You heard it here first--LOOKING FOR HOME is ready to query!

You heard it here first--LOOKING FOR HOME is ready to query!

I lived through the storm, though we did not suffer catastrophic damage due to being so far inland. The storm itself and the subsequent horrors sent me into an existential crisis of how awful things happen to good people.

Another idea I wanted to explore was the psychological damage of such an event rather than the material. Katrina proved to be a tipping point in my own mental health journey in that shortly afterward I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

I had a bit of an odd viewpoint into hurricane relief --my dad put in time helping people in storm relief my whole life growing up--not in any official capacity, just as a neighbor and volunteer. Some of his stories flavored the book. During Katrina, my husband's business sold generators throughout the storm affected areas as a distributor, so that viewpoint wound up in the book. It was more a creative reworking of all of those than any particular one.

Truthfully? This one. This TTMD event represents the first Time I've seen such interest for my work. After that/ Probably Facebook, since that's where my core family/friend/colleague network is. Social media has been most valuable for me in spreading the word about my events rather driving sales.

We lost a lot of trees and a fence as far as physical damage--and we were over 150 miles inland. We lost power for a week; our kids' school had the roof ripped off, so they were out for a week. We had to move in with my in-laws once they got power because my new baby was suffering in the August heat without AC at our house.

I had postpartum depression that the storm made worse. I wound up in a mental ward nine months later from psychosis. So it was rough.

The characters in Hurricane Baby are all impacted mentally by the storm. Some, like Wendy, had issues before the storm (self-injury). Others, the storm brought issues out--like Tommy Hebert (drinking), James (anger), Mike (survivor's guilt). And all of them have different ways of coping with their issues.

One of the big themes in the book is what do you do when you don't know what to do? All the characters answer that question differently, which speaks to it.

The characters in Hurricane Baby are all impacted mentally by the storm. Some, like Wendy, had issues before the storm (self-injury). Others, the storm brought issues out--like Tommy Hebert (drinking), James (anger), Mike (survivor's guilt). And all of them have different ways of coping with their issues.

One of the big themes in the book is what do you do when you don't know what to do? All the characters answer that question differently, which speaks to it.

Today's featured creator is: @JulieLiddellWhitehead

Do you infuse mental health education / advocacy into your fiction? If so, how?

We lost a lot of trees and a fence as far as physical damage--and we were over 150 miles inland. We lost power for a week; our kids' school had the roof ripped off, so they were out for a week. We had to move in with my in-laws once they got power because my new baby was suffering in the August heat without AC at our house.

I had postpartum depression that the storm made worse. I wound up in a mental ward nine months later from psychosis. So it was rough.

Truthfully? This one. This TTMD event represents the first Time I've seen such interest for my work. After that/ Probably Facebook, since that's where my core family/friend/colleague network is. Social media has been most valuable for me in spreading the word about my events rather driving sales.

Not really, Writing the book was pretty much a desperate effort to get the storm out of my head into some form where I could make sense of what happened. I knew I was finally done writing it when I wasn't constantly thinking about the story and what else I could do with it.

How do storm affect me now? I just usually start to spiral into anxiety. I feel outraged that we never learn the lessons the storms try to teach us. Then I take Xanax and calm down.

I had a bit of an odd viewpoint into hurricane relief --my dad put in time helping people in storm relief my whole life growing up--not in any official capacity, just as a neighbor and volunteer. Some of his stories flavored the book. During Katrina, my husband's business sold generators throughout the storm affected areas as a distributor, so that viewpoint wound up in the book. It was more a creative reworking of all of those than any particular one.

Good morning from CA! I notice, from your website, that you have a presence on most social media. Which site have you found the most valuable for engagement and/or marketing?

Given you researched a singular event in great depth, and then wrote personal tales of suffering surrounding that event, did you find it difficult to let it go?

Similarly, does every hurricane that forms now affect you differently than they once did?

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I lived through the storm, though we did not suffer catastrophic damage due to being so far inland. The storm itself and the subsequent horrors sent me into an existential crisis of how awful things happen to good people.

Another idea I wanted to explore was the psychological damage of such an event rather than the material. Katrina proved to be a tipping point in my own mental health journey in that shortly afterward I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

In Hurricane Baby you've written stories taking place in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

I read that you also covered other events such as 9/11 as a journalist.

Was there one news item or story of personal courage, that was the first inspiration to write the book, or was it born from your general experiences in covering these tragic events?

#ScribesAndMakers #ttmd 2025.08.03 @JulieLiddellWhitehead Author Talk to Me Day

Sometimes I get the opportunity to research and sometimes I don't, like today (I'm currently unwell). I hope I'm asking a fair question here; beyond that, that it's not something I should have seen in a bio if I'd looked.

Your book collection of short stories appears to be about characters living through hard times and dealing with hard decisions made or needful. It feels like something an author would write in part to work through their own demons or to make sense of a nonsensical world. Is this the case for you? If not, what drives you and your writing? What do you wish the reader to feel they have learned when they finish the reading the last page of your story?

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

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Sometimes we have a few weeks of stories in the wings. Other times, it's a lot more seat of the pants than I care to think about.

Poe has always fascinated me, but a few weeks ago, when we did "The Telltale Heart" on the show? Narrating that pulled me right into the madness. It was unexpected, and I think that came through, especially after Tim added that weird piano. So as of today, that one's still sticking hard.

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