Elizabeth Petrucelli is a woman I met online that helped me along tremendously with publishing my memoir, Chasing Hope. Navigating the fields of independent publishing can be extremely difficult but it’s the generosity of other indie authors out there, like Elizabeth, that really help make it a positive experience!
Elizabeth’s book, All That is Seen and Unseen takes you on a journey through the heartwrenching experience of losing a child in the first trimester. Read the full synopsis here.
About the Author:
Elizabeth is a professional birth assistant (doula), childbirth educator, and parenting instructor. The pregnancy with her daughter, Ruby Josephine, was her inspiration for her book, All That is Seen and Unseen – A Journey Through a First Trimester Miscarriage. Her most recent publication, The First Night: Small Town Fumblings of a Rookie Police Officer is now also available on Amazon. Elizabeth lives with her husband and two sons in Parker, CO. Join her as she educates the world and brings peace to women regarding first trimester miscarriage.
Interview with the Author:
Tell me a little about what inspired you to write this book?
When I experienced my miscarriage, I searched the internet for a book with women sharing their miscarriage stories. I needed to find some normalcy to my feelings and to know I wasn’t alone. I also needed to know what to expect. I couldn’t find anything. Sure, there were many books on later miscarriages and stillbirths but my baby had died at a little over eight weeks gestation and there was very little. I found two books that mentioned stories from first trimester miscarriage. I felt like if I was needing a book, there were others that needed one too. My inspiration came from the lack of support books on the subject.
What was the purpose for your book?
My book has several purposes. First, it is to share my story. There is so much healing in letting others know. Second, I feel it is important for the world to see just how painful a first trimester miscarriage can be. Not everyone feels the way I did, but many do and they have no support. They are often told to “get over it” or that “it (the baby) wasn’t real.” This can be very real and very traumatic and women deserve to know they are not alone. The book is also wonderful for medical professionals who work with women who miscarry. I had nurses in emergency departments read my book who felt awful at how they treated women who were miscarrying in the first trimester. This book was a real eye opener for them. The book closes with resources and ideas on how to remember their baby. My hope is that women read the book and see all the options they have such as naming their baby, burying their baby, and having a memorial.
What were the range of emotions you felt while writing the book?
I cried a lot while writing the book. I would “plug in” to drown out any outside noise and listen to one song that I felt explained my grief (Held by Natalie Grant). I would listen to the song over and over as I typed as fast as my fingers could capture my thoughts. Oftentimes I would stumble because I could not type as fast as I was thinking. I was also very excited to get the book out there for others to read so even though it was hard and I cried, I was ready to help other women.
How did your husband feel about you writing the book?
I had Jason read the manuscript before it was published. He was supportive of the book but there are many intimate details in the book that I felt I needed his approval before putting them out there for everyone to read. I had really hoped that he would write the Foreward for the book but he did not want to share which is okay but I have often heard that the book has nothing from the male perspective on miscarriage.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I don’t think I ever really decided to become a writer. I have always loved writing and I remember as a little girl my mom praising me for the stories I wrote in school. I wished I still had those stories to look at. I have always journaled and I believe this is what led me to write my book. The book is full of my intimate journal entries. Readers can see exactly what I was thinking on those exact days during my loss. I enjoy writing so much, that I will continue to write and hope to dive into the world of fiction soon.
What other books have you written?
I have just published my second book, The First Night; Small Town Fumblings of a Rookie Police Officer, which is a comical story about my first night working as a police officer. I have three other books in the works though. A book on pregnancy and parenting after a loss, a book for childbirth educators specifically about teaching unexpected outcomes to pregnant families, and SWAT Wife which is a personal account about living with a SWAT Officer and how that affects the family. This book will have SWAT incidents in it, police funerals, and features a detailed account of how the Century 16 Aurora Theater Shooting affected our family.
If you had to give advice or words of encouragement to people going through your similar situation, what would it be?
I would tell them first and foremost that they are not alone. I know that it feels that way but there are so many of us out there that will walk this journey with you. I would also tell them that it’s very important to know their options. I didn’t know that I could bury my baby and that was really important to me. I also didn’t know how dangerous a D&C could be. It is portrayed as a simple procedure with little risk but there are big risks and I suffered from one of the complications from the procedure. I blog often about miscarriage options and the risks to different procedures. My blog can be found at http://www.allthatisseenandunseen.com/blog.
Purchase All That is Seen and Unseen Here and enter RUTUHVJH for 35% off!
Visit Elizabeth’s blog Here.
Visit Elizabeth’s Website Here.
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