Excerpt Tour and Giveaway - Audley Enough: A Portrait of Triumph and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression by Lesley Whyte Reford & Patricia Lavoie

Welcome to my stop on the excerpt tour for Audley Enough: A Portrait of Triumph and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression by Lesley Whyte Reford & Patricia Lavoie. This tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an exclusive excerpt from the book. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more exclusive excerpts. Enjoy!

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Title: Audley Enough: A Portrait of Triumph and Recovery in the Face of Mania and Depression

Authors: Lesley Whyte Reford & Patricia Lavoie

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: December 29th 2021

Print Length: 158 pages

Genre: Biography/Memoir

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Audley Enough follows Audley's journey through "The Matrix," specifically his mental health. The book describes his adventures into his mania and depression that occurred during the peak employment years of his life, from 27 to 38 years old. It takes one through the spiritual essence of his being, and gives one steps to travel through mania and depression. After reading his book, one comes out stronger with multiple coping tools. The book is about Audley refusing to let his bipolar diagnosis define him, nor stop him from leading a mentally, healthy, and productive life.

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT:

WITH this diagnosis, the doctors started on Audley’s painstaking recovery, which set him on a rollercoaster ride into the unknown. As is common with bipolar diagnoses, the challenge to find the right cocktail of medications for each individual patient requires time and trial and error. Audley lived an incredibly unstable life, moving in and out of hospitals and back and forth between Toronto and Montreal, with the ongoing support of his family, Elizabeth, and his doctors. At times, he seemed to be stabilizing, only to return to another manic episode, sending him backwards once again. Suicide was always at the back of his mind as a very real option to his suffering. Each setback pushed him into a state of hopelessness, with no desire to leave the hospital and face the world. As he says, with all the labels that he had acquired over the years, he truly felt as though he was nothing but worthless, damaged goods. To him, his dreams of a fulfilling life were over and he was overcome with despair.

Finally, he says, it actually took his mother to physically lift him out of the hospital bed (where he had become content to stay), to have even a shred of hope. Had it not been for her, he says, he would have given up and would probably not be here today. She re-awakened Audley’s devout Christian faith that he had adhered to as a child and insisted that she had not raised a quitter. His mother brought religion back into Audley’s life and with her spiritual words of faith he was reminded that life was out there waiting for him. She was not going to accept him lying around with no purpose in life. Along with this faith, she insisted on bringing Audley’s whole family to his side to support him in his recovery. As Audley states, “This familial support was key for me, as it added some excitement and liveliness to my life at a time when I needed it most. The worst thing in the recovery is the feeling of isolation.”

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ABOUT AUDLEY:

Audley Coley is a mental health coach, a philanthropist, the subject of a book and a Friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. He is often called upon to host forums on mental health awareness and was more recently seen on CBC’s You Can’t Ask That describing his life with bipolar disorder and on Facebook, hosting the live broadcast to the Alianait Arts Festival for the Nunavut community alongside his lovely daughter.

His ability to soar above mental illness is something he credits to many things. His support system: a strong Jamaican, God-fearing, and closely knit family, first. Sports and physical activity come in at a close second. Audley has always been extremely active. He played hockey, soccer and was a dancer/choreographer, most of his life. At the fine age of 62, he can be found at the Atwater Club teaching a class that could put people half his age to shame. Just ask his Yummy Mummies who subscribe to his workouts and carefully crafted playlist. And then, it’s about food for Audley. He perfected his culinary skills working as a chef in Frobisher Bay (Iqaluit) and today, cooking is truly his labour of love. He takes his vitamins (his medication) regularly and frequently visits to Up House, a place where he goes to get centered and to give back to those who once gave to him. The last and perhaps most important box he checks off on his self-care list is REST.

Audley’s objective is to tell his story often so people may recognize themselves, to provide hope for families of those affected, to share a recipe for success that he knows works and to have the opportunity to change someone’s life in the same way that Patty Duke’s openness changed his.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

LESLEY WHYTE REFORD is a seasoned writer who has a passion for communications and storytelling. She obtained her Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Queen’s University in 1993 and went on to build her career in Corporate Communications and Public Relations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As she raised her two sons, Lesley put her career on hold but continued with her writing when time allowed. Engaging in small contract freelance opportunities and volunteer work, Lesley published a centennial book commemorating the Montreal Children’s Hospital’s contribution to the Montreal community titled “100 Years of Stories” in 2004. In 2013, she collaborated with Audley Coley to author “Audley Enough”, an inspiring resource to share his journey with bipolar disorder and help combat the stigma of mental health issues. Lesley is currently a full-time grant writer at One Tree Planted, Inc., a global reforestation non-profit organization.

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PATRICIA LAVOIE has been writing and producing feature films and television series for many years including seventeen seasons with Sesame Street (CBC) in Canada where she honed her pre-school expertise. She developed the original concept for and produced the first Heritage Minutes, a multi-million dollar television and cinema project based on anecdotes of Canadian history, as well as many award-winning preschool and family productions for broadcasters such as CBC, Radio-Canada, YTV, Treehouse, Animal Planet, TVOntario, TFO, Télé-Québec, Discovery Channel USA and PBS.

Ms. Lavoie also co-produced several feature length films with international partners in Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan and the USA. Her online game productions were created for PBS, National Geographic, CBC, Radio-Canada and Treehouse.

As a broadcaster, Ms. Lavoie also served as interim Director of Yoopa, a multiplatform brand comprised of a television channel, an online community for children and parents and a magazine for parents.

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GIVEAWAY:

Lesley Whyte Reford & Patricia Lavoie will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!

(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions and the authors assume all responsibility over this giveaway.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway