Latest review on Amazon for Mental Pause!

 Introducing the meno-mystery!, April 3, 2014

By 

Jaxon

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This review is from: Mental Pause (Kindle Edition)

I think this author may have created a new genre: meno-mystery!
Who would ever think of combining menopause and murder? Your answer to that question probably depends on whether you have gone through menopause! Anne O' Connell does a great job of describing the physical and emotional turmoil that menopause causes. The fact that she manages to do this in a story that is both humorous and suspenseful makes this an enjoyable read. If you have already gone through "the change" you know that her descriptions of it are not all that exaggerated. If you haven't, this book may cause you to go out in search of some supplemental estrogen. Plagued by hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and anxiety, Abbie needs a break! What starts out as a lark with friends ends up with Abbie being charged with murder and the story keeps rolling along at a fast pace from there.

Happy International Women's Day!

Doing a author reading at the

Keshen Goodman Public Library in Halifax

...And, Happy Anniversary to Mental Pause! One year ago today was the book launch of my first novel, Mental Pause. It's been a great year with amazing feedback and recognition with a 2013 Independent Publishers Book Award. I'm a proud Indie Author, still happily writing away on various projects and hope to launch my second novel soon (stay tuned).

Book signing at Stayner's Wharf on the Halifax, NS waterfront

If you've read Mental Pause and enjoyed it feel free to drop by Amazon or Goodreads and share a review if you're so inclined ;)

Top 10 Places to Turn when the Night Sweats are too Much

I have never been one for turning to self-help books when the world around me or inside me for that matter, seemed to be a little off-balance... that's what girlfriends and the kitchen table are for, right? However, when the peri-menopausal demon reared his (her?) ugly head, I still turned to the old stand-by remedies but also sought out resources to help me come to grips with what was happening (and also to help confirm my suspicions when doing research for my book, Mental Pause). I thought I would share my Top 10 favorites (not in any particular order):

1. Menopause Matters - a great website, which also has a facebook page and regular newsletter
2. Menopause ChitChat - also a combo of resources and references to keep you reading for hours!
3. Menopause Sucks! - a hugely popular Facebook page
4. The Wisdom of Menopause - Dr. Christiane Northrup - book, website, FB page, Twitter, etc!
5. Menopause in Manhattan by Anne Kleinburg - the first novel I found on the topic that convinced me that there really was a market!
6. Menopause Talk - a little more on the serious side
7. It's Not Menopause, I'm Just Like This - Maxine's Guide to Aging Disgracefully
8. The Menopause Exchange
9. Menopause, the Musical - if you haven't seen it and it comes to your town, you've got to go!
10. The Road to Menopause - Minnie Pauz cartoons by artist Dee Adams 

Feel free to add your favorites... come on... don't be shy!

A little holiday cheer!

Gotta love those minions!

Happy Holidays! In the spirit of GIVING, and to celebrate the New Year I'd like to invite everyone to share their best ‘Mental Pause’ moment here and then send me your email address to... anne@globalwritingsolutions.com and I'll send you a FREE signed PDF of Mental Pause! Or, why not gift it to someone else who’s going through ‘the change’? Just send me their email instead and I'll let them know it's a gift from you! Hard copies are available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble and ebooks are available on Kindle and Kobo.

Mental Pause - the book trailer

Pick up a copy on Amazon at  http://amzn.to/Wy1BP5 

or Barnes & Noble at http://bit.ly/13NEgbg

There's always a bright side!

I Have Arrived!

Well, it's been a year this month since my 'Aunt Flow came to town. You know... since I had to call in a 'code red'. I mean since I was visited by 'the curse'... I mean the 'crimson tide', um, the 'M' word... errm, my 'monthly visitor'. There are so many euphemisms for menstruating no wonder people get squirmy when you talk about it. Did you ever call in sick to a male boss with 'menstrual cramps'? Works like a charm. No questions asked!

Cartoon comes from Dee Adams at www.minniepauz.com

Anyway, back to the point of the story... I guess, at the tender age of 49, I'm officially in Menopause! No more peri-menopause, no more 'I'm experiencing 'the change'... the eagle has landed (if the definitions I have read are accurate).

I don't know whether to laugh or cry (so I guess the emotional jags will continue). I know it's not over yet but the nights sweats seem to have abated and the mood swings have evened out (I tell myself that anyway).  I hear that they can rear up again any time so I'll brace myself. The memory thing (what do they call it?) still seems to be a challenge but I'm finally going to throw out that little blue box in the bathroom cupboard that I've been saving 'just in case'.

I keep telling myself I'm too young for this but then again my mind hasn't caught up to my chronological age yet. I still see myself in my mid-thirties :) I did start peri-menopause early (43) and when I went to the doctor to have my hormones tested she said everything was normal so it hadn't started yet. I asked if she could explain my raging mood swings (I was having horrible night sweats too but for a long time I just chalked it up to living in the Middle East where the temperatures can hit 50 celsius). She suggested I was experiencing the typical stress of expat living and suggested I 'talk to someone' or consider an anti-depressant. I decided to 'talk' to my girlfriends over a glass of wine! I highly recommend that as a treatment when things get to be too much. I also wrote Mental Pause, which was very cathartic for me but not everyone has the time nor the inclination to do that.

I'm continuing by writing this blog so I hope you'll join me for a rant now and again and we'll all commiserate and realize that it's not so bad after all (until the next wave hits)!