CTP (S3ESepSpecial5) Trauma, Healing, and Human Connection<br />Linda Williams joins us to discuss her debut collection "The Beauty and the Hell of It and Other Stories," a powerful series exploring trauma, healing, and human connection through 14 short stories.<br />• Collection of 14 stories ranging from 10-15 pages each<br />• Title comes from a line about marriage—choosing your partner every day is "the beauty and the hell of it"<br />• Stories follow women through periods of trauma, mental illness, grief, and loss<br />• One story explores a sexual assault survivor's unexpected reaction to seeing her abuser again<br />• "Blind Date" offers lighter fare about a woman who pretends to be someone's date after he's stood up<br />• Final story uniquely written from male perspective, linked to another story from female perspective<br />• Book dedicated to a friend lost to suicide<br />• Writing provided catharsis for Williams while potentially helping readers process similar experiences<br />• Currently working on a literary novella and another collection centered on themes of betrayal<br />Find Linda Williams at www.lindawilliams.ca<br />
