Listen to the Interview via Talkshoe
From Laurie Finkelstein
For James Lowe Radio Show 8/21/18 12:15 pm
Introduction:
Laurie Finkelstein lives far enough north from Los Angeles to enjoy a slightly slower pace, but not far enough away to escape the traffic. Through her romantic comedy, Next Therapist Please, Laurie hopes to smash the stigma of mental illness one laugh at a time. She is a champion of those with mental health challenges while blessed with her own anxiety, depression, and OCD.
Questions:
1. Besides not liking traffic, what else should we know about you? I love to eat broccoli, I lose every game of cornhole I play, and yet I love the game, and I used to work as Warner Brother characters at Six Flags Magic Mountain
2. Tell us a little about Next Therapist Please. We follow Janie on her encounters with 6 therapists throughout her life who reveal her disorders as well as lead her on a path to a happy ending. Janie mirrors my life living with biologic and neurologic brain disorders. Only she loves fashion and shopping and can make a fabulous margarita. Me, not so much. But the very best is it has earned The IRWIN Award for best romantic comedy. The award stands for The Industry Recognition of Writers In the News and are named in honor of the Book Publicists of Southern California founder IRWIN ZUCKER
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3. How do you combine a romantic comedy with a serious subject like mental illness? Very carefully. Comedy often comes from a place of pain. And mental illnesses cause physical as well as emotional pain. If we can find the humor in our foibles we can humanize them and work towards treatment and successful living. Not to mention the great material for a stand-up routine in which 43.5 million people will relate to because 1 in 5 Americans have some sort of mental health challenge. That’s a great audience.
4. What do you want others who struggle with mental illness to know from your experiences? First, you are not alone. There is no shame or guilt in having a mental illness. Look into treatment options. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is my go to resource for research and programs. They are a grass roots national organization and their support groups and classes are free. As a thank you for the help they have given me, I am a member and I donate 10% of my sales from Next Therapist Please to NAMI. So, wherever you are, if you need to talk about how you feel or experience, find anyone who will listen. If you feel you don’t have anyone to talk to, call the suicide hotline. There is always someone on the other end waiting to listen. Their number is 800 273-8255
5. What’s the story behind the story? Living with anxiety, depression and OCD has presented many challenges and also a bit of comic relief. My experiences in dealing with mental illness prompted me to start writing short stories of those experiences and one thing led to another and I felt it important to bring to light and squash some stigmas surrounding mental illness. I believed setting my stories within a fictional rom com was an ideal way to introduce the struggles and open dialogue with all those with similar struggles in a humorous, light-hearted way. For those who do not struggle with mental illness, my book helps introduce the challenges in a way that is friendly and relatable.
6. What do your fans mean to you? Everything. I like connecting to readers to share experiences and resources. I like to share background information and life’s little surprises. I like knowing some people who have read my book feel less alone in their struggles.
7. What are you working on next? My next book is so much fun. It is a non-fiction adult humor gift book called AHOOT! A Higher Order of Thing – A 60 Year Old Woman’s Experience with Medical Marijuana and What Every Marijauna virgin Should Know Before Lighting Up.
I also have my second romantic comedy in the thirds rounds of rewrites. It is called Dying to Play Mah Jong. It has supernatural elements and a possible murder mystery to solve.
8. When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time? When I am not writing I am either reading or painting. I love to bake and I am learning to garden. Big learning curve. Eating out is one of my favorite activities morning, noon, and night.
9. Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you? I don’t know what book sparked my interest initially, but My Father’s Dragon sticks out in my mind. I loved it so much I found it as an adult and bought it so I could read it again. I still love it. Some of my other favorite books were Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinkle in Time, Anne of Green Gables, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
10. How do you connect with readers?I can be found on Facebook at Lauriebethart, Twitter @lauriebethart, my website which is lauriebethart.com. And for Gumby fans, I have an Instagram account called Gumby_Gone_Wild. I’m also on Goodreads and answer questions on my author pages on Amazon and Goodreads.
11. Do you have a motto or mantra to get you through the tough times? My war chant is, “Nevertheless I persisted”, thanks to Elizabeth Warren. It fits every element and fiber of my life and being. And “I do whatever it takes” taken from an Imagine Dragons song.
12. What other jobs have you worked through the years? My first job was working in a small shop at the famous Farmers Market in Los Angeles when I was 15. I haven’t worked for many years. My last job was a preschool teacher for 9 years. I retired from teaching in 2001. In the past, I have been in accounts receivable at a western wear manufacturer, an office manager of a temporary personnel agency, and a group insurance representative for a fortune 100 company in Beverly hills.
That should do it!
Here they are without my answers:
From Laurie Finkelstein
For James Lowe Radio Show 8/21/18 12:15 pm
Introduction:
Laurie Finkelstein lives far enough north from Los Angeles to enjoy a slightly slower pace, but not far enough away to escape the traffic. Through her romantic comedy, Next Therapist Please, Laurie hopes to smash the stigma of mental illness one laugh at a time. She is a champion of those with mental health challenges while blessed with her own anxiety, depression, and OCD.
Questions:
1. Besides not liking traffic, what else should we know about you?
2. Tell us a little about Next Therapist Please.
3. How do you combine a romantic comedy with a serious subject like mental illness?
4. What do you want others who struggle with mental illness to know from your experiences?
5. What’s the story behind the story?
6. What do your fans mean to you?
7. What are you working on next?
8. When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
9. Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
10. How do you connect with readers?
11. Do you have a motto or mantra to get you through the tough times? .
12. What other jobs have you worked through the years?
Thank you, Irwin!
Laurie