Hello readers, I appreciate the invitation to share information about me and my books here in Authors’ Lounge. My name is Lisa Jo Symonds and I did not choose to become a writer or a published author, it chose me.

They say, “often in life, our misery becomes our ministry,” and for me this could not be more true. I had been silently tormented inside for 50 years by hidden and buried secrets.

A horrific series of events led me to the hospital in April of 2018 where I, for the first time in life, had to face the fact that I had nearly lost my life, and was now facing instant disability, the end of my career, and the end of my active and adventurous life. Worse, I had to face (and still facing) that the damage done to my heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organ systems was not only permanent – but progressive and terminal.

I escaped with my life that day in April of 2018, but only temporarily. My future from that point forward would include, and still does, constant medical appointments, testing, lab work, hospital stays, and more pain and illness, as my body (or blood) continues to attack me as it slowly drains my life from me.

The body may be weak – but the mind is still strong, and so I now use my mind to remain a productive part of society. I made the decision to commit the rest of my days to the only thing I can do to remain productive, since my body is no longer physically capable of much else.

I decided to write and publish my story to help others who may also be being slowly destroyed from the inside as buried secrets consume them and rob them from any chance of happiness or life fulfillment, and THE HANDS THAT HELD ME was born.

My memoir, THE HANDS THAT HELD ME, was #1 New Release on Amazon for its first 6 weeks on the market and has remained high on many bestseller lists since its release – often finding itself still sitting at #1. My childhood trauma involved being fed alcohol and drugs from birth; addiction/overdose/death; severe abuse and domestic violence; being sold repeatedly into child trafficking; and so much more. However, my story is one of victory over a lifetime of adversity! THE HANDS THAT HELD ME is described as being a very poignant and inspirational story, and though dark and tough to read at times because of childhood trauma, comes highly recommended at a 4.8 out of 5-star rating by readers who warn that once you open this book, you will not be able to set it down!

My 2nd release was GLOBAL BURDEN: which was intended for future generations as a snapshot into the daily lives of ordinary people trying to live through and make sense of the chaos, confusion, and uncertainty at the beginning of a pandemic outbreak. It is a collaborative writing of a variety of ordinary people, men, women, children, even an inmate, about how their lives had been personally effected by the pandemic. Global Burden was written at the very beginning of the Covid-19 global pandemic, when panic and uncertainty was fueling strange news headlines – many mentioned and even included in photos of those headlines within the book, yet GLOBAL BURDEN did not weigh in on any news or political opinions in any way and does not include any science or research regarding the disease, political actions and/or decisions, or news stories. It is exactly as the title suggests, true insight into the lives and minds of those living within the chaos of a merging pandemic. I have not focused on any advertisement of this book yet, since it was intended for future audiences, although several copies have been sold and a few reviews have come in since its release.

I also just released my third, a 21-day devotional, RHYMING REFLECTIONS, which includes a blank journal page for each day/poem. This book features full premium color pages that match its cover. This devotional is intended for anyone going through transitional or reflective moments in life, including things like terminal illness, loss of a loved-one, loss of job/career, moving away from hometown and family/friends, graduation, divorce, a break-up, etc. Often when we reflect, we become stuck trying to process negative events, we have regrets – things we should or shouldn’t have done or said, these feelings are normal.

Rhyming Reflections covers some tough topics, and because of that, the rhymes within it sometimes start out with a darker tone, but as the poem progresses – it works through that particular problem and ends on a much lighter note. This allows the reader to process their own negative feelings and bring them to a more positive place in their minds and hearts, so they can heal and freely transition to the next phase in their lives. Although just released, its first review was a beautiful 5-star review!

A bit about me:

After health issues forced me out of my nursing career, and while writing and publishing my memoir, I returned to college online and completed my dual degree, BS, and MS in Health Sciences with a Public Health Concentration so I could continue making positive contributions to the public health community through my research and writing, which now is published in peer reviewed medical and life sciences research journals. Topics of my research include the life-long psycho-neuro-endocrinological effects of exposure to extreme or prolonged trauma during the formative years in childhood; how childhood trauma relates to addiction; the science behind addiction, and the failure of our legislators and public health communities to provide successful addiction treatment based on the latest in evidence-based research.

Information and links: 

My books can be found on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lisa-Jo-Symonds/author/B083SFGY8Y

Signed copies can be purchased, for more information visit my website at https://www.symondssez.com.

More information and links to my research can also be found at https://www.symondssez.com.

Come follow me for updates, send me a message – I love chatting with readers! I can be found by searching my name on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.