Looking for Vets with PTSD Who Have Improved
February 5, 2010 by Lillie
I’m working on an exciting project with Dr. Harry Croft, a psychiatrist who has evaluated more than 3500 veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for the Veterans Administration.
Dr. Croft is writing a book to help vets with PTSD and their loved ones to understand and deal with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the disorder.
The book will explain what PTSD is and what the symptoms are. Dr. Croft has found that many vets don’t recognize their symptoms in the clinical descriptions; the book will be simple to read and easy to understand, with no medical jargon. The overview of treatments will familiarize vets with the various options without overwhelming them with details.
Perhaps the most valuable part of the book will be a variety of scenarios of the experiences of many vets and practical advice on dealing with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of PTSD. Each example will include information for the vet, for family and loved ones, and for others (such as employers and coworkers) who interact with the vet.
Dr. Croft has access to many veterans who have been treated clinically for the disorder, but he wants to include examples of vets who have improved through a variety of ways, including self-help.
Do you know a vet with PTSD who has been helped by faith or religious activities, volunteer work, having a pet, or something else? If so, we’d like to hear from him or her. Please e-mail ptsd@lillieammann.com.
We will choose representative examples to include in the book. The vets will not be individually identified, and Dr. Croft may combine information from multiple sources into composite examples.
We recognize that vets with PTSD often find it difficult to talk about their experiences. However, we encourage those who have improved to share valuable help and give hope to others who are still suffering.
photo credit: The U.S. Army.
I Still Don’t Talk to Keywords
January 8, 2010 by Lillie
A few months ago, I instituted a new comment policy: No Name, No Comment. If you leave a comment without a name or nickname that I can recognize as a person, the comment will be marked spam.
I’m posting this reminder because recently I’ve had a spate of relevant comments that I would really like to approve—except they were left by keywords instead of people. I just can’t carry on a conversation with Cheap Toilet Seats, Acne Cure, or Wedding Favors.
KeywordLuv allows you to include keyword text with your name. Please use your name (at least your first name or a nickname recognizable as a person). If you wish to include a keyword, insert @Keyword after your name, for example Joe@Cheap Toilet Seats. KeywordLuv will separate your name and keyword; the comment in this example would show as Joe from Cheap Toilet Seats, and Cheap Toilet Seats would be a hyperlink.
Apologies to my regular readers for bringing this up again, but the number of comments I’m marking spam indicates there’s a need for a reminder. I appreciate relevant comments and hate to send good comments to spam.
On the other hand, I will continue to mark as spam comments that aren’t relevant, such as “I appreciate all your points” (on an Advent prayer) and ”I’ve looked all over the Internet to find the answer to my question and this is the only place I found it” (with the exact words left on half a dozen unrelated posts).
Comment #10,000+
September 18, 2009 by Lillie
My comment counter just turned over 10,000. Actually, I’ve had more than 10,000 comments (including my own) since the beginning of my blog. When I moved the blog just about a year ago, all my nested comments were lost. I have no idea how many comments were lost then. Almost all of the nested comments, though, were my replies to other comments so I didn’t lose many comments from other people.
Comment #10,000 was left by Louise of Brochures Printing Online. Thanks, Louise, and thanks to all the readers who have visited and commented. I enjoy the conversation and appreciate the community.
New Comment Policy: No Name, No Comment
August 31, 2009 by Lillie
I have tried to make commenting here easy and beneficial to commenters. DoFollow links, monthly thank-you posts, and Keyword Luv ensure readers who leave comments get do-follow keyword links, both on the original comment and in the thank-you post. I reply to each comment so you know I read and appreciate what you write.
The only things I ask of commenters are that you read the post and say something relevant and that you identify yourself. Yet I continue to get keywords left in the place of names—even when simply writing Your Name @ Your Keywords will give you a keyword link and let me reply to you as a real person instead of an inamimate object, a job function or place, or a concept.
Frankly, I can’t relate to Printer Cartridges, Jonestown Plumber, or Divorce Advice like I can to Sue of Printer Cartridges, Joe of Jonestown Plumber, or Terry of Divorce Advice. I have requested over and over again that commenters leave their names, yet many ignore my request for what I consider a simple courtesy.
Therefore, I will no longer approve comments that are identified only by a keyword. You must leave a name. I realize that some people prefer to remain anonymous online, and I respect that. If you consistently use a nickname that I can recognize as a person, I will continue to approve comments as long as you continue to leave relevant comments.
However, if you leave a comment identifying yourself with keywords only, your comment will be sent to spam. If you have commented before, and your comment doesn’t go into moderation, I will delete it and add you to the spam blacklist. I hope you will start leaving comments wih a name or nickname.
I am sorry if this policy seems unreasonable; however, I believe it is only common courtesy to identify yourself when you carry on a conversation.
photo credit: annapmagistra
Interview on NAIWE Podcast Today
August 5, 2009 by Lillie
National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE): Member of the Month Interview
Added after podcast: Listen to the interview by clicking on the button below.
I’ll be featured as NAIWE Member of the Month on a TalkShoe podcast at 3:30 p.m. EDT today, Wednesday, 5 August 2009.
You can listen online or get more information at TalkShoe. If you miss the live podcast, you can listen to the recording at any time. You can also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.
There is also a print interview on the NAIWE blog.
Winner: My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion
July 2, 2009 by Lillie
During the My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion throughout the month of June, I gave away a free e-book of Fern’s Fancies to everyone who purchased a copy of Dream or Destiny.
The culmination of the promotion is a drawing from the names of all who bought a book during the event for a virtual gift basket of e-books.
Congratulations to the winner, Beatriz Kim!
I have contacted Beatriz by e-mail and sent her an electronic copy of each of the following books:
I hope each person who ordered during June is enjoying both Dream or Destiny and Fern’s Fancies.
And if you missed out on the promotion, it’s never too late to order. 
The End Is Near: Only 4 More Days to Get Your Free E-Book
June 26, 2009 by Lillie
My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion ends next Tuesday. Order a copy of Dream or Destiny within the next four days, and I will e-mail you an e-book of Fern’s Fancies, my unpublished contemporary romance novel.
You may order Dream or Destiny from:
- My publisher, GASLight Publishing, LLC
- Amazon.com
- Directly from me
To order directly from me through PayPal, click the “buy now” button below. Please be sure to indicate the name you would like the autograph inscribed to.
If you order from GASLight or Amazon, e-mail a copy of your sales receipt to lillie@lillieammann.com, and I’ll e-mail your free e-book.
On July 2nd, I will draw a name from all buyers for a virtual gift basket of e-books written by my clients (plus one of mine).
- As Shadows Fall by Grace Anne Schaefer
- The New Day Dawns by Grace Anne Schaefer
- On the Wings of the Wind by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Doctor James Taylor
- Some Monument to Last by James Doughty
- Spring House by David Bowles
- Stroke of Luck by Yours Truly
Many readers have told me Dream or Destiny is on their to-buy book list. Don’t miss this opportunity to get an autographed copy plus a free e-book of a contemporary romance novel and a chance to win a virtual gift basket filled with e-books.
My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion Midpoint
June 15, 2009 by Lillie
The My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion is half over. Order a copy of Dream or Destiny before the end of June, and I will e-mail you an e-book of Fern’s Fancies, my unpublished contemporary romance novel.
Not sure Dream or Destiny is for you? Read what reviewers and readers are saying about the book.
Learn more about Fern’s Fancies or read an excerpt.
I will draw a name from all buyers for a virtual gift basket of e-books written by my clients (plus one of mine).
- As Shadows Fall by Grace Anne Schaefer
- The New Day Dawns by Grace Anne Schaefer
- On the Wings of the Wind by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Doctor James Taylor
- Some Monument to Last by James Doughty
- Spring House by David Bowles
- Stroke of Luck by Yours Truly
You may order Dream or Destiny from:
- My publisher, GASLight Publishing, LLC
- Amazon.com
- Directly from me
To order directly from me through PayPal, click the “buy now” button below. Please be sure to indicate the name you would like the autograph inscribed to.
If you order from GASLight or Amazon, e-mail a copy of your sales receipt to lillie@lillieammann.com, and I’ll e-mail your free e-book.
Happy 3rd Birthday to A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye
June 11, 2009 by Lillie
Blogging is so much a part of my life that sometimes it seems like I’ve been doing it forever. On the other hand, sometimes it seems as if I’ve just started.
In fact, I started three years ago today. The numbers tell part of the story:
- 566 posts, including nearly two dozen series with 2 to 14 installments
- More than 8000 comments—I don’t know the exact number because when I moved my blog last fall all my nested comments disappeared
- Almost 140,000 spam comments since I moved the blog in September 2008
But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
I’ve learned so much from reading other blogs, from researching for my own blog posts, and from interacting with readers in comments. Though it’s hard for me to evaluate, I hope I’ve become a better writer through blogging.
Most of all, I’ve met so many wonderful friends from around the world. I love carrying on conversations in comments. Often more valuable information comes from my readers in comments than from what I write. For example, my post about a way to donate books to literacy programs turned into a fascinating discussion of illiteracy in comments.
I would love to recognize all my blogging friends, but this post would be way too long. And I would certainly overlook someone. Thank you to each of you who read and comment on my blog and who motivate, entertain, and educate me through your blogs.
I’m looking forward to many more years of blogging and sharing cyberspace with all of you.
I’m celebrating my blogging birthday, along my birthday and my wedding anniversary, with My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion. Everyone who orders Dream or Destiny during the month of June will receive a free e-book of a contemporary romance, Fern’s Fancies, and a chance to win a virtual gift basket of e-books.
You can order from my publisher or Amazon.com
My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion
June 1, 2009 by Lillie
Yesterday was our anniversary, and my birthday is later this month. My blog birthday is also in June. In celebration of my special days, I’m offering a gift to anyone who buys a copy of Dream or Destiny during the month of June.I will e-mail you an e-book of Fern’s Fancies, an unpublished contemporary romance novel. It’s quite different from my other books, and I had fun writing it. I hope you have fun reading it.
In addition to the free e-book, everyone who purchases Dream or Destiny during June will have a chance to win a virtual gift basket of e-books. The titles of the books, which I either edited or wrote, are listed below.
Back cover blurb for Dream or Destiny:
Marilee Anderson dreams about a murder and wakes to find it really happened. She and David Nichols, the victim’s brother, become the prime suspects. Though they have their secrets and aren’t sure they can trust each other, Marilee and David team up to find the killer.
Does Tess, “the crazy lady,” know anything about the murder or is she just delusional? Does the cheating couple on the victim’s floor have any information about the night of the crime? Why has the abusive father of the victim and her brother suddenly reappeared? What about Barbara’s ex-husband? Will Marilee and David find the killer? Or will they end up in jail—or dead?
You can learn more about Dream or Destiny, read an excerpt, or find out what reviewers say.
About Fern’s Fancies:
When Fern Tate sold her interior landscape company to a national corporation, she didn’t expect to have a boss like Pendleton Morgenthal, III. Had she made the biggest mistake of her life?
Pen never allowed a woman—especially a subordinate—to distract him from his fast-track career. What was it about Fern that made her different?
Read an excerpt of Fern’s Fancies.
I wrote this story early in my writing career in response to a call for submissions from a romance publisher for contemporary romance novels that began with a letter or other form of correspondence. I had just sold my interior landscape company and enjoying sharing some humorous incidents that we had encountered in 20 years in the business.
I submitted part of the manuscript as homework in an online writing class, and the instructor predicted this book would be picked up by a publisher right away. However, when it was rejected by the publisher I targeted it for, I never tried again. Fern’s Fancies is genre romance, a la Harlequin or Silhouette Romance (the “sweet romance” lines). It’s a light, fun, and sometimes humorous read.
- As Shadows Fall by Grace Anne Schaefer
- The New Day Dawns by Grace Anne Schaefer
- On the Wings of the Wind by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Doctor James Taylor
- Some Monument to Last by James Doughty
- Spring House by David Bowles
- Stroke of Luck by Yours Truly
You may order from:
- My publisher, GASLight Publishing, LLC
- Amazon.com
- Directly from me
Although I don’t ordinarily sell direct, I want buyers during this promotion to be able to order an autographed copy. Click on the “buy-now” button at the bottom of this post to order through PayPal using your credit card or PayPal account. Price is $12.95 plus shipping ($3.00 US or $10.00 International). Please be sure to indicate the name you would like the autograph inscribed to.
For those of you who have Dream or Destiny on your wish list, now is the perfect time to order it. For those of you who have read and enjoyed the story, you can buy a gift for a friend and keep the free e-book for yourself.
If you order from me, I will e-mail your free e-book at the time I prepare your paperback book for shipping. If you order from Amazon or GASLight, e-mail me your receipt, and I will send Fern’s Fancies by return e-mail.
Happy anniversary and happy birthday to me, and happy reading to you!
