by
Tracy Shawn, MA
After I had started writing my now-published novel, “The Grace of Crows,” my anxiety and depression began to lift. I believe, in large part, this real-life transformation occurred because I was so fully engaged in the positive challenge of writing that my brain didn’t have as much room to entertain the negative “what-if” thoughts.
As Lucy, the best friend to my protagonist, Saylor, advices Saylor early on in the book, “…the creative part of your brain goes over to the dark side when you don’t give it the outlet it needs…I remember your art. You were damned good. For your own sanity, you have to get back into it.”
By creating a story in which the protagonist gathers the strength to overcome her anxiety, I also believe that I unconsciously gathered my own hope for change.
Beyond helping me with my own personal transformation, “The Grace of Crows,” has been dubbed a “…healing opportunity to the reader” by a licensed therapist and is recommended by Lucy Horner, who wrote nonfiction book,”Tolstoy Therapy: A Fiction Prescription,” about the healing power of literature.
As a debut novelist, it’s wonderfully affirming when complete strangers exclaim how much they could relate to both the storyline and characters, and how it helped them deal with their own anxiety and not feel so alone.
Over a decade ago, I suffered from such debilitating anxiety myself that I never thought I had it in me to write a novel–let alone get it published. And yet here I am on the other side.
Tracy Shawn lives and writes on the Central Coast of California. Her award-winning debut novel, “The Grace of Crows,” is about how an anxiety-ridden woman finds happiness through the most unexpected of ways—and characters. Dubbed a “stunning debut novel” by top 50 Hall of Fame reviewer, Grady Harp, The Grace of Crows has also been hailed as an accurate portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder and a healing opportunity to the readers.
Visit my website at: www.tracyshawn.com
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