At the age of 6 my letter to Santa I asked for one thing. “Dear Santa, I hope I am not on your naughty list this year. I am sorry for not eating my peas and forgetting to brush my teeth and so so so sorry for hating bath time. I hope you can forgive me and keep me on your nice list as I have been really really good most of the year. I would really really like a Tiny Tears Doll. I promise I will love her so much and take very good care of her. Merry Christmas Santa from Holly Hudson. (I should have wished for a new Daddy as my Daddy was not a Daddy anyone would ask Santa for, or anyone for). Six months later my older sister evented bungee jumping in the 70’s. She attached a string to my Tiny Tears and launched her out our bedroom window. The string broke and my beautiful Emily hit the ground hard. Her leg was broken, her eyes were damaged she had a permanent squint. I cried for weeks and made a make shift hospital to aid her recovery. My sister told Mummy that I broke her on purpose and didn’t take care of my toys. I was grounded for 2 weeks with no supper or treats. I hate my sister. (Sorry Santa) The ground starting shaking, something was coming fast very fast. Glaring lights and the level of noise was deafening and blinding. I couldn’t run, I couldn’t move, I was stuck like a damsel in one of those black and white Buster Keaton movies waiting for her hero to come rescue her from the impeding train hurtling down the track, the menacing music growing louder, I’m 10 struggling, wriggling to get free. The closed captions pop up as they do on screen in the movies “Help Help Help, someone help me” close up of my anguished face for dramatic effect.
Today we talk about I’m still me, a book by Ann Kathleen Edgar published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Ann Kathleen Edgar to get to know her better, where she decided to write about her personal story in her book I’m still me.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- When did you decide to write your personal story?
I decided to write my story while recovering and coping with the challenges of living with Breast cancer. To heal from the past and present and to inspire others about self-worth. It felt right for me to make sense of what I was going through; a time for healing and moving forward from being trapped in a self-imprisonment forged from my past childhood and experiences of not feeling worthy or ever good enough. The fear of abandonment, the fear of never being loved, which without a doubt effected my choices and relationship with others throughout my life.
- What sensations did you feel by ‘reading’ your life on the pages of your book?
Finally for one of the first times in my life I felt that I have dared to achieve something without absorbing the energies or obstructions and fear of others and fear of failure or feeling inferior that had been holding me back from childhood. It has been very empowering and healing emotionally and spiritually for sure.
- What would you like to hear from your readers?
What I would most like to hear from my readers is that the story of my journey, through navigating my way, through life challenges, that it inspires them that no matter how you were raised or where you are from; that you and you alone can believe in oneself; that anything is possible and with love and good intentions of self-love and self-worth to have the power to be whatever you want; to try and achieve and to feel the fear and do it anyway and to surround yourself with people with positive energies who have faith in and build you up and never apologies or belittle for having or reaching for your dreams. Not to let anyone or anything make you feel less important than yourself.
- How was your first publishing experience?
This has been a truly unique experience for me and something I would never thought I would find myself doing. The team at Europe books have been with me every step of the way. Stepping out of my comfort zone and trusting the publishers with my work they have definitely have made my first experience very enlightened and an experience that will now stay with me.
- Are you planning to work on a new book?
Absolutely I have started to write a 2nd book and now with my first experience with publishing I feel even more inspired to continue in my passion for writing. I now have a lot of confidence in my work and to be proud and to believe in myself more. That with positive energy. good intentions and self-worth that I now know what I can have the confidence to continue to not be in fear of manifesting my dreams.
Europe Books thanks the author Ann Kathleen Edgar once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book I’m still me. We wish her the best of luck for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, I hope this very personal and touching story inspires you to find the strength to face the challenges that life has put before you; I wish you to believe in yourself and to be everything you want to be despite others trying to bring you down. Always look for positive energy around you, push away the negative one. And I conclude, quoting the author, “Don’t let anything or anyone make you feel less important than yourself”.
So, my dear reader, I just have to wish you to enjoy your reading!!!
Your editor!