Finding the Calm After the Storm
Spotlight, Author Interview
& Giveaway
Join us for this tour from May 17 to Jun 4, 2021!
Book Title: Cerebral Palsy: ‘A Story’ Finding the Calm After the Storm
Author: Ilana Estelle
Category: Adult Non-Fiction
Pages: 288
Genre: memoir
Publisher: RedDoor Press
Release date: Feb 1, 2020
Content Rating: G.
Born the second of premature twins, Ilana knew she was different from a young age, but for all the wrong reasons. Part memoir, part motivational guide, this is Ilana’s open and honest journey, from an angry confused child, knowing something was wrong, but not knowing what, to the ‘real’ her – a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, positivity, resilience and change.
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Meet the Author and Interview
“Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it? This is the incredible story of Ilana Estelle. Born the second of premature twins, an hour apart, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 60s,
Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was, so often brushed under the carpet, not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood… and it took 46 years for her to find out why. Part memoir, part motivational guide, Cerebral Palsy: a story ‘Finding the Calm After The Storm’ is Ilana’s open and honest journey from an angry, confused child, knowing something was wrong, not knowing what was wrong, what her disability was, or that there was a diagnosis, to the ‘real’ her – a courageous woman using her experiences and lessons to create inspiring messages about mental and physical health, positivity, resilience and change.”
Interview
How important is social media nowadays to the writing and publishing process?
Social media has become the most significant marketing tool and is essential to both the writing and publishing processes and to getting your ‘brand’ out there. But it’s not just a case of putting your brand on social media and expecting others to pick it up, it is important to be proactive, to manage social media to your advantage. I spend a lot of time on social media, sharing, liking and retweeting other people’s posts and generally interacting with others who share similar interests.
Social media accounts allow you to showcase your work, share posts and content that allows you to highlight you and your brand. It is important for your brand to get coverage, for others to notice you, for you to notice other people and their brands and for us to support one another.
Through social media, you can target and attract an audience, whether you’re trying to target a specific audience, that would value learning about your brand, reaching out to an audience through social media has never been easier.
It helps with the writing and publishing process, but the key to one’s success is how much time and effort you put into advertising your brand once you’re through the writing and publishing process.
How long have you been using your intuition for?
The honest answer is I don’t know for sure, but it feels as though it’s been with me my whole life. Even as a child I was naturally intuitive, but I didn’t know how to use my intuition, or what it was. It’s one of the reasons I remained stuck, unable to move on with my life for many years.
I would say I have been using my intuition fully since my mid early 30’s and I am now in my fifties. Living with autism, it has become my eyes and ears to being able to live my life comfortably, in an able-bodied world.
Is there anything you would change with your writing?
I can honestly say I am happy with how and what I write. My writing has brought clarity into what was a confusing life around a disability I didn’t know I had. Where I didn’t understand I now understand, where I once struggled to find clarity, I now have it.
My writing has brought about a sense of calm and reasoning in a life that I had no answers for. My writing and the way I write has allowed me to bring a certain acceptance that I didn’t have before. If I had my time again, there is nothing I would change with my writing, but I would change some of my life’s experiences.
Is your book original and unique?
I have been told that my writing is totally original and unique because I write about my individual experiences from a universal perspective, to help others. I have come across many self-help books, but I have never come across a book where the author, writes from a universal standpoint to produce a combined memoir and self-help book.
Which part of the book was emotionally the most difficult to write?
I found the whole of the writing process very emotional, as it was the first time that I had confronted and come to terms with my life’s experiences, but I would say that writing ‘My Story’ was emotionally the most difficult.
When you write about your own experiences and you recall situations and things that have happened to you and how those experiences made you feel at the time, it can bring back memories, and strong feelings that can be difficult to re-live and shift.
As long as you write from the heart and tell your truth in a way that is appropriate to those close to you, it is easier to let go. Through my spiritual beliefs, I believe it is important to tell your truth. For me experiencing those emotions and finding a place for those feelings was a key part of the healing process.
Ilana, thanks so much for your heart-felt, and informative answers to these questions. I can’t wait to read your book.
Debbie
Connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ goodreads
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Enter the Giveaway:
Cerebral Palsy: ‘A Story’ Finding the Calm After the Storm Book Tour Giveaway
