Have you been deeply wounded by your mother?
Did the woman, who was supposed to love you, nurture you and protect you, leave you feeling abandoned, worthless and scared? Have you struggled your entire life to fill the void of her absence?
In Picking Up the Shards, author Anita M. Oommen examines decades of her battle with soul-wounding from her mother and mother figures. She shares her gut-wrenching personal account of childhood trauma, neglect, rejection, and abuse. She takes you on her journey to pick up the broken pieces of her early childhood which she carried into adulthood, and shares her deepest emotions of hurt, anger, and loneliness with honesty and courage.
Picking Up the Shards testifies to the unbroken resilience of the human spirit. Anita knows first-hand and has lived through and faced the incredibly painful experiences of childhood traumas and has come out triumphantly on the other side.
Picking up the Shards is about the author’s awakening moment – when the despair of her mother-wounds met the mother-heart of God– which was the final catalyst to her ultimate healing and forgiveness of her mother(s).
Hello book lovers! Today is a day where I will be writing another author spotlight for a well-accomplished author whose work I have loved. As you know book lovers I love learning about authors and the inspiration behind their work, it fascinates me and adds to the depth of the book because the reader will be able to better understand it. That is how the author spotlights were created because I soon discovered that you lovely readers ALSO love learning about author’s, so I am excited to tell you a little bit more about author Anita M. Oommen whose book Picking Up the Shards moved me from beginning to end. I personally would recommend this book to all of those that love self-help books and poignant memoirs but really the book can be read by anybody as it is flawlessly written and highly enjoyable. With today’s author spotlight, a biography of the author and an interview between me and Anita M. Oommen will be shared, and I hope that you book lovers enjoy reading it! To kick this off here is an author bio about the wonderful Anita M. Oommen!
Anita Oommen has traveled across the globe, from the beautiful continent of Africa to the tranquil villages and bustling cities of India. She currently lives in the U.S.
She is trained as a Speech-Language Pathologist and Audiologist with dual undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has worked for a United Nations Development Program helping under-resourced and underprivileged children with disabilities. Anita is passionately committed to helping others find their voice—literally and figuratively. She has been equally passionate about her work in neuro-rehabilitation of adults over the last two decades. Brain, behavior, and neurosciences have been her interests. She has worked and volunteered in the villages and local hospitals of southern India and Africa.
All of her life experiences and the healing that she has experienced have led her to discover that there is no pain too deep, no one too lost, that the light of God cannot heal, nor is it ever too late to pick up the pieces of your past and rebuild a new life with resiliency. She is committed to sharing her life story of personal growth and transformation from broken to restored. Through her writing, she hopes to pass the gift of healing forward and to give a voice to those with similar stories. For more information about her work please visit/sign up at www.brokenliferestored.com
Follow her on Facebook at https://facebook.com/authoranitao
Follow her on Instagram at https://instagram.com/authoranitao
Now, how wonderful does Anita M. Oommen sound?! Anita M. Oommen is a truly exceptional writer and I hope that you lovely readers have a read of the author’s work because you will not regret it! Please see below an interview between me and the author and I hope that you enjoy Anita M. Oommen’s answers to my questions, they are incredible and provide some great advice too!
Thank you for joining us today at Red Headed Book Lover! Please tell us more about yourself
I am passionate about neuroscience, neurobiology of trauma, and intersecting faith and spirituality for wholistic healing. The reason I write so passionately is to bring all these elements together for transformation and personal growth.
Could you please tell us readers about your book and what inspired you to write your book?
I was in search of personal healing; emotional, psychological , physical and spiritual healing. Part of my healing journey was through writing my story! My story doesn’t own me any more. I own my healed story– broken life restored.
What would your advice be for aspiring writers?
Consistency is key! It leads to creativity. Our brains respond to consistent writing, that then creates the habit of writing. Life happens, but finding at least 15 minutes to think about and write down ideas onto a page, helps. I even write in carline while waiting to pick up my kids from school. If you can’t type while on the go, then speak and record your thoughts. You can always transcribe them to onto paper later! Don’t let anything get in your way. Spend some time quieting yourself; meditate or pray before you start your writing process. If you can’t think of anything, read what you have already written. It will spark new ideas and creative thoughts.
In your opinion, what is the most important thing about a book?
For me it is a passion project; to communicate my ideas with people. I can reach many people at once with my message by writing a book.
What is your writing process like?
I put all my thoughts down after I turn a timer on. I empty my mind onto paper. I step back and look at what I wrote down. I look for themes or ideas that stand out. I see that my core theme develops as I sift through all my thoughts. Then I outline my book. Once I have a general framework, I build on that.
What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
This totally depends on your genre. When I write my initial rough draft, I do my research alongside. I don’t necessarily research before I start writing. My personal experiences and my professional background all come into play as I write.
Do you have a set schedule for writing, or do you only write when you feel inspired?
I do try to follow a schedule. Commitment to write is the first step. There are times when I feel inspired. I will write my thoughts down on paper or even in notes on my phone. It’s a combination of both because there are times I get inspired outside of my scheduled writing time.
Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors?
I read anything that interests me. but I mostly read books around trauma, healing, faith, spirituality and stories of personal transformation. Henry Cloud and John Townsend are a couple of my favorite authors. I have too many to list.
Lastly, when can we readers expect to read more wonderful books from you?
I am writing book 2 of this current series. I hope to publish in 2020.
Its official book lovers, I am obsessed with Anita M. Oommen! If you have liked what you have read about the author and are interested in learning more, then please do have a browse of the links below and be sure to have a read of the preview too! You will not regret it.
Goodbye for now book lovers,
