Help For Widows Who Suffer Alone During The Holiday Season

Press Release
2008-10-25 15:27:27 -

Award winning author and contributing writer Elaine Williams understands the pain of being left alone during the holiday season. Her book, A Journey Well Taken - Life After Loss, offers a message of hope that is particularly needed by many left alone during this time of year.

'For most people,' stated Ms. Williams, 'holidays center around family and celebrations. For widows, especially new widows, this time of year is one of the hardest times to get through. After the loss of your partner there is nothing quite as painful as feeling alone during these special times.'

According to the U.S Census Bureau, there are approximately 700,000 new widows every year. Widows and widowers are not the only ones who suffer during this time of year. Surveys and studies also illustrate that a staggering 10% of all marriages end in divorce. The emotional problems that affect those experiencing widowhood or divorce can be overwhelming. These feelings are exacerbated during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's seasons.

32% of women aged 55 and older live alone, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. A Journey Well Taken - Life After Loss addresses the important issues involving loss created through death or divorce and offers real hope to those left alone and those left behind.

'I personally don't see much difference in dating after loss or following a divorce,' stated Ms. Williams, 'as both occurrences involve a major life change, subject to emotions of loss and anger or perhaps betrayal and abandonment. At no time do these feelings surface more strongly than during the holiday season. Some who have lost a spouse may argue that death is worse, being final and out of your control -- while divorce is a choice. I disagree. If the spouse you love has divorced you, the choice has been taken away from you, similar to losing someone to death. You also have an added complication of perhaps feeling as if you've been thrown away, an understandably devastating experience. I have experienced both divorce and death, and the aftermath in each instance is neither pretty nor painless.'

'Does the death of a partner hurt more than divorce? When you lose the person you love, regardless of how that occurs, it is a permanent wound on the heart. Loss of any kind is never easy. It can be especially difficult during the holidays,' stated Ms. Williams, 'but try not to totally isolate yourself during moments of stress; instead allow family and friends to help you get through difficult times. You can be alone with your thoughts to sort through your grief, but also remember to allow those who care about you to help you on your journey.'

A Journey Well Taken - Life After Loss is a finalist in the USA Book News Best Books Awards for 2008. The book has received a 5 star rating from Midwest Book Reviews. Copies of 'A Journey Well Taken - Life After Loss' are available at her website. A portion of the profit from each book is donated to charity. Ms. Williams is available for media interviews by contacting her at the address below.

Contact
Elaine Williams
On Wings Press
Phone: 518-589-6229
Web: http://www.ajourneywelltaken.com">
Email: onwingspress@yahoo.com

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Widowed Romance Writer: "Give Me REAL Romance-Or Give Me My Empty Bed!"

For Release: On Receipt
Contact: Elaine Williams, 518-628-4415, media@onwingspress.com

Widowed Romance Writer:
"Give Me REAL Romance—Or Give Me My Empty Bed!"

CATSKILL MOUNTAINS, NY: After her storybook 23-year marriage ended when her husband succumbed to cancer, romance writer and widowed mother of three Elaine Williams wanted another prince—but found herself politely holding her nose in the company of a whole bunch of warty frogs.

Were her standards too high? "Too many women settle for much less than they deserve. I know it's possible to find true joy in a relationship. That's what Joe and I had together. By setting high standards, I will find someone to meet those standards. In the meantime, my life is exuberant and passionate, even without a life partner."

That exuberance doesn't mean her life is without sorrow, of course. "People always assume I've moved on; our society doesn't give you much time to grieve. But after five years, I still think every day about Joe. I talk to him, dream about him, remember him as the strong, loving husband and father he was. Still, I know he wouldn't want me in a funk for the rest of my life. Every hike or yoga class or horseback ride I take is an honor to his memory. When we're falling apart and tested to the max, that's our opportunity to discover our real strength and purpose."

A lifelong writer who has published with Silhouette and elsewhere and is an active member of both the Women Writers Guild and Romance Writers of America, Williams chronicled the transformational time beginning with Joe's lingering illness, carrying through his death, and into her struggle to make a new and happy life for herself and her sons—warty frogs and all.

And her new book, A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss, has a powerful, cathartic message to the 700,000 new widows throughout the U.S. —many of them, like Elaine, in the prime of life—who lose their spouses each year: "A new life can emerge from despair and grief over loss."

Journalists: To arrange an interview and/or request a review copy, contact Williams at 518-628-4415, media@onwingspress.com

A Journey Well Taken: Life After Loss
By Elaine Williams
OnWings Press, $13.95
Publication date: June, 2008
ISBN: 9780980110807
Website: www.ajourneywelltaken.com

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