I wrote a book.

Have I mentioned that enough times yet?! And more importantly, have you read it yet?

YOU CAN PURCHASE A COPY HERE

I’m not terribly comfortable beating my own drum, but if I don’t give it a little tap every now and then you won’t even know I have a drum.

So far, I have had nothing but really amazing feedback. People feel touched and moved and say they love the insights. I worry that all those people already know me – I need to get my story out to a wider audience. Because I believe wholeheartedly that the story I have to tell is valuable.

It is not a story for those who are actively unwell and engaged in eating disorder behaviours. I don’t think memoirs are ever helpful to those who are ill. Memoirs are not self-help books. I have been triggered quite badly by eating disorder memoirs in the past and I know it is possible for the same to happen when my story is read.

It is a story for those who are long-recovered or want to understand more about the origins of eating disorders. For family members of those suffering. For women who have ever been worried about their appearance and how they fit into society. The unpleasant sexual experiences almost universally experienced by women. And the ongoing impact of childhood emotional neglect by parents who hoped to do their best but severely lacked the skills to raise happy children.

And I hope it is a story that offers us all a little insight into the way we speak and behave around everyone.

BECAUSE YOU CAN NEVER KNOW FOR SURE WHAT KIND OF BATTLE SOMEONE IS FIGHTING

So, if you don’t have a copy yet can I recommend you take a leap of faith and grab one? You can find it at Amazon or Booktopia or the Bookdepository or practically any online book retailer. You can also contact your local bookstore and ask them to order it in. Just ask them to look up Stalked by Demons, Guarded by Angels: The Girl with the Eating Disorder – by Simone Yemm. That’s me!

If you want to hear what people are saying you can have a look at the Goodreads Reviews. And if you’ve read it but haven’t yet left a review, can I put on my begging face and ask you to please leave a few thoughts? I’d also be very grateful for Amazon reviews – although you need to have spent $50 on Amazon in the last 12 months to be eligible to leave reviews. But if that’s you, then please share your thoughts!

I’m at the stage where I need to really market my book and I tell you what – it’s really fucking hard. I have no idea what I’m doing. It’s not easy to trot out into the real world and tell people you’ve done something really awesome. Self-doubt always twitters around and I would rather the product speak for itself. But unfortunately it can’t do any speaking until a few people find out about it.

I’m canvassing bookstores around the country and contacting podcasters and asking for reviews and entering into competitions. It’s all a bit daunting if I’m being totally honest.

SO, I’M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP

Please consider buying a copy and then telling all your friends about it. And please leave a review at one of the places I begged about a moment ago.

If you’re not sure it’s for you, there’s a sample chapter here that you can read and see what you think. I’m confident that once you start you’ll feel compelled to keep going. At least that’s my hope!

And in the meantime, while you’re busy reading and reviewing, I’m going to put my writing cap back on and start meandering around book two, Poles Apart.