"Part love story, part lamentation, part tentative hope, Moving Forward, Looking Back will resonate with anyone who has experienced devastating loss."
Dallas, TX—Experts say it takes a year to adjust to losing a spouse. Many grieving individuals will ask, "how long will I feel like this?" Grief is not easy or linear, but there is hope at the end of the journey. That's exactly what Beth Ann Blackwood illustrates in her new book Moving Forward, Looking Back. In a journal-like fashion, Beth Ann Blackwood reflects on her life for the first year after the death of her husband Tom, from sharing memories of their marriage to diving into the hardest parts of loss.
Moving Forward, Looking Back is essentially two stories in one: Beth Ann and Tom's meeting, marriage, and life together, and Beth Ann's experience during the first year after Tom's death. Each chapter begins in the present and then reveals some of the past, so that the full story of their lives together is formed by the end of the book. The reader sees them come together but also lose each other at the same time, creating a unique juxtaposition that doesn't come with a linear plot.
"Texas author Beth Ann Blackwood places before the reading public a book so insightful and sensitive about coping with the death of her husband Tom that she provides a supportive and inspiring resource for all who have lost a loved one or are preparing for such a loss. The atmosphere of her book is established in the brief introductory lines: 'Grief weighs me down like a black bear settling in for hibernation on my shoulders. Experts say it takes at least a year to adjust to losing a spouse. I picture a knapsack filled with twelve heavy stones flattening me to the ground. As each month passes, a stone will work its way out of the pack until eventually I can get to my knees, then stand, and then walk. At least that's the hope'" —Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Hall of Fame Reviewer
Beth Ann and Tom's relationship was not always easy, which makes their story relatable. Although they struggle, there is clearly love and admiration between them in the way that Beth Ann Blackwood portrays the relationship, and you can't help but root for them throughout the book. The reader can feel her emotions through her personal and illustrative way of writing.
"Moving Forward, Looking Back, is an illuminating and incredibly moving testament to the strength of human character. Just like she did when training for the Half Ironman, Blackwood begins to understand that much of life is pushing through the pain and just keeping going. It's the journey that matters most and not the destination." —John J. Kelly, Detroit Free Press
In her own words, Beth Ann wrote this book because "one of [her] goals is to provide hope to those who are grieving." Although this story is heartbreaking, her journey through grief and finding ways to cope are inspirational to anyone who might be going through something similar. She picks up new hobbies, talks to new people, forms new bonds with her pets, and much more. Even so, she makes sure to add in chapters where she is struggling. Coping with loss is not a straightforward experience, and ups and downs add a sense of realism to Moving Forward, Looking Back. Beth Ann shares the lessons that she learned and how to find hope again.
"Nuggets of wisdom from the Bible, C.S. Lewis, and Victor Frankl pepper the story and show the reader Beth's desire to understand what is happening to her mind and soul during the grieving process. You will not come away empty handed from reading this compelling life, love story." —Brad Butler, Author of 'A World Flight Over Russia' & 'Without Redemption.'
For anyone dealing with grief, this book is perfect for you. Beth Ann and Tom's relationship is real, relatable, and captivating. Beth Ann's journey to find hope again is incredibly inspirational, and can provide advice and assurance to those who may be struggling with something similar.
Moving Forward, Looking Back, published by Flights of Fancy Publishing House, LLC, March 2023, 177 pages. Available at Amazon for $3.99 Kindle and $14.95 Paperback.
Watch the book trailer here: https://bit.ly/Moving_Forward_Looking_Back_Trailer
About Beth Ann Blackwood: Beth Ann is an Amazon Bestselling author and self-employed commercial litigator from Dallas, Texas. She is widowed with 4 stepchildren, 2 step-grandchildren, and 4 recently acquired double step-grandchildren (her term for her stepson's stepkids). She graduated from Baylor University with a degree in psychology and from Baylor Law School. She has worked in law and politics and is an AV rated lawyer. Outside of work, she is an avid marathon runner, having run in 42 marathons and hopes to compete in a half ironman.
Beth Ann is an animal lover; she owns two pugs and has taken up horseback riding, specifically dressage. She also volunteers through the Dallas Animal Shelter fostering kittens. Religion is an important part of her life, being raised by a Baptist preacher father. She is currently a speaker at Highland Park Methodist Church and has volunteered through Pet Partners to visit patients with her dogs at Presbyterian Hospital. She is the author of four other books in addition to her most recent, Moving Forward, Looking Back: The Crucible (2018), Siren Song (2012), Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny (2013), and Morbid Obesity: The Real Skinny (2014).
Media Contact: For a review copy of Moving Forward, Looking Back or to arrange an interview with Beth Ann Blackwood, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Reach Lorenz on Twitter @abookpublicist