My Painting of a Tree

Lucy and the New Baby, by Kim Yannayon

Tomorrow is the official release date for my second book!  I am so excited.  I would like to thank everyone who made this happen. I would like to thank Tate Publishing for being patient with me and all my changes.  A big, BIG THANK YOU to my parents and my husband. Of course, i'd like to thank my children for being to inspiration behind my books.

Lucy and the New Baby had already been awarded The Readers' Favorite 5 Star Award! Thank you for that and such a wonderful review! You can see the review here ►Lucy and The New Baby Review

I am thrilled to see it already available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, and more!

The audio book for this and my first book, Lucy's Big Mess are in the works right now!  My next goal is to try (TRY) to get my books turned into an animated series. I've been asked what is the next book about and when does it come out.  Well, I have started to write several books, but I have not finished any of them yet.


I have also, signed a voice over contract with a company and I am hoping to do a few commercials.  I was offered a minor, featured, extra in an upcoming movie, but unfortunately I had to decline, due to unforeseen circumstances.


This past year has been incredibly difficult for my family. We've lost so many loved ones and there never seems to be enough time to tell them we love them.  I am hoping to make 2015 very productive.  I have had several radio commercials aired nation wide for my first book, and I should have some for my second before long.  I have a tv commercial currently on youtube for Lucy and The New Baby. Please check it out.

My Facebook page has been verified, so please give that page a like.  I have been doing some minor work producing short films, hopefully I will move on to full length, feature films this year. You can see a full list on my IMDb page.

Please be sure to look for my book in stores.  Thank you.

Rudy is Ready for the Snow

Lucy and The New Baby by Kim Yannayon

Lucy's Big Mess 60 sec commercial

Seasonal Blues or Depression?

     

 More people report feeling depressed and tired during the darker days of winter. For most, this is actually a very normal response to less sunlight, thus giving us less Vitamin D. There have been over 5,000 scientific, clinical studies that show lack of Vitamin D can lead to physical illness, as well as, emotional illness. However, the seasonal blues can be a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Yes, it's really called SAD.

So, how can you tell if you suffer from the winter blues or other types of depression? (SAD) is a regular seasonal pattern associated with major depressive disorders during the fall and winter.

The symptoms are exactly the same as non-seasonal depression symptoms, EXCEPT the seasonal pattern. SAD symptoms include fatigue, an omnipresent sad mood, difficulty concentrating, loss of interests in activities, a change in sleeping habits, sleeping more than usual (even more than with "normal" depression), food cravings and emotional eating, and frequent thoughts of death or suicide. 

Never self-diagnose or use self-treatment, but with that said light therapy treatments (photo-therapy) and regular therapy are effective treatments for SAD. Don't run down to the tanning salon just yet. Always be careful with light treatments. Common side effects include headache, eye strain, and agitation. If using a tanning bed, you are increasing your risk of skin cancer. There is not a one-size fits all treatment for people with SAD.

 Risk factors for SAD include:
♦ Being a female. (we always seem to get the short end of the stick, don't we?)
♦ Age. Teens and young adults have a higher risk.
♦ Family history.
♦ Location, location, location. Living far from the equator.

 Tips to help cope with seasonal affective disorder:
♦ Socialize
♦ Stress Management
♦ Take care of yourself!

 If you or a loved one is considering suicide, there is hope and people willing to listen.

 The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 7 days a week, 24 hours.
 1 (800) 273-8255 or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org



Works Cited

Rohan, Kelly PhD, Leading Expert of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The American Psychological Association (2013)

The MAYO Clinic. www.mayoclinic.org (2014)

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (2014)

Yannayon, Kim. Blogger.

I am in no way a doctor and am not providing medical advice. Always seek the advice or your physician or qualified health care provider. The purpose of this article is to promote an understanding of  the health topics.

Have a Merry Christmas! Right Meow!