Maryann Curran Releases FROM WE TO ME

Maryann Hartzell-Curran, a retired educator and counselor, has written a personal account of her journey through the first year of overcoming grief when she lost her husband in a new book, "From We to Me," with the goal of providing support for those who have suffered the loss of a loved one.

"From We to Me" is a compilation of 52 letters Curran wrote to a friend who had just lost her husband of many years. Those weekly letters catalog the milestones and painful "firsts" ranging from letting go of her husband's possessions to experiencing birthdays, anniversaries and holidays without him by her side. Each letter conveys a mini story of coping with loss and navigating transition, Curran said.

Although, as a counselor, Curran understands the grieving process, her book on grief recovery is a very personal retelling of her own experience to which readers can relate, she said. Along the way, she talks of the triumphs and setbacks of establishing a new life, and the crucial role of her faith along with supportive family, friends, and household pets as she completed her own journey "From We to Me."

"I wanted readers to be assured by my stories that everyone's path of grief recovery is as individual as they are," Curran said. "Every page is framed by a leafy border because I wanted them to be soothed by the beauty of nature. I also want those who are trying to help someone who has suffered a loss see this book as a beautiful bereavement gift when a sympathy card is just not enough."

The book, published by Peppertree Press of Sarasota, Fla., is available through wholesale distribution outlets, such as Ingram, Baker and Taylor, and Books in Print, as well as online at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com and peppertreepublishing.com. More information is available at http://www.MaryannCurran.com, which includes her Overcoming Grief blog.

2013 * ISBN 978-1-61493-160-7 * $14.95 * Softcover * $6.95 E-book * 124 pages

About the Author:
Maryann Hartzell-Curran is a retired educator and therapist who founded a successful family therapy practice and taught in the public and private sectors. Along with teaching special education and preschool students, Curran founded and directed a church-based preschool in Lombard, Ill., and also gained experience working with the elderly as director of a senior dining center. She has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Wisconsin and a master's degree in counseling from Illinois Benedictine University. Curran, her second husband, Jack, and their dog, Henrietta, reside in Florida and South Carolina.

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