A woman from FOREST has co-authored a book with eight other authors that will be published on Amazon in October.
Alison Roberts, originally from Aberdeen and now living in Coleford, contributed a chapter to The sadness that doesn’t counta collection of true stories of women who have experienced unrecognized forms of loss in their lives.
Alison said: “Because it says The sadness that doesn’t count It does not necessarily have to be about the death of a loved one – which everyone considers to be grief.
“This book is about other experiences in your life – like some of the other stories where they were adopted, and that is a pretty traumatic experience.
“My story is about my mother not allowing me to be myself and wanting me to be someone else and never being good enough.
“It’s a heartache because it stays with you. Some of the other stories are really heartbreaking, but mine is like a continuation of my mother and then my sister humiliating me all the time.
“I didn’t know how to deal with it at the time, but writing this book was a healing process for me and the other authors.
“There were periods when I really wanted to end my life, that’s what it says in the chapter. So there are many experiences, traumatic experiences that influence you in life.”
This is the first time Alison has published a book. She said it took about eight months to write.
She said: “I follow a woman called Cassandra Welford who is an author. She has published about nine books herself.
“Some are their own books, but the others are co-authors. I met them through a friend, Ellie Charles, who is also an author.”
Cassandra Welford is one of the book’s authors and publisher at Welford Publishing, who previously The girl who refused to give up Series.
Alison described the writing process as a process that takes place in several phases.
She said: “You are given a certain number of words, about 3,000 words, and then a few months to at least get started.
“After that, we did a group call every month so Cassandra could tell us things and explain things. She was always there to support us.”
Alison had already considered writing a book as a sole author with Welford Publishing several years ago.
She said: “I was there for a few months trying to write my own book, but it didn’t get me very far. I think it wasn’t the right time and it wasn’t meant to be.”
However, Alison hopes to revisit the idea in the future, as “there is only so much that can fit into one chapter” and she can talk much more in detail about her experiences.
Alison also gave advice for younger writers or authors whose work is yet to be published. She said, “The best advice I can give is to never give up. If you know that you feel like you can write a good book, whether it’s a personal one or whatever, then it’s definitely worth it.”
Some of the authors will meet for an official book launch in October to celebrate the release of their works, but plans are not finalized yet.
You can stay updated via Welford Publishing’s website or their social media platforms, and perhaps grab your copy from the Amazon website in October.
Release on Amazon expected in October 2024 (Welford Publishing/Vicki Nicholson Branding)
