Still Standing looks like a great motivational and
take-charge kind of book. What type of
readers did you write the book for?
I wrote this book for everyone who
has been abused as a child, suffered or is still suffering from depression, and
those who are contemplating and have contemplated suicide. I was a victim of
sexual abuse at 12 years old and it left me severely depressed and suicidal. I
often felt like no one understood me or what I was feeling and thinking. So I
wrote this book for people to have someone that they could relate to. I wanted
to help people the way I wanted to be helped. I also wanted people to know that
no matter what they’ve gone through that life can and will get better and I’d
show them how from my own life experience. I wrote this book for those people
who wanted to take back control of their lives, who were sick and tired of
being victims and wanted to become the victors and winners of the game of life.
How long did it take you to write Still Standing?
Wow! It took a few months to write
it because I had to take breaks. As I was writing it I had moments where I just
broke down and cried just reliving the experiences. I would start a paragraph
and had to stop midway through because of the deep pain of the memories. I’ve written
several books before that took me less than a month. This book took me about
four months to write.
Why did you decide to become a writer?
Reading
and writing has always been a big part of my life. I’ve always felt like being
a writer was my calling. But I decided in 2018 to take it seriously because I
was miserable at the job I had. I think a big motivation for me was my life
partner who encouraged me to follow my dreams and publish my first book. I had
actually written a book and sat on it for about two years until one day we were
talking. I told her I had written a book but I wasn’t confident enough to
publish it. I let her read it and she insisted that I publish it. I owe a great
deal of my career as a writer to her.
What sets your book apart from other self-help books?
I think what sets my books apart
from others is that I’ve actually experienced what I’m writing about. This book
isn’t just theory, it’s real life experience. I’ve actually been a victim of sexual
abuse. I actually attempted suicide twice. Once by slitting my left wrist with
a butcher knife, which I still have the scar to prove it. The other with an
attempted overdose. But all of that aside, I actually overcame the depression
and suicidal thoughts and was not only able to turn my life completely around,
I was and am able to help other people do the same thing for themselves. I take
great pride in being able to do that.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when
writing Still Standing?
Yes! The book starts with the loss
of my father. It was so hard having to write that chapter. I cried like a baby.
There was a lot of emotions that came up that I didn’t realize were there. When
my father died I tried to bury those emotions and move on. As I was writing the
book all of those emotions came back and it was extremely difficult. Another
challenge was writing him a letter in the book as if I he were still alive. I
cried and cried and cried some more. That was probably the toughest chapter to
write. The last challenge was addressing my uncle who was responsible for
abusing me. I felt lots of pain and anger. I never really addressed those
emotions until I wrote the book. So working my way through those feelings was
hard.
What do you like to do when not writing?
When I’m not writing I love to be
outdoors and doing yoga. Yoga has become a big part of my life because it
helped me through the depression and pain that I’ve experienced growing up. I
also enjoy helping other people that have experienced similar trauma. I’m a
good listener so I enjoy listening to people and helping them through their
struggles.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
My books are available on Amazon. They
can find them easily just by typing my name in the search bar, Slim Sir. They
can also go to my website, SlimSir.com. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
I hope this interview and my book will be of service and value to everyone in
need.