My Book is an Outstanding Creator Award Winner!

Well, the results came in late in the evening on August 14th for the Outstanding Creator Awards. I placed in eight categories and received two honourable mentions! 

Here are the results:

(Super-Category) Best Non-Fiction Book of Summer 2024: 3rd place

Autobiographies & Memoirs: 3rd place

Biographies: 2nd place

Addiction / Alcoholism: 2nd place

Mental Health / Mental Illness Books: 2nd place

Romance: 3rd place 

Health / Healthcare/ Medical / Pharmaceutical Books: 3rd place

Grief and Coping / Trauma: 2nd place

Honourable mentions:

Best couple - Me and Mark

Best Moment: The moment they loved was when I sang “Anywhere” by Evanescence and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis when Mark was on comfort care (among other songs). They also included when I got a small gold pirate chest for Mark's foreign currency he’d collected over the years when he panhandled.

To say I am over the moon is an understatement. This book was written out of my grief over Mark. I started it as a website in April 2022, and I had such a good reaction to it. A few people suggested to me that I should turn it into a book...and so I did! I submitted my book to the Outstanding Creator Awards knowing that I'd get a review (which was wonderful,) but I really didn't have the self-esteem to believe I would ever place in a competition. I cannot even express how validating it feels to find out something you created would be worthy of recognition. Even more rewarding in a sense, was that the reviewers stated in their review of my book that it now has them looking at those on the streets a little differently. 

Of course, not everyone on the street is friendly. But a good chunk of them are there due to varying circumstances. Too many people think it’s so easy to just go to rehab and get off of drugs or alcohol. I don’t think anyone out there takes their first drink expecting to become an alcoholic. It’s a disease where you just want more and more. There’s psychological aspects and very real physical aspects. Mark was high risk for (and had) seizures. Even without seizures, withdrawal symptoms can be extreme. Please know, if you see someone on the street looking for money for alcohol it’s not always just about getting drunk. Being able to afford a bottle of vodka could mean life or death.

I’m not at all trying to say heavy drinking is okay or that you should rush out and buy someone a drink. But I am saying to be aware and more understanding as you would with anyone with any ailment. If you haven’t read my book and would like to know more about how alcohol can ruin your body and completely mess up your receptors look no further.

Mark was whittling down and having a very small amount of alcohol, waiting to get into the local detox centre but his body couldn’t hold up. This book was for him. Both for him and to hopefully help someone else see that they need help as well. You may think you are invincible, but eventually you could hear that dreaded word too. Cirrhosis. 

I didn’t want Mark’s death to be in vain. I hope his story helps someone else.