Saturday, January 18, 2014

A Zebra Like Me Release Day

Today is A Zebra Like Me's Book Birthday!


Maybelle Dawson longs for normalcy and belonging. Often misunderstood, she struggles with a rare disorder, labeling her a Medical Zebra.

Maybelle’s happiness and well-being threaten to slip through her fingers as she battles to take control of her life. She faces a never-ending battle on her journey to find love, courage and friendship in a world lacking acceptance.

With the guidance of her guardian angel, Maybelle finds her way out of emotional and physical isolation to discover lasting love and amazing friendships.

A Zebra Like Me is the story of one teenager’s battle with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a disorder affecting one in five thousand people.



About the Author



Amy Maurer Jones has been happily married to her own version of Edward Cullen for sixteen years. She lives in the small town of Tabor City, North Carolina (close to the North and South Carolina shore) with her husband Kelly and their two beautiful children, Olivia and Keaton.

Amy loves reading and writing Young Adult because she finds young people inspiring. She appreciates how teens are able to look at the world with a fresh perspective and willingly open their minds to the endless possibilities that life has to offer. She particularly enjoys writing strong heroines who face problems head on, learn, grow and mature into the type of people who do the right thing.

When Amy isn't reading and writing, she teaches high school theater arts and dance. To say that Amy has a flare for all things creative would be an understatement, just don't ask her to assemble anything that requires instructions or sadly, you will be out of luck!

Favorite quote:
"You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost." ~ Martha Graham
Links:Website
Facebook
Amazon
Twitter

The Giveaway
A Zebra Like Me 

is a work of fiction but Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and the message in this story are very real. I have EDS and I’ve learned to live with this disease. Sadly, much of my battle has been seeking compassion and finding acceptance from those who don’t understand it. My mission in publishing this book is two-fold.

1 – Awareness – I aim to educate people about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I’m a teacher and through my teaching I’ve learned the best lessons are learned in unexpected ways. I hope my readers will gain a better understanding of this disease through the fictional world I created for Maybelle. There are people like her all over the world. Some EDS patients’ symptoms are less severe than Maybelle’s, some are worse. You may know someone with EDS and not even realize it.
2 – Self Empowerment

– I want other people with EDS to know they are not alone. There are support groups and resources online that can help you learn how to cope with this disease. Don’t give up on a normal life. Learn how to avoid injuries and the external hazards that trigger your issues. Find hobbies that are safe, fun, and relieve stress. Surround yourself with positive people and avoid or tune out the people who can’t or won’t support you. Take care of yourself, physically, mentally, and emotionally.


Need Help? The Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation is just a click away.

Fast Facts about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
“Individuals with EDS have a defect in their connective tissue, the tissue that provides support to many body parts such as the skin, muscles and ligaments.”

“The fragile skin and unstable joints found in EDS are the result of faulty collagen. Collagen is a protein, which acts as a “glue” in the body, adding strength and elasticity to connective tissue.”

“There are six major types of EDS, each classified according to their manifestations of signs and symptoms.”

“Clinical manifestations of EDS are most often join

No comments:

Post a Comment