Holly versus Mr. Ivy by Amanda P. Jones
Acknowledgements
Rhett and Holly’s story! Readers are the best and I’m so blessed to have met so many of you either in person or online. If you want to stay connected, follow me on Instagram or Facebook @authoramandapjones
If you enjoyed Holly vs. Mr. Ivy, would you consider leaving a review on Amazon? Reviews help indie authors like me so much. A star rating or a simple “It was cute!” goes a long way. Thank you!
I wrote this book while battling depression. Rhett, like many of us, suffers from mental illness. To put it plainly—it sucks. It’s draining and debilitating. It makes you think things about yourself that aren’t true. You live in comparison mode, thinking everyone around you has this glorious life and you don’t. Often you can't get out of bed because you simply can't face the tasks ahead of you. You have no energy to do things you usually enjoy. Those thoughts can lead to thoughts of suicide. Suicide is never the answer. If you are struggling with mental health issues, PLEASE reach out to a friend, therapist, or someone you trust. I am not on medication at the moment, but it sometimes is the best remedy. Please don’t let stigmas prevent you from seeking professional health care.
For me, here are some things that help when I’m in the middle of my depression:
- Exercise
- Eating healthy
- Reading (or whatever self-care looks like for you: bath, walk, pedicure, etc.)
- Write three things I'm grateful for each day
- Get off social media for a while
- Do something kind for someone else
To those of you who helped me earlier this year when I posted about my struggles on social media—thank you! Thank you for your recommendations, tips, and kind words. They were much appreciated.
Megan Clements, as always, thank you for being the amazing person you are. For being my hype girl when I need it. For loving my stories and helping me brainstorm when I call in a panic about edits. Every writer needs an editor like you.
A big thank you to Emily White and Emily Poole for helping polish up this manuscript.
My sister Melissa Hiller and sister-in-law Rebecca Pryor, thank you for reading this book in such a short time frame and providing the feedback I needed. I wish I had time to make every change you suggested. Thank you to the rest of my phenomenal extended family as well. I love all of you and appreciate your support!
Mom and Dad, thank you for never making me feel like mental illness meant something was wrong with me. Thank you for your continued support in seeking the help I need to feel my best mentally and emotionally. I appreciate all your efforts throughout my life to make sure I knew I was loved and valued.
My booksta-friends, I’m so grateful I discovered you! Y’all are fantastic and I appreciate all the book recommendations, games, and other fun bookish content you put out there.
My ARC/Launch team—THANK YOU! Your excitement, help, and support mean the world to me. I love the messages you've sent about how much you love Holly and Rhett's story. They give me a much-needed boost to keep writing.
A giant thank you to my tribe of friends who help me get through life. Who provide laughs, a night out, and a listening ear. Friends make life better and I am incredibly blessed, humbled, and grateful for mine. Love you all!
My family, especially my kids, who had cereal for dinner more times than I could count while writing this book, and basically had no parents around for three months, thank you! You deserve a million rainbows, confetti, balloons, and anything else that screams how thankful I am for your encouragement, help, patience, understanding, and love. You sacrifice a lot for me to chase after my dreams. THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!
To my Father in Heaven who continues to bless me with the opportunity to write. I’m grateful and humbled by the gift you’ve given me.