"I couldn’t let the secrets that controlled my past control my future." — Bridey Telen-Heidel In this compelling episode of Uncorking a Story, Mike Carlon interviews author and TEDx speaker Bridey Thelen-Heidel about her powerful memoir, Bright Eyes: Surviving Our Monsters and Learning to Live Without Them. Bridey opens up about her journey through a tumultuous childhood marked by frequent relocations and the trauma of living with her mother's choices. Through resilience and a commitment to healing, Bridey transformed her pain into a narrative that offers hope and solidarity to others with similar experiences. Her story touches on the importance of reclaiming one’s truth, the therapeutic power of writing, and the challenges of publishing personal memoirs. This episode is a must-listen for writers, readers, and anyone interested in the redemptive power of storytelling. Key Takeaways Writing a memoir is not just about telling your story; it’s about taking ownership of your truth. Repressed trauma can lead to physical illness; healing often requires facing those hidden pains. The journey to publication is challenging, especially for memoir writers dealing with personal topics. Resilience is built through connection and a commitment to self-love and healing. The hybrid publishing route offers new opportunities for authors who may not have mainstream representation. Memoir writing can bring estrangement within families but also offers liberation for the writer and validation for readers with similar experiences. Buy Bright Eyes: Surviving Our Monsters and Learning to Live without Them Amazon: https://amzn.to/4eeHBIX Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781647427382 Connect with Bridey Website: https://bridey-thelenheidel.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brighteyesauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brighteyesthememoir/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT6rvXyjsZU&t=152s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brighteyesauthor Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. #UncorkingAStory #BrideyThelenHeidel #BrightEyesMemoir #MemoirWriting #HealingThroughWriting #Resilience #HybridPublishing #TraumaRecovery Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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