are the quickest rising section of the homeless inhabitants as a result of they will’t afford housing on their fastened incomes. The Nationwide Alliance to Finish Homelessness estimates by 2030, homelessness on this age group will triple.

Many people who find themselves homeless are working a number of jobs. In response to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, 40-60% of people who find themselves homeless are working. Minimal-wage earners would wish to work not less than 86 hours every week to afford a one-bedroom residence (information from 2022).

My husband and I had been middle-class, and his signs started when the stress at his gross sales job elevated. Later, I discovered from one in every of his brothers that he had some issues in highschool, however everybody who knew him assumed he was “going via a part.” The signs stopped after he entered school, the place we met, and didn’t resurface till the ninth 12 months of our marriage.

Are you able to describe your writing course of? How did you get your e-book written and the way lengthy did it take?

I began penning this e-book in 2006 however principally procrastinated for 14 years. It’s as a result of writing a memoir means the writer is reliving her experiences, and I used to be nonetheless recovering from these experiences. Then, when the COVID pandemic struck in 2020, one thing deep inside began nagging me to complete this story. I employed a e-book coach to assist me and hold me accountable. Then I informed my enterprise coach what I used to be doing, and he or she additionally held me accountable to ending this mission.

What was your publishing course of like? How did you publish your e-book and the way lengthy did it take?

I self-published this e-book utilizing Lulu after Stephanie Chandler beneficial it throughout a few of her e-book advertising and marketing shows. I employed a designer to create my e-book cowl and completed the manuscript format myself. I’ve a whole lot of expertise in desktop publishing due to my background as a technical author.

The method of publishing on Lulu was straightforward. I arrange an account, created a mission, added the main points in regards to the e-book, and uploaded the information to publish.

How do you hope your e-book impacts the world?

I hope it helps readers who haven’t been affected by psychological sickness and homelessness perceive that psychological sickness impacts individuals in several methods, and homelessness can occur to anybody. By studying extra about psychological sickness and homelessness, we will scale back the stigma surrounding these matters.

I additionally hope my e-book brings hope to different caregivers by letting them know they don’t seem to be alone.

Are there any individuals and/or books which have impressed you alongside your journey?

Along with my e-book and enterprise coaches, I attended two native on-line writing teams repeatedly and completed a whole lot of writing throughout these periods. In a single group, we may select to write down to prompts the facilitator supplied or write no matter we wished. We took turns sharing what we wrote and the others within the group would inform us what labored nicely within the piece. We didn’t provide solutions for enchancment as a result of the writing was thought-about in draft kind, so we hadn’t had an opportunity to edit it. There weren’t any prompts within the different writing group. We logged in at a scheduled time, wrote for 45 minutes, took a 15-minute break, and repeated the cycle one or two extra occasions.

What’s subsequent for you?

I’m engaged on a “cat memoir” titled Misty: An Angel with 4 Paws. In 2011, whereas recovering from my experiences in The Finest I Can Do, a detailed buddy and I discovered a stray Siamese cat behind a restaurant after dinner one night time and rescued her. The cat and I bonded, I named her Misty, and we traveled coast to coast whereas I freelanced onsite for my technical communication shoppers.

Like many Siamese cats, Misty knew precisely what she wished and had artistic methods of speaking it to me. All through our six years collectively, I discovered loads from her self-confidence and having her as a companion helped me heal from most of the scars introduced on by my husband’s psychological sickness and being homeless.

My objective is to publish Misty: An Angel with 4 Paws within the spring of 2026.

What recommendation would you provide fellow authors who’re simply getting began?

Don’t quit. It may be straightforward to turn into discouraged, however you’ve gotten tales to inform, and the world must obtain them. Discover individuals who perceive what you’re doing and can genuinely assist you all through your journey.

Do you know we host a year-round Nonfiction E-book Awards program? Test it out!