I'm back today with a bonus post that I am so excited to share!
Over here at Life Abundant, we learn together what it means to follow Jesus in our day to day lives. Today I have the enormous pleasure of interviewing a young author who is doing just that.
I am interviewing Amie Woleslagle, author of Fifteen, which releases later this month. Fifteen is a compilation of poems written from one teen to another about finding hope in the midst of struggles with mental illness. I admire how Amie is using poetry to share with others what God has taught her through her own experiences with mental illness.
Before we get onto the interview, here's the blurb of Fifteen:
You’re not alone.
You’re not the only person who struggles with mental health issues, not the only person with demons floating in your mind. Amie Woleslagle wrote Fifteen because she deals with them as well. Not to fix your pain, but to reach out and hold your hand. To remind you that you are not alone, to ask you to stay and make the world a better place. Because the world will never be the same without you and your unique take on life. Fifteen is a book of poems crafted from one teenager dealing with mental health issues to another teenager in the same place. It walks through the battle of pretending to be okay, of having people you thought were trustworthy shatter your heart, and the battle of not giving in when your brain has given up. Fifteen covers true friendships, embracing joy, self acceptance, and living your faith while struggling with mental illness, all the while showing that, in the end, flowers will bloom in the ashes of your pain.
You’re not the only person who struggles with mental health issues, not the only person with demons floating in your mind. Amie Woleslagle wrote Fifteen because she deals with them as well. Not to fix your pain, but to reach out and hold your hand. To remind you that you are not alone, to ask you to stay and make the world a better place. Because the world will never be the same without you and your unique take on life. Fifteen is a book of poems crafted from one teenager dealing with mental health issues to another teenager in the same place. It walks through the battle of pretending to be okay, of having people you thought were trustworthy shatter your heart, and the battle of not giving in when your brain has given up. Fifteen covers true friendships, embracing joy, self acceptance, and living your faith while struggling with mental illness, all the while showing that, in the end, flowers will bloom in the ashes of your pain.
Interview with Amie Woleslagle:
Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello! I’m Amie. People have described me as a loyal, artsy, funny, vivacious human who forgets her humanity. (In other words, I’m a workaholic.) I love dogs, hate coconut, will eat pineapple on my pizza, I dislike heat, love cold weather, and I’m passionate about Christ and my passions.
What inspired you to write Fifteen?
My friend, actually. She encouraged me to write a pamphlet of poems, and so I did. Then it just snowballed.
What does the title, Fifteen, mean to you?
It means a lot to me. When I was younger, Fifteen felt like the last year you were a child. A year before you got the freedom of driving, but you still had a lot of freedom in other ways. But now, it means more. It was the year that I wish never happened, but I would never get rid of, if that makes sense. It was painful, but it shaped me and the poems in Fifteen.
How has your faith influenced your journey with mental health?
Good question. It’s hard to give a set answer. My faith influences everything in my life, so it has definitely influenced my mental health journey. Though I’m not sure if there’s one thing that I can peg down for you at the moment.
How has your faith had an impact on your writing Fifteen?
My faith has definitely impacted the writing in Fifteen, mostly by allowing most of the poems to end with a hopeful last verse.
How has poetry influenced your exploration of the topic of mental health?
Poetry has been a way that allows me to feel my emotions even when I don’t feel anything. It’s given me a way to breathe, to let everything out. And it’s given me a way to understand myself better, be rereading my own poetry or poetry written by other authors.
What's one thing you hope readers will take away from Fifteen?
I hope that they take away the fact that there’s always hope. There’s always a reason to stay.
Thank you so much, Amie, for sharing with us! I can't tell you how excited I am to read Fifteen. The message of hope in the midst of darkness is one I think a lot of us need to be reminded of right now. (And isn't the cover just gorgeous?)
Fifteen releases on October 23, in just over a week! You can pre-order the paperback here and the ebook here. Amie is also giving away some goodies to those who pre-order the paperback. If you're interested, fill out the pre-order goodies form here.
Don't miss the rest of the Fifteen blog tour!
In celebration of Fifteen's release, Amie is hosting a blog tour until the 23rd. Her intro post includes more information on her book, a give away, and the schedule for the remainder of the blog tour. Be sure to check it out if you haven't already!
(And if you have been keeping up with the blog tour and are looking for a certain hidden word, be sure to let us know what you think of this blog tour!)
That's all for today, happy Tuesday everyone!
